Buffon's Natural History. Volume 05 (of 10)

Buffon's Natural History. Volume 05 (of 10) - Containing a Theory of the Earth, a General History of Man, of the Brute Creation, and of Vegetables, Minerals, &c. &c

As all our knowledge turns upon the relations by which one object differs from another, if there existed no brute animals, the nature of the human being would be still more incomprehensible. Having considered man in himself, ought we not to derive every assistance, by comparing him with the other parts of the animal creation? We will proceed [2] then to examine the nature of animals, to compare their organization, to study their general economy, thereby to make particular applications, to mark resemblances, to reconcile the differences; and from the assemblage of those combinations, to distinguish the principal effects of the living mechanism, and to make a further progress in that important knowledge of which man is the object. We will begin by reducing within its proper limits a subject which, at first view, appears to be immense. The properties of matter which animals possess in common with inanimate beings come not within our present consideration, and which we have already fully treated upon. For the same reason we shall reject such qualities as are found equally to belong to the vegetable and to the animal. As in the class of animals we comprehend a number of animated beings, whose organization is highly different from that of man, as well as from more perfect animals, so we shall wave the consideration of them, and confine ourselves to those animals which have evidently the greatest affinity to us. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 45730
Author: Buffon, Georges Louis Leclerc
Release Date: May 23, 2014
Format: eBook
Language: English

Contributors

Editor: Barr, James Smith