thoughts on man-第33章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




The　man；　who　lives　in　solitude；　and　seldom　communicates　with　minds　of　the　same　class　as　his　own；　works　out　his　opinions　with　patient　scrutiny；　returns　to　the　investigation　again　and　again；　imagines　that