of the rise and progress of the arts and sciences-第1章

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　　　　　　　　　　OF　THE　RISE　AND　PROGRESS　OF　THE　ARTS　AND　SCIENCES



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　David　Hume



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1742



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　





　　

　　　　　Nothing　requires　greater　nicety；　in　our　enquiries　concerning

human　affairs；　than　to　distinguish　exactly　what　is　owing　to

；　and　what　proceeds　from　；　nor　is　there　any

subject；　in　which　an　author　is　more　liable　to　deceive　himself　by

false　subtilties　and　refinements。　To　say；　that　any　event　is

derived　from　chance；　cuts　short　all　farther　enquiry　concerning

it；　and　leaves　the　writer　in　the　same　state　of　ignorance　with　the

rest　of　mankind。　But　when　the　event　is　supposed　to　proceed　from

certain　and　stable　causes；　he　may　then　display　his　ingenuity；　in

assigning　these　causes；　and　as　a　man　of　any　subtilty　can　never　be

at　a　loss　in　this　particular；　he　has　thereby　an　opportunity　of

swelling　his　volumes；　and　discovering　his　profound　knowledge；　in

observing　what　escapes　the　vulgar　and　ignorant。

　　　　　The　distinguishing　between　chance　and　causes　must　depend

upon　every　particular　man's　sagacity；　in　considering　every

particular　incident。　But；　if　I　were　to　assign　any　general　rule　to

help　us　in　applying　this　distinction；　it　would　be　the　following；

。

　　　　　Two　natural　reasons　may。　be　assigned　for　this　rule。　；

If　you　suppose　a　dye　to　have　any　biass；　however　small；　to　a

particular　side；　this　biass；　though；　perhaps；　it　may　not　appear

in　a　few　throws；　will　certainly　prevail　in　a　great　number；　and

will　cast　the　balance　entirely　to　that　side。　In　like　manner；　when

any　　beget　a　particular　inclination　or　passion；　at　a

certain　time；　and　among　a　certain　people；　though　many　individuals

may　escape　the　contagion；　and　be　ruled　by　passions　peculiar　to

themselves；　yet　the　multitude　will　certainly　be　seized　by　the

common　affection；　and　be　governed　by　it　in　all　their　actions。

　　　　　；　Those　principles　of　causes；　which　are　fitted　to

operate　on　a　multitude；　are　always　of　a　grosser　and　more　stubborn

nature；　less　subject　to　accidents；　and　less　influenced　by　whim

and　private　fancy；　than　those　which　operate　on　a　few　only。　The

latter　are　commonly　so　delicate　and　refined；　that　the　smallest

incident　in　the　health；　education；　or　fortune　of　a　particular

person；　is　sufficient　to　divert　their　course；　and　retard　their

operation；　nor　is　it　possible　to　reduce　them　to　any　general

maxims　or　observations。　Their　influence　at　one　time　will　never

assure　us　concerning　their　influence　at　another；　even　though　all

the　general　circumstances　should　be　the　same　in　both　cases。

　　　　　To　judge　by　this　rule；　the　domestic　and　the　gradual

revolutions　of　a　state　must　be　a　more　proper　subject　of　reasoning

and　observation；　than　the　foreign　and　the　violent；　which　are

commonly　produced　by　single　persons；　and　are　more　influenced　by

whim；　folly；　or　caprice；　than　by　general　passions　and　interests。

The　depression　of　the　lords；　and　rise　of　the　commons　in　England；

after　the　statutes　of　alienation　and　the　encrease　of　trade　and

industry；　are　more　easily　accounted　for　by　general　principles；

than　the　depression　of　the　Spanish；　and　rise　of　the　French

monarchy；　after　the　death　of　Charles　V。　Had　Harry　IV；　Cardinal

Richlieu　and　Louis　XIV　been　Spaniards；　and　Philip　II；　III；　and

