The Scottish Philosophy [284]
makes them provoke laughter? March 27 68. Dr. George Skene. -- Whether are men become degenerate in point of size and strength, or has the modern method of living increased the number of diseases or altered their nature? April 9. 69. Mr. William Ogilvy. -- Whether curiosity be not the most powerful motive to study in the mind of youth and that which acts most uniformly. NOV. 27 70. Dr. Gregory. -- What are the distinguishing characteristics of wit and humor? May 8. 71. Dr. David Skene.-- Whether brutes have souls , or, if they have, wherein do they differ from the human? Nov. 15 72. Dr. Campbell. -- Whether the manner of living of parents affects the genius or intellectual abilities of the children Jan. 22, 1765 73. Mr. Stuart. -- Whether the idea of an infinitely perfect Being be a good argument for his existence. June 11, 1765. 74. Dr. Reid. -- Wherein does the nature of a promise consist, and whence does its obligation arise? March 12, 1765 75. Mr. Thomas Gordon. -- Whether there is any degeneracy of genius in the moderns. March 26, 1765. 76. Dr. Gerard. -- Whether children do not take more after the mother than the father, and if they do, what are the causes of it? Aug. 13, 1765. 77. Mr. Farquhar. -- Whether would the end of religion be most effectually promoted by a regular civil establishment for the support of the clergy, or by leaving their support to the voluntary contributions of the people? Nov. 12 {471} 78. What is the difference between common sense and reason? Dec. 10, 1765 79 Dr. George Skene. -- Is light a body whose particles are thrown off with great velocity from the luminous body, or is it a tremulous motion excited and propagated through a subtle medium analogous to the tremors of flies which occasion sound? Dec. 9, 1766. 80. Mr. William Ogilvie. -- Suppose a legislator were to form an establishment of clergy, on what principles ought he to proceed in order to render it most effectual for promoting religion and morality without favoring superstition? Nov. ", 1766. 81. Mr. Dunbar. -- Whether the considerations of good policy may not some. times justify the laying of a restraint upon population in a state. 82. Dr. David Skene. -- What are the advantages which mankind peculiarly derive from the use of speech? March 13, 1766. 83. Dr. Campbel. -- Whether it is possible that the language of any people should continue invariably the same, and if not, from what causes the variations arise. Oct. 13, 1766. 84. Mr. Thomas Gordon.-Whether in science it ought to be an aim to in. crease or to diminish the number of first principles. June 10, 1766. 85. Dr. Gerard. -- Whether any form of government can be perpetual. Dec. 9, 1766 86. Mr. Farquhar. -- Whether the observation of the unities of time and place are essentially requisite to the perfection of dramatic performances. Jan. 27, 1767. 87. Mr. Beattie. -- Whether the different opinions and different practices which prevail in different nations be an objection to the universality of the virtuous sentiment. Feb. 24, 1767. 88. Dr. George Skene.-Whether the opportunities of acquiring a learned education may not be too much in the power of the commonalty either for the advancement of learning or the good of the state. 89. Mr. Ogilvy.-I low does it appear to be equitable that the subjects of the state should be taxed in proportion to their respective fortunes and not equally over head or by any other rule? March 24, 1767. 90. Mr. Trail. -- In what sense may virtue be said to consist in acting agree. ably to nature, and vice in deviating from it? 91. Dr. David Skene.-- If mankind are considered in respect of rank and fortune, in what class may we expect to find the virtuous principle most prevalent? June 9, 1767 92. Dr. Campbel. -- Whether the Greek language remained invariably the same so long as is commonly thought, and to what causes the duration which it had ought to be ascribed. Nov. 10, 1767. 93. Mr. Gordon. -- What is the province and