Record Number: 21343
Reading Experience:
Evidence:
'He [Johnson] attacked Lord Monboddo's strange speculation on the primitive state of human nature; observing, "Sir, it is all conjecture about a thing useless, even were it known to be true. Knowledge of all kinds is good. Conjecture, as to things useful, is good; but conjecture as to what it would be useless to know, such as whether men went upon all four [sic], is very idle." '
Century:1700-1799
Date:Until: 10 May 1773
Country:England
Timen/a
Place:n/a
Type of Experience(Reader):
silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
(Listener):
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
Reader / Listener / Reading Group:
Reader: Age:Adult (18-100+)
Gender:Male
Date of Birth:18 Sep 1709
Socio-Economic Group:Professional / academic / merchant / farmer
Occupation:writer
Religion:Anglican
Country of Origin:England
Country of Experience:England
Listeners present if any:e.g family, servants, friends
n/a
Additional Comments:
n/a
Text Being Read:
Author: Title:Of the Origin and Progress of Language
Genre:Science
Form of Text:Print: Book
Publication Detailsonly first volume had been published at this time (1773), another 5 appeared by 1792
Provenanceunknown
Source Information:
Record ID:21343
Source:James Boswell
Editor:R.W. Chapman
Title:Life of Johnson
Place of Publication:Oxford
Date of Publication:1980
Vol:n/a
Page:547
Additional Comments:
n/a
Citation:
James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson, (Oxford, 1980), p. 547, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=21343, accessed: 18 February 2025
Additional Comments:
Originally published 1791. Probably the text in question, though it could have been an earlier essay