an enquiry concerning human understanding-第36节

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aliquod　legamus？　Velut　ego　nunc　moveor。　Venit　enim　mihi
Plato　in　mentem；　quem　accepimus　primum　hic　disputare
solitum；　cuius　etiam　illi　hortuli　propinqui　non　memoriam
solum　mihi　afferunt；　sed　ipsum　videntur　in　conspectu　meo　hic
ponere。　Hic　Speusippus；　hic　Xenocrates；　hic　eius　auditor
Polemo；　cuius　ipsa　illa　sessio　fuit；　quam　videmus。　Equidem
etiam　curiam　nostram；　Hostiliam　dico；　non　hanc　novam；　quae
mihi　minor　esse　videtur　postquam　est　maior；　solebam　intuens；
Scipionem；　Catonem；　Laelium；　nostrum　vero　in　primis　avum
cogitare。　Tanta　vis　admonitionis　est　in　locis；　ut　non　sine
causa　ex　his　memopriae　deducta　sit　disciplina。'　　Cicero　de
Finibus。　Lib。　v。
　　　　　＇14＇Mr。　L/OCKE　divides　all　arguments　into
demonstrative　and　probable。　In　this　view；　we　must　say；　that
it　is　only　probable　that　all　men　must　die；　or　that　the　sun
will　rise　to…morrow。　But　to　conform　our　language　more　to
common　use；　we　ought　to　divide　arguments　into
；　；　and　。　By　proofs
meaning　such　arguments　from　experience　as　leave　no　room　for
doubt　or　opposition。
　　　　　＇15＇Section　II。
　　　　　＇16＇Mr。　L/OCKE；　in　his　chapter　of　power；　says　that；
finding　from　experience；　that　there　are　several　new
productions　in　matter；　and　concluding　that　there　must
somewhere　be　a　power　capable　of　producing　them；　we　arrive　at
last　by　this　reasoning　at　the　idea　of　power。　But　no
reasoning　can　ever　give　us　a　new；　original；　simple　idea；　as
this　philosopher　himself　confesses。　This；　therefore；　can
never　be　the　origin　of　that　idea。
　　　　　＇17＇IT　may　be　pretended；　that　the　resistance　which　we
meet　with　in　bodies；　obliging　us　frequently　to　exert　our
force；　and　call　up　all　our　power；　this　gives　us　the　idea　of
force　and　power。　It　is　this　；　or　strong　endeavour；　of
which　we　are　conscious；　that　is　the　original　impression　from
which　this　idea　is　copied。　But；　first；　we　attribute　power　to
a　vast　number　of　objects；　where　we　never　can　suppose　this
resistance　or　exertion　of　force　to　take　place；　to　the
Supreme　Being；　who　never　meets　with　any　resistance；　to　the
mind　in　its　command　over　its　ideas　and　limbs；　in　common
thinking　and　motion；　where　the　effect　follows　immediately
upon　the　will；　without　any　exertion　or　summoning　up　of
force；　to　inanimate　matter；　which　is　not　capable　of　this
sentiment。　；　This　sentiment　of　an　endeavour　to
overcome　resistance　has　no　known　connexion　with　any　event：
What　follows　it；　we　know　by　experience；　but　could　not　know
it　。　It　must；　however；　be　confessed；　that　the
animal　；　which　we　experience；　though　it　can　afford　no
accurate　precise　idea　of　power；　enters　very　much　into　that
vulgar；　inaccurate　idea；　which　is　formed　by　it。
　　　　　＇18＇＇Three　Greek　words＇
　　　　　＇19＇Section　XII。
　　　　　＇20＇I　N/EED　not　examine　at　length　the　
which　is　so　much　talked　of　in　the　new　philosophy；　and　which
is　ascribed　to　matter。　We　find　by　experience；　that　a　body　at
rest　or　in　motion　continues　for　ever　in　its　present　state；
till　put　from　it　by　some　new　cause；　and　that　a　body　impelled
takes　as　much　motion　from　the　impelling　body　as　it　acquires
itself。　These　are　facts。　When　we　call　this　a　；
we　only　mark　these　facts；　without　pretending　to　have　any
idea　of　the　inert　power；　in　the　same　manner　as；　when　we　talk
of　gravity；　we　mean　certain　effects；　without　comprehending
that　active　power。　It　was　never　the　meaning　of　Sir　I/SAAC
N/EWTON　to　rob　second　causes　of　all　force　or　energy；　though
some　of　his　followers　have　endeavoured　to　establish　that
theory　upon　his　authority。　On　the　contrary；　that　great
philosopher　had　recourse　to　an　etherial　active　fluid　to
explain　his　universal　attraction；　though　he　was　so　cautious
and　modest　as　to　allow；　that　it　was　a　mere　hypothesis；　no　to
be　insisted　on；　without　more　experiments。　I　must　confess；
that　there　is　something　in　the　fate　of　opinions　a　little
extraordinary。　D/ES　C/ARTES　insinuated　that　doctrine　of
the　universal　and　sole　efficacy　of　the　Deity；　without
insisting　on　it。　M/ALEBRANCHE　and　other　C/ARTESIANS　made
it　the　foundation　of　all　their　philosophy。　It　had；　however；
no　authority　in　E/NGLAND。　L/OCKE；　C/LARKE；　and
C/UDWORTH；　never　so　much　as　notice　of　it；　but　suppose　all
along；　that　matter　has　a　real；　though　subordinate　and
derived　power。　By　what　means　has　it　become　so　prevalent
among　our　modern　metaphysicians？
　　　　　＇21＇A/CCORDING　to　these　explications　and　definitions；
the　idea　of　power　is　relative　as　much　as　that　of　；
and　both　have　a　reference　to　an　effect；　or　some　other　event
