Such national honour as you are able
to confer on your country is, perhaps, the only species of that
luxury for the rich (I mean what is termed one's glory) which is not
bought at the expense of the comforts of the million."
The study of metaphysics was always a favourite recreation when
Hamilton sought for a change from the pursuit of mathematics. In the
year 1834 we find him a diligent student of Kant; and, to show the
views of the author of Quaternions and of Algebra as the Science of
Pure Time on the "Critique of the Pure Reason," we quote the
following letter, dated 18th of July, 1834, from Hamilton to Viscount
Adare:--
"I have read a large part of the 'Critique of the Pure Reason,' and
find it wonderfully clear, and generally quite convincing.
Notwithstanding some previous preparation from Berkeley, and from my
own thoughts, I seem to have learned much from Kant's own statement
of his views of 'Space and Time.' Yet, on the whole, a large part of
my pleasure consists in recognising through Kant's works, opinions,
or rather views, which have been long familiar to myself, although
far more clearly and systematically expressed and combined by him.
. . . Kant is, I think, much more indebted than he owns, or, perhaps
knows, to Berkeley, whom he calls by a sneer, `GUTEM Berkeley'.
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