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On the Adaptation of External Nature to the Physical Condition of Man, Principally With Reference to the Supply of His Wants, and the Exercise of His Intellectual Faculties
Excerpt from On the Adaptation of External Nature to the Physical Condition of Man, Principally With Reference to the Supply of His Wants, and the Exercise of His Intellectual Faculties
In the mineral kingdom the most characteristic property of the se veral species appears to be a disposition to a pecular mode of mutual attraction among the particles composing the individuals belonging to them; from which attraction, when exerted under the most favour able circumstances, result that symmetry and regularity of form, to which the term crystal has been applied. The transparency and degree of hardness of crystals are various, and depend much upon external circumstances. The form is fundamentally the same for each species, though capable of being modified according to known laws; and the substance is chemically the same throughout its whole extent. Every atom of a crystallized mass of gypsum consists of water, lime, and sulphuric acid, united in the same proportions as are found to exist in the whole mass, or in any given part of it.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
In the mineral kingdom the most characteristic property of the se veral species appears to be a disposition to a pecular mode of mutual attraction among the particles composing the individuals belonging to them; from which attraction, when exerted under the most favour able circumstances, result that symmetry and regularity of form, to which the term crystal has been applied. The transparency and degree of hardness of crystals are various, and depend much upon external circumstances. The form is fundamentally the same for each species, though capable of being modified according to known laws; and the substance is chemically the same throughout its whole extent. Every atom of a crystallized mass of gypsum consists of water, lime, and sulphuric acid, united in the same proportions as are found to exist in the whole mass, or in any given part of it.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
543 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 13, 2025
Nearly two years ago I randomly found a 200 year old original edition of this obscure work of natural philosophy at the John K King bookstore in Detroit, embossed on the inside cover with the personal seal of one Lord William Duckett, a Scottish castle-owning aristocrat, and it somehow made it from the press at Oxford into his library and then across the ocean into my hands, with who knows how many owners in between. I had no idea what it was before I bought it but doing the research and finding out the story of this old book was a lot of fun but it sat on my shelf since then until the last couple weeks I decided I would read it (very delicately).
This is #2 of a set of several works devoted to arguing the existence and providence of God from nature called the Bridgewater Treatises (named after the Earl of Bridgewater who died and left money and instructions for the Archbishop of Canterbury to direct the creation of these books).
Most of the book consists of Kidd doing a review of the different areas of nature (the air, light, heat, the “mineral kingdom”, and the animal and vegetable kingdoms) and showing how all of creation is tailor made to the needs and wants of humanity, based on a biblical argument of Adam being intended as heir and ruler of the earth, and from there argues this as evidence of intelligent design, or as he calls it, the Providence of the Creator.
Most of the book goes back and forth between interesting and boring/formulaic but it all pays off in the end, where Kidd all of a sudden develops a personality and cooks so hard with the last few pages, decimating an atheistic view of “mother nature” as incoherent and undefinable, preaching that we should all be engaged with nature and the act of learning, embracing creation as the evident glory of God lest we burn in hell and no longer have the chance. Also, he randomly includes a paragraph condemning gluttony at the end that is maybe the best treatment of the topic I’ve ever heard.
This is #2 of a set of several works devoted to arguing the existence and providence of God from nature called the Bridgewater Treatises (named after the Earl of Bridgewater who died and left money and instructions for the Archbishop of Canterbury to direct the creation of these books).
Most of the book consists of Kidd doing a review of the different areas of nature (the air, light, heat, the “mineral kingdom”, and the animal and vegetable kingdoms) and showing how all of creation is tailor made to the needs and wants of humanity, based on a biblical argument of Adam being intended as heir and ruler of the earth, and from there argues this as evidence of intelligent design, or as he calls it, the Providence of the Creator.
Most of the book goes back and forth between interesting and boring/formulaic but it all pays off in the end, where Kidd all of a sudden develops a personality and cooks so hard with the last few pages, decimating an atheistic view of “mother nature” as incoherent and undefinable, preaching that we should all be engaged with nature and the act of learning, embracing creation as the evident glory of God lest we burn in hell and no longer have the chance. Also, he randomly includes a paragraph condemning gluttony at the end that is maybe the best treatment of the topic I’ve ever heard.