IV；　and　Charles　II　been　Frenchmen；　the　history　of　these　two

nations　had　been　entirely　reversed。

　　　　　For　the　same　reason；　it　is　more　easy　to　account　for　the　rise

and　progress　of　commerce　in　any　kingdom；　than　for　that　of

learning；　and　a　state；　which　should　apply　itself　to　the

encouragement　of　the　one；　would　be　more　assured　of　success；　than

one　which　should　cultivate　the　other。　Avarice；　or　the　desire　of

gain；　is　an　universal　passion；　which　operates　at　all　times；　in

all　places；　and　upon　all　persons：　But　curiosity；　or　the　love　of

knowledge；　has　a　very　limited　influence；　and　requires　youth；

leisure；　education；　genius；　and　example；　to　make　it　govern　any

person。　You　will　never　want　booksellers；　while　there　are　buyers

of　books：　But　there　may　frequently　be　readers　where　there　are　no

authors。　Multitudes　of　people；　necessity　and　liberty；　have

begotten　commerce　in　Holland：　But　study　and　application　have

scarcely　produced　any　eminent　writers。

　　　　　We　may；　therefore；　conclude；　that　there　is　no　subject；　in

which　we　must　proceed　with　more　caution；　than　in　tracing　the

history　of　the　arts　and　sciences；　lest　we　assign　causes　which

never　existed；　and　reduce　what　is　merely　contingent　to　stable　and

universal　principles。　Those　who　cultivate　the　sciences　in　any

state；　are　always　few　in　number：　The　passion；　which　governs　them；

limited：　Their　taste　and　judgment　delicate　and　easily　perverted：

And　their　application　disturbed　with　the　smallest　accident。

Chance；　therefore；　or　secret　and　unknown　causes；　must　have　a

great　influence　on　the　rise　and　progress　of　all　the　refined　arts。

　　　　　But　there　is　a　reason；　which　induces　me　not　to　ascribe　the

matter　altogether　to　chance。　Though　the　persons；　who　cultivate

the　sciences　with　such　astonishing　success；　as　to　attract　the

admiration　of　posterity；　be　always　few；　in　all　nations　and　all

ages；　it　is　impossible　but　a　share　of　the　same　spirit　and　genius

must　be　antecedently　diffused　throughout　the　people　among　whom

they　arise；　in　order　to　produce；　form；　and　cultivate；　from　their

earliest　infancy；　the　taste　and　judgment　of　those　eminent

writers。　The　mass　cannot　be　altogether　insipid；　from　which　such

refined　spirits　are　extracted。　'There　is　a　God　within　us；'　says

OVID；　'who　breathes　that　divine　fire；　by　which　we　are

animated。'＇2＇　Poets；　in　all　ages；　have　advanced　this　claim　to

inspiration。　There　is　not；　however；　any　thing　supernatural　in　the

case。　Their　fire　is　not　kindled　from　heaven。　It　only　runs　along

the　earth；　is　caught　from　one　breast　to　another；　and　burns

brightest；　where　the　materials　are　best　prepared；　and　most

happily　disposed。　The　question；　therefore；　concerning　the　rise

and　progress　of　the　arts　and　sciences；　is　not　altogether　a

question　concerning　the　taste；　genius；　and　spirit　of　a　few；　but

concerning　those　of　a　whole　people；　and　may；　therefore；　be

accounted　for；　in　some　measure；　by　general　causes　and　principles。

I　grant；　that　a　man；　who　should　enquire；　why　such　a　particular

poet；　as　Homer　for　instance；　existed；　at　such　a　place；　in　such　a

time；　would　throw　himself　headlong　into　chimaera；　and　could　never

treat　of　such　a　subject；　without　a　multitude　of　false　subtilties

and　refinements。　He　might　as　well　pretend　to　give　a　reason；　why

such　particular　generals；　as　Fabius　and　Scipio；　lived　in　Rome　at

such　a　time；　and　why　Fabius　came　into　the　world　before　Scipio。

For　such　incidents　as　these；　no　other　reason　can　be　given　than

that　of　Horace：

　　

　　　　　。

　　