constantly　conjoined　with　the　former。　When　we　consider　the
　circumstance　of　an　object；　by　which　the　degree　or
quantity　of　its　effect　is　fixed　and　determined；　we　call　that
its　power：　And　accordingly；　it　is　allowed　by　all
philosophers；　that　the　effect　is　the　measure　of　the　power。
But　if　they　had　any　idea　of　power；　as　it　is　in　itself；　why
could　not　they　Measure　it　in　itself？　The　dispute　whether　the
force　of　a　body　in　motion　be　as　its　velocity；　or　the　square
of　its　velocity；　this　dispute；　I　say；　need　not　be　decided　by
comparing　its　effects　in　equal　or　unequal　times；　but　by　a
direct　mensuration　and　comparison。
　　　　　As　to　the　frequent　use　of　the　words；　Force；　Power；
Energy；　&c。；　which　every　where　occur　in　common　conversation；
as　well　as　in　philosophy；　that　is　no　proof；　that　we　are
acquainted；　in　any　instance；　with　the　connecting　principle
between　cause　and　effect；　or　can　account　ultimately　for　the
production　of　one　thing　to　another。　These　words；　as　commonly
used；　have　very　loose　meanings　annexed　to　them；　and　their
ideas　are　very　uncertain　and　confused。　No　animal　can　put
external　bodies　in　motion　without　the　sentiment　of　a　
or　endeavour；　and　every　animal　has　a　sentiment　or　feeling
from　the　stroke　or　blow　of　an　external　object；　that　is　in
motion。　These　sensations；　which　are　merely　animal；　and　from
which　we　can　　draw　no　inference；　we　are　apt　to
transfer　to　inanimate　objects；　and　to　suppose；　that　they
have　some　such　feelings；　whenever　they　transfer　or　receive
motion。　With　regard　to　energies；　which　are　exerted；　without
our　annexing　to　them　any　idea　of　communicated　motion；　we
consider　only　the　constant　experienced　conjunction　of　the
events；　and　as　we　　a　customary　connexion　between　the
ideas；　we　transfer　that　feeling　to　the　objects；　as　nothing
is　more　usual　than　to　apply　to　external　bodies　every
internal　sensation；　which　they　occasion。
　　　　　＇22＇T/HE　prevalence　of　the　doctrine　of　liberty　may　be
accounted　for；　from　another　cause；　。　a　false　sensation
of　seeming　experience　which　we　have；　or　may　have；　of　liberty
or　indifference；　in　many　of　our　actions。　The　necessity　of
any　action；　whether　of　matter　or　of　mind；　is　not；　properly
speaking；　a　quality　in　the　agent；　but　in　any　thinking　or
intelligent　being；　who　may　consider　the　action；　and　it
consists　chiefly　in　the　determination　of　his　thoughts　to
infer　the　existence　of　that　action　from　some　preceding
objects；　as　liberty；　when　opposed　to　necessity；　is　nothing
but　the　want　of　that　determination；　and　a　certain　looseness
or　indifference；　which　we　feel；　in　passing；　or　not　passing；
from　the　idea　of　one　object　to　that　of　any　succeeding　one。
Now　we　may　observe；　that；　though；　in　　on　human
actions；　we　seldom　feel　such　a　looseness；　or　indifference；
but　are　commonly　able　to　infer　them　with　considerable
certainty　from　their　motives；　and　from　the　dispositions　of
the　agent；　yet　it　frequently　happens；　that；　in　
the　actions　themselves；　we　are　sensible　of　something　like
it：　And　as　all　resembling　objects　are　readily　taken　for　each
other；　this　has　been　employed　as　a　demonstrative　and　even
intuitive　proof　of　human　liberty。　We　feel；　that　our　actions
are　subject　to　our　will；　on　most　occasions；　and　imagine　we
feel；　that　the　will　itself　is　subject　to　nothing；　because；
when　by　a　denial　of　it　we　are　provoked　to　try；　we　feel；　that
it　moves　easily　every　way；　and　produces　an　image　of　itself
（or　a　；　as　it　is　called　in　the　schools）　even　on
that　side；　on　which　it　did　not　settle。　This　image；　or　faint
motion；　we　persuade　ourselves；　could；　at　that　time；　have
been　compleated　into　the　thing　itself；　because；　should　that
be　denied；　we　find；　upon　a　second　trial；　that；　at　present；
it　can。　We　consider　not；　that　the　fantastical　desire　of
shewing　liberty；　is　here　the　motive　of　our　actions。　And　it
seems　certain；　that；　however　we　may　imagine　we　feel　a
liberty　within　ourselves；　a　spectator　can　commonly　infer　our
actions　from　our　motives　and　character；　and　even　where　he
cannot；　he　concludes　in　general；　that　he　might；　were　he
perfectly　acquainted　with　every　circumstance　of　our
situation　and　temper；　and　the　most　secret　springs　of　our
complexion　and　disposition。　Now　this　is　the　very　essence　of
necessity；　according　to　the　foregoing　doctrine。
　　　　　＇23＇T/HUS；　if　a　cause　be　defined；　；　it　is　easy　to　observe；　that　　is
synonymous　to　。　In　like　manner；　if　a　cause　be
defined；　；　this　is　liable　to
the　same　objection。　For　what　is　meant　by　these　words；　？　Had　it　been　said；　that　a　cause　is　　after　which
；　w