February 27, 2025
THE 2ND BRIDGEWATER TREATISE: THAT THE ENVIRONMENT GIVES EVIDENCE FOR GOD
John Kidd (1775-1851) was an English physician, chemist and geologist. This 1833 book was the second “Bridgewater Treatise.” He wrote in the Preface, "it is the immediate object of this Treatise itself to unfold a train of facts, not to maintain a formal argument; to give a general view of the adaptation of the external world to the physical condition of man, not to attempt directly to convince the reader that this adaptation is a proof of the existence and omnipotence of the Deity, or of his beneficence and wisdom; though undoubtedly it is hoped by the writer... that such a conviction, if not already existing, may be produced by its perusal... the supposition of the existence of intellectual atheism involves an intellectual absurdity." (Pg. viii-ix)
He states, "Give all the intelligence therefore that you please to the horse, or to the elephant, yet with hoofs instead of hands it is physically impossible that they could construct the simplest instrument: nor could the organs even of the beaver, were that animal gifted with the highest intellectual power, enable it to effect much more than it is capable of effecting at present." (Pg. 19-20)
He wonders, "What if there be a resemblance, or even an analogy, between the structure and inhabitants of this earth and of the other planets of our system? What if every fixed star which we either see with the naked eye or by the aid of the telescope...be itself the centre of a system consisting, like our own, of numerous subordinate spheres, and every one of these inhabited by responsible agents, like ourselves... What if the moral history and state of the inhabitants of those numberless spheres be like that of man!---But the view, which the investigation of this question seems capable of unfolding, is too awful for the eye of reason; and... is not to be approached perhaps without culpable presumption." (Pg. 102)
He rejects William Buckland's arguments that some extinct animals were a result of the Mosaic deluge: "Nor is the objection... so much directed against the insulated supposition that these organic remains are immediate proofs of the Mosaic deluge; as against the PRINCIPLE of supporting the credibility of the sacred Scriptures on any unascertained interpretation of physical phenomena. Such a support appears to be imprudent, as well as ... unnecessary, because the moral evidence of the credibility of the Scriptures is of itself fully sufficient; imprudent, because we have ... antecedent analogy... in this very branch of knowledge, for anticipating a period in the progress of science, when particular phenomena may be interpreted in a very different manner from that which they are interpreted at present. Thus the explanation of the motions of our solar system, which is now admitted very generally, without any fear of weakening the authority of Scripture, was once as generally impugned on the principle of that very fear." (Pg. 181-182)
He points out, "we should in reason expect, among the organic remains of that catastrophe, a preponderance, at least, of the remains of existing species... But the fact is just the reverse: for by far the greater number of the organic remains ... belong to species not known now to exist... But the deluge itself was evidently a miracle... and whoever admits the force of the reasoning, contained in Butler's ' Analogy Of Religion: Natural And Revealed,' will be disposed to allow that the VISIBLE evidence of the catastrophe may have been purposely obscured, in order to exercise our faith in an exclusive belief of the MORAL evidence." (Pg. 183-184)
He notes, "Among the strongest evidences of an intentional adaptation of the external world to the physical condition of man, may be classed the geographical distribution of animals... Thus the elephant, which lives exclusively on vegetable food, is found naturally in those climates only, where vegetation is so luxuriantly abundant as easily to meet the large supply, which numerous individuals of such enormous bulk require." (Pg. 248)
"Later, he adds, "Nature has implanted a disposition in almost all animals to be domesticate by man; and also a capability of becoming adapted to the various climates into which they accompany him; and this disposition and adaptation necessarily extend the utility of these animals." (Pg. 258)
He observes, "out of the countless myriads of human beings that inhabit the earth... no two individuals would be found to resemble each other, exactly... And in this wonderful diversity the infinite power of the Deity is distinctly manifested; for, in the exercise of human skill, the most accomplished artist, as soon as he ceases to copy an actual individual, falls into that general similarity of outline by which we are enabled to ascertain his style upon the first view." (Pg. 337)
This book will be of great interest to those studying Natural Theology.
