TABLE OF CONTENTS STATEMENT OF THE RESOURCES FOR INVESTIGATING HISTORY, AND PROOFS OF THE REGULARITY OF HUMAN ACTIONS. THESE ACTIONS ARE GOVERNED BY MENTAL AND PHYSICAL LAWS: THEREFORE BOTH SETS OF LAWS MUST BE STUDIED, AND THERE CAN BE NO HISTORY WITHOUT THE NATURAL SCIENCES. Probable origin of free-will and predestination 7-11 Theological basis of predestination, and metaphysical basis of free-will 10–13 Therefore history is the modification of man by nature, and of nature Similar proof respecting suicides 19-22 The historian must ascertain whether mind or nature has most influ- enced human actions; and therefore there can be no history with- NOTE A.-Passages from Kant on free-will and necessity 26-28 In the former case the imagination is more stimulated than the un- Also by an unhealthy climate, making life precarious. From these causes the civilizations exterior to Europe are mainly in- This proposition illustrated by a comparison between Hindustan and Further illustration from Central America Chemical and physiological note on the connexion between food and 91-93 106-108 . EXAMINATION OF THE METHOD EMPLOYED BY METAPHYSICIANS FOR DIS- In the last chapter, two leading facts have been established, which Hence it appears that of the two classes of mental and physical Examination of the two metaphysical methods of generalizing men- There is no evidence that the natural faculties of man improve. Progress, therefore, depends on an improvement in the circumstances As civilization advances, men of intellect avoid becoming soldiers Illustrations of this from ancient Greece and modern Europe The three principal ways in which the progress of knowledge has Recapitulation of preceding arguments Moral feelings influence individuals, but do not affect society in the Much may be gained in that respect from studying the histories of And from Sweden and Scotland Influence of literature on the progress of society. Influence of government on the progress of society The best legislation abrogates former legislation The interference of politicians with trade has injured trade By other laws they have hindered the advance of knowledge 206-207 Conclusions arrived at by the preceding investigations An inquiry into the changes in historical researches will throw light Illustration of this from the history of Charlemagne by Turpin And from the history of the Britons by Geoffrey The first improvement in writing history began in the fourteenth But credulity was still prevalent, as is seen in Comines |