　　　　　But　I　am　persuaded；　that　in　many　cases　good　reasons　might　be

given；　why　such　a　nation　is　more　polite　and　learned　at　a

particular　time；　than　any　of　its　neighbours。　At　least；　this　is　so

curious　a　subject；　that　it　were　a　pity　to　abandon　it　entirely；

before　we　have　found　whether　it　be　susceptible　of　reasoning；　and

can　be　reduced　to　any　general　principles。

　　　　　My　first　observation　on　this　head　is；　。

　　　　　In　the　first　ages　of　the　world；　when　men　are　as　yet

barbarous　and　ignorant；　they　seek　no　farther　security　against

mutual　violence　and　injustice；　than　the　choice　of　some　rulers；

few　or　many；　in　whom　they　place　an　implicit　confidence；　without

providing　any　security；　by　laws　or　political　institutions；

against　the　violence　and　injustice　of　these　rulers。　If　the

authority　be　centered　in　a　single　person；　and　if　the　people；

either　by　conquest；　or　by　the　ordinary　course　of　propagation；

encrease　to　a　great　multitude；　the　monarch；　finding　it

impossible；　in　his　own　person；　to　execute　every　office　of

sovereignty；　in　every　place；　must　delegate　his　authority　to

inferior　magistrates；　who　preserve　peace　and　order　in　their

respective　districts。　As　experience　and　education　have　not　yet

refined　the　judgments　of　men　to　any　considerable　degree；　the

prince；　who　is　himself　unrestrained；　never　dreams　of　restraining

his　ministers；　but　delegates　his　full　authority　to　every　one；

whom　he　sets　over　any　portion　of　the　people。　All　general　laws　are

attended　with　inconveniencies；　when　applied　to　particular　cases；

and　it　requires　great　penetration　and　experience；　both　to

perceive　that　these　inconveniencies　are　fewer　than　what　result

from　full　discretionary　powers　in　every　magistrate；　and　also　to

discern　what　general　laws　are；　upon　the　whole；　attended　with

fewest　inconveniencies。　This　is　a　matter　of　so　great　difficulty；

that　men　may　have　made　some　advances；　even　in　the　sublime　arts　of

poetry　and　eloquence；　where　a　rapidity　of　genius　and　imagination

assist　their　progress；　before　they　have　arrived　at　any　great

refinement　in　their　municipal　laws；　where　frequent　trials　and

diligent　observation　can　alone　direct　their　improvements。　It　is

not；　therefore；　to　be　supposed；　that　a　barbarous　monarch；

unrestrained　and　uninstructed；　will　ever　become　a　legislator；　or

think　of　restraining　his　；　in　every　province；　or　even

his　　in　every　village。　We　are　told；　that　the　late　Czar；

though　actuated　with　a　noble　genius；　and　smit　with　the　love　and

admiration　of　European　arts；　yet　professed　an　esteem　for　the

Turkish　policy　in　this　particular；　and　approved　of　such　summary

decisions　of　causes；　as　are　practised　in　that　barbarous　monarchy；

where　the　judges　are　not　restrained　by　any　methods；　forms；　or

laws。　He　did　not　perceive；　how　contrary　such　a　practice　would

have　been　to　all　his　other　endeavours　for　refining　his　people。

Arbitrary　power；　in　all　cases；　is　somewhat　oppressive　and

debasing；　but　it　is　altogether　ruinous　and　intolerable；　when

contracted　into　a　small　compass；　and　becomes　still　worse；　when

the　person；　who　possesses　it；　knows　that　the　time　of　his

authority　is　limited　and　uncertain。　'Habet　subjectos　tanquam

suos；　viles；　ut　alienos。'＇3＇　He　governs　the　subjects　with　full

authority；　as　if　they　were　his　own；　and　with　negligence　or

tyranny；　as　belonging　to　another。　A　people；　governed　after　such　a

manner；　are　slaves　in　the　full　and　proper　sense　of　the　word；　and

it　is　impossible　they　can　ever　aspire　to　any　refinements　or　taste

of　reason。　They　dare　not　so　much　as　pretend　to　enjoy　the

necessaries　of　life　in　plenty　or　security。

　　　　　To　expect；　therefore；　that　the　arts　and　sciences　should　take

their　first　rise　in　a　monarchy；　is　to　expect　a　contradiction。

Before　these　refinements　have　taken　place；　the　monarch　is

ignorant　and　uninstructed；　and　not　having　knowledge　sufficient