speculation

The faculty of sight.

Thou hast no speculation in those eyes.

An act of looking at something; examination, observation.

[T]he expression of exultation and content on their animated faces, is one of my most delicious speculations.

The process or act of thinking or meditating on a subject.

Thenceforth to speculations high or deep I turned my thoughts.

It ſeems, the Minds of theſe People are ſo taken up with intenſe Speculations, that they neither can ſpeak, nor attend to the Diſcourſes of others, without being rouzed by ſome external Taction upon the Organs of Speech and Hearing; for which reaſon, thoſe Perſons who are able to afford it always keep a Flapper (the Original is Climenole) in their Family, as one of their Domeſticks, nor ever walk abroad or make Viſits without him.

The act or process of reasoning a priori from premises given or assumed.

A conclusion to which the mind comes by speculating; mere theory; notion; conjecture.

[N]ear the Age of Socrates lived their Great and Renowned Confutius, who began the ſame Deſign, of reclaiming Men from the uſeless and endleſs Speculations of Nature, to thoſe of Morality.

To his speculations on these subjects he gave the lofty name of the "Oracles of Reason".