The Philosophy of Rhetoric Quotes

“Metaphor is an allegory in miniature.”
― George Campbell, The Philosophy of Rhetoric

“There is no truth more evident than that the imagination is more strongly affected by what is perceived by the senses, than by what is conceived by the understanding.”
― George Campbell, The Philosophy of Rhetoric

“The frequent use of any word in this manner brings it insensibly to have all the effect of the proper term whose place it was intended to supply: no sooner is this effect produced by it, than the same principle that influenced us at first to employ it operates with equal strength in influencing us to lay it aside, and in its stead to adopt something newer and still more remote.”
― George Campbell, The Philosophy of Rhetoric

“There is a sort of half-formed thoughts, which we sometimes find writers impatient to give to the world, before they themselves are fully possessed of them. Now, if the writer himself perceive confusedly and imperfectly the sentiments he would communicate, it is a thousand to one, the reader will not perceive them at all.”
― George Campbell, The Philosophy of Rhetoric

“The varieties in things are infinite, whereas the richest language hath its limits.”
― George Campbell, The Philosophy of Rhetoric

“Probability is a light darted on the object, from the proofs, which for this reason are pertinently enough styled evidence. Plausibility is a native lustre issuing directly from the object. The former is the aim of the historian, the latter of the poet.”
― George Campbell, The Philosophy of Rhetoric

“If it is fancy which bestows brilliancy on our ideas, if it is memory which gives them stability, passion doth more, it animates them. ... To make me believe it is enough to show me that things are so; to make me act, it is necessary to show that the action will answer some end.”
― George Campbell, The Philosophy of Rhetoric

“Whereas sense and memory are conversant only about individuals, our earliest experiences imply, or perhaps generate, the notion of a species, including all those individuals which have the most obvious and universal resemblance.”
― George Campbell, The Philosophy of Rhetoric

“But whatever be the ultimate intention of the orator, to inform, to convince, to please, to move, or to persuade, still he must speak so as to be understood, or he speaks to no purpose.”
― George Campbell, The Philosophy of Rhetoric

“...if we critically examine any language, ancient or modern, and trace its several terms and phrases to their source, we shall find it hold invariably, that all the words made use of, to denote spiritual and intellectual things, are in their origin metaphors, taken from the objects of sense.”
― George Campbell, The Philosophy of Rhetoric

“…in whatever light they [figurative words that have become literal] may be considered by the grammarian and the lexicographer, they cannot be considered as genuine metaphors by the rhetorician. I have already assigned the reason. They have nothing of the effect of metaphor upon the hearer. On the contrary, like proper terms, they suggest directly to his mind, without the intervention of any image, the ideas which the speaker proposed to convey by them.”
― George Campbell, The Philosophy of Rhetoric

“A metaphor hath undoubtedly the strongest effect when it is first ushered into the language; but by reason of its peculiar boldness, this, as was hinted already, is rarely to be hazarded, I may say it ought never to be hazarded, unless when both the perspicuity is secured to an ordinary understanding by the connexion, and the resemblance suggested is very striking.”
― George Campbell, The Philosophy of Rhetoric

“…the more a language advanceth in richness and precision, and the more a spirit of criticism prevails among those who speak it, the more delicate the people become in this respect, and the more averse to the admission of new metaphors.”
― George Campbell, The Philosophy of Rhetoric

“It may be further remarked, that in some words the metaphorical sense hath justled out the original sense altogether, so that in respect of it they are become obsolete. Of this kind in our tongue are the verbs to train, to curb, to edify, to enhance, the primitive significations whereof were to draw, to bend, to build, to lift.”
― George Campbell, The Philosophy of Rhetoric

“With regard to metaphor, it is certain, that in all languages there are many words which at first had one sense only, and afterwards acquired another by metaphorical application, of which words both senses are now become so current, that it would be difficult for any but an etymologist to determine which is the original and which the metaphorical.”
― George Campbell, The Philosophy of Rhetoric

“The corresponding metaphor, synecdoche, or metonymy, in another language will often be justly chargeable with obscurity and impropriety, perhaps even with absurdity. … {metonymy - sail vs vellum - for ship} … These tropes therefore are of a mixed nature. At the same time that they bear a reference to the primitive signification, they derive from their customary application to the figurative sense, that is, in other words, from the use of the language, somewhat of the nature of proper terms.”
― George Campbell, The Philosophy of Rhetoric

“And as to ordinary metaphors, or those which have already received the public sanction, and which are commonly very numerous in every tongue, the metaphorical meaning comes to be as really ascertained by custom in the particular language as the original, or what is called the literal meaning of the word. And in this respect metaphors stand on the same foot of general use with proper terms.”
― George Campbell, The Philosophy of Rhetoric

“…there is a particular boldness in metaphor, which is not to be found in the same degree in any of the figures of rhetoric. Without any thing like an explicit comparison, and commonly without any warning or apology, the name of one thing is obtruded upon us, for the name of another quite different, though resembling in some quality. The consequence of this is, that as there is always in this trope an apparent at least, if it cannot be called a real impropriety, and some degree of obscurity, a new metaphor is rarely to be risked.”
― George Campbell, The Philosophy of Rhetoric

“…the epithet rosy-finger'd, which Homer hath given to the morning. … Aristotle hath observed the effect solely in respect of beauty, but the remark holds equally true of these epithets in respect of vivacity. … It at once gratifies two of the senses, the nose by its fragrance, and the eye by its beauty.”
― George Campbell, The Philosophy of Rhetoric

“...when a person, instead of adopting metaphors that come naturally and opportunely in his way, rummages the whole world in quest of them, and piles them one upon another; when he cannot so properly be said to use metaphor as to talk in metaphor, or rather when from metaphor he runs into allegory, and thence into enigma, his words are not the immediate signs of his thought; they are at best but the signs of the signs of his thought.”
― George Campbell, The Philosophy of Rhetoric

“Nothing is more certain than that this trope [metaphor], when temperately and appositely used, serves to add light to the expression and energy to the sentiment. On the contrary, when vaguely and intemperately used, nothing can serve more effectually to cloud the sense, where there is sense, and by consequence to conceal the defect, where there is no sense to show.”
― George Campbell, The Philosophy of Rhetoric

“It is evident, that though the mind receives a considerable pleasure from the discovery of resemblance, no pleasure is received when the resemblance is of such a nature as is familiar to every body. ... What gives the principal delight to the imagination, is the exhibition of a strong likeness, which escapes the notice of the generality of people.”
― George Campbell, The Philosophy of Rhetoric

“...this study, [of rhetoric] properly conducted, leads directly to an acquaintance with ourselves; it not only traces the operations of the intellect and imagination, but discloses the lurking springs of action in the heart.”
― George Campbell, The Philosophy of Rhetoric

“Grammar too, in its general principles, has a close connexion with the understanding, and the theory of the association of ideas”
― George Campbell, The Philosophy of Rhetoric