The recorded incidents of his person and family life are not numerous.He seems to have been engrossed in lecturing to his students, in managing college matters, and in preparing text-books.He published a "Compend of Logic,"a "Synopsis of Metaphysics," and "Institutes of Philosophy,"all in clear and graceful Latin (referred to with commendation by Dr.Parr in his " Spital Sermon ").He joined Dr.Moor in publishing a translation of the "Meditations " of Antoninus, with a life of Antoninus, an introduction and notes in English, the last showing a considerable acquaintance with the Stoic philosophy.
When in Dublin, he had married Mary Wilson, daughter of Francis Wilson, a gentleman of property, and belonging to a Presbyterian family in Longford.' In a letter to a friend, Feb.12, 1740, he speaks of himself as " having been married now fifteen years and having only one boy surviving, of seven children borne to me by a very agreeable woman.Ibless God for the one he has spared to me, and that he has no bad genius.If he proves a wise and good man, I am very well in this world.Since my settlement in this college Ihave had an agreeable and I hope not an useless life, pretty much hurried with study and business, but such as is not unpleasant.I hope I am contributing to promote the more moderate and charitable sentiments in religious matters in this country, where yet there remains too much warmth, and commonly about matters of no great consequence to real religion.We must make allowance {68} for the power of education in all places, and have indulgence to the weakness of our brethren."
So early, as June, 1741, he writes to his Belfast friend: " In short, Tom, I find old age, not in gray hairs and other trifles, but in an incapacity of mind for such close thinking and composition as I once had, and have pretty much dropped the thoughts of some great designs I had once sketched out." On April 3, 1745, he was nominated to the chair of moral philosophy in Edinburgh by the Town Council, but declined the honor, in consequence of not feeling strong enough to engage in new labors.He writes, April 16, 1746: "I am in a great deal of private distresses about Jo.Wilson and his sister, the latter in the utmost danger, the other scarce recovered from death; my wife, too, very tender; but, by a set of most intricate business, upon which the soul of this college depends, and all may be ruined by the want of one vote, I cannot leave this till after 26th June, and we go to Dublin first." He had been for some months in an uncertain state of health: he went to Dublin about the time mentioned in the letter quoted; and there, after a few days' fever, he was cut off, Aug.8, 1746.His remains were buried in the old graveyard of Knockmark, East Meath, among his wife's kindred, the Wilsons and Stanhopes.He left one son, who became a physician, and rose to be professor of chemistry in Dublin College.That son published, in 1754, his "System of Moral Philosophy," to which is prefixed an account of the father's life by Dr.
Leechman.
Hutcheson has nowhere explained very fully or formally the method on which he proceeds.But he everywhere appeals to facts; he brings all theories to the test of the actual operations of the human mind as disclosed to consciousness (a word frequently employed by him); he sets no value on speculations built up in any other way; and he everywhere speaks doubtfully or disparagingly of the logical distinctions and verbal subtleties of the schoolmen, and of the rational deductions of Descartes and Samuel Clarke.
Proceeding on the method of observation, he discovers certain cognitive powers, which he {69} calls, perhaps unhappily, senses, which have a place in our very nature and constitution, and operate independent of any notice we may take of them.These features show that he belongs to the Scottish school, of which he is entitled to be regarded ,is the founder, inasmuch as no philosopher connected with North Britain had previously combined these characters, and as lie in fact gave the modern stimulus to philosophic speculation in Scotland.
He does not dwell at great length, nor very minutely, on the intellectual powers.He says that "late inquiries have been very much employed about our understanding.and the several methods of obtaining truth and so he would rather investigate " the various pleasures which human nature is capable of receiving," and our various internal senses, perceptions, and affections, specially the sense of beauty and the moral sense.Still he intimates very clearly what views he takes of man's intellectual nature.And first, as to the senses, he says, " It is not easy to divide distinctly our several sensations into classes.The division of our external senses into the five common classes seems very imperfect.Some sensations received without any previous idea, can either be reduced to none of them, such as the sensations of hunger, thirst, weariness, sickness;or, if we reduce them to the sense of feeling,, they are perceptions as different from the other ideas of touch, such as cold, heat, hardness, softness, as the ideas of taste or smell.Others have hinted at an external sense different from all of these.The following general account may possibly be useful: (1) That certain motions raised in our bodies are by a general law constituted the occasion of perceptions in the mind.(2) These perceptions never come alone, but have some other perceptions joined with them.