John Kidd (1775-1851) was an English physician, chemist and geologist. This 1833 book was the second “Bridgewater Treatise.” He wrote in the Preface, "it is the immediate object of this Treatise itself to unfold a train of facts, not to maintain a formal argument; to give a general view of the adaptation of the external world to the physical condition of man, not to attempt directly to convince the reader that this adaptation is a proof of the existence and omnipotence of the Deity, or of his beneficence and wisdom; though undoubtedly it is hoped by the writer... that such a conviction, if not already existing, may be produced by its perusal... the supposition of the existence of intellectual atheism involves an intellectual absurdity." (Pg. viii-ix)
He states, "Give all the intelligence therefore that you please to the horse, or to the elephant, yet with hoofs instead of hands it is physically impossible that they could construct the simplest instrument: nor could the organs even of the beaver, were that animal gifted with the highest intellectual power, enable it to effect much more than it is capable of effecting at present." (Pg. 19-20)
He wonders, "What if there be a resemblance, or even an analogy, between the structure and inhabitants of this earth and of the other planets of our system? What if every fixed star which we either see with the naked eye or by the aid of the telescope...be itself the centre of a system consisting, like our own, of numerous subordinate spheres, and every one of these inhabited by responsible agents, like ourselves... What if the moral history and state of the inhabitants of those numberless spheres be like that of man!---But the view, which the investigation of this question seems capable of unfolding, is too awful for the eye of reason; and... is not to be approached perhaps without culpable presumption." (Pg. 102)
He rejects William Buckland's arguments that some extinct animals were a result of the Mosaic deluge: "Nor is the objection... so much directed against the insulated supposition that these organic remains are immediate proofs of the Mosaic deluge; as against the PRINCIPLE of supporting the credibility of the sacred Scriptures on any unascertained interpretation of physical phenomena. Such a support appears to be imprudent, as well as ... unnecessary, because the moral evidence of the credibility of the Scriptures is of itself fully sufficient; imprudent, because we have ... antecedent analogy... in this very branch of knowledge, for anticipating a period in the progress of science, when particular phenomena may be interpreted in a very different manner from that which they are interpreted at present. Thus the explanation of the motions of our solar system, which is now admitted very generally, without any fear of weakening the authority of Scripture, was once as generally impugned on the principle of that very fear." (Pg. 181-182)
He points out, "we should in reason expect, among the organic remains of that catastrophe, a preponderance, at least, of the remains of existing species... But the fact is just the reverse: for by far the greater number of the organic remains ... belong to species not known now to exist... But the deluge itself was evidently a miracle... and whoever admits the force of the reasoning, contained in Butler's ' Analogy Of Religion: Natural And Revealed,' will be disposed to allow that the VISIBLE evidence of the catastrophe may have been purposely obscured, in order to exercise our faith in an exclusive belief of the MORAL evidence." (Pg. 183-184)
He notes, "Among the strongest evidences of an intentional adaptation of the external world to the physical condition of man, may be classed the geographical distribution of animals... Thus the elephant, which lives exclusively on vegetable food, is found naturally in those climates only, where vegetation is so luxuriantly abundant as easily to meet the large supply, which numerous individuals of such enormous bulk require." (Pg. 248)
"Later, he adds, "Nature has implanted a disposition in almost all animals to be domesticate by man; and also a capability of becoming adapted to the various climates into which they accompany him; and this disposition and adaptation necessarily extend the utility of these animals." (Pg. 258)
He observes, "out of the countless myriads of human beings that inhabit the earth... no two individuals would be found to resemble each other, exactly... And in this wonderful diversity the infinite power of the Deity is distinctly manifested; for, in the exercise of human skill, the most accomplished artist, as soon as he ceases to copy an actual individual, falls into that general similarity of outline by which we are enabled to ascertain his style upon the first view." (Pg. 337)
This book will be of great interest to those studying Natural Theology.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews