The Philosophy of Style

The Philosophy of Style [with
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Title: The Philosophy of Style
Author: Herbert Spencer
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THE PHILOSOPHY OF STYLE.
By Herbert Spencer

PART I.
CAUSES OF FORCE IN LANGUAGE WHICH DEPEND UPON
ECONOMY OF THE MENTAL ENERGIES.

i. The Principle of Economy.
§ 1. Commenting on the seeming incongruity between his father’s
argumentative powers and his ignorance of formal logic, Tristram
Shandy says:--"It was a matter of just wonder with my worthy tutor,
and two or three fellows of that learned society, that a man who knew
not so much as the names of his tools, should be able to work after that
fashion with them." Sterne’s intended implication that a knowledge of
the principles of reasoning neither makes, nor is essential to, a good
reasoner, is doubtless true. Thus, too, is it with grammar. As Dr.
Latham, condemning the usual school-drill in Lindley Murray, rightly
remarks: "Gross vulgarity is a fault to be prevented; but the proper
prevention is to be got from habit--not rules." Similarly, there can be
little question that good composition is far less dependent upon
acquaintance with its laws, than upon practice and natural aptitude. A
clear head, a quick imagination, and a sensitive ear, will go far towards
making all rhetorical precepts needless. He who daily hears and reads
well-framed sentences, will naturally more or less tend to use similar
ones. And where there exists any mental idiosyncrasy--where there is a
deficient verbal memory, or an inadequate sense of logical dependence,

or but little perception of order, or a lack of constructive ingenuity; no
amount of instruction will remedy the defect. Nevertheless, some
practical result may be expected from a familiarity with the principles
of style. The endeavour to conform to laws may tell, though slowly.
And if in no other way, yet, as facilitating revision, a knowledge of the
thing to be achieved--a clear idea of what constitutes a beauty, and
what a blemish--cannot fail to be of service.
§ 2. No general theory of expression seems yet to have been enunciated.
The maxims contained in works on composition and rhetoric, are
presented in an unorganized form. Standing as isolated dogmas--as
empirical generalizations, they are neither so clearly apprehended, nor
so much respected, as they would be were they deduced from some
simple first principle. We are told that "brevity is the soul of wit." We
hear styles condemned as verbose or involved. Blair says that every
needless part of a sentence "interrupts the description and clogs the
image;" and again, that "long sentences fatigue the reader’s attention."
It is remarked by Lord Kaimes, that "to give the utmost force to a
period, it ought, if possible, to be closed with that word which makes
the greatest figure." That parentheses should be avoided and that Saxon
words should be used in preference to those of Latin origin, are
established precepts. But, however influential the truths thus
dogmatically embodied, they would be much more influential if
reduced to something like scientific ordination. In this, as in other cases,
conviction will be greatly strengthened when we understand the why.
And we may be sure that a comprehension of the general principle from
which the rules of composition result, will not only bring them home to
us with greater force, but will discover to us other rules of like origin,
§ 3. On seeking for some clue to the law underlying these current
maxims, we may see shadowed forth in many of them, the importance
of economizing the reader’s or hearer’s attention, To so present ideas
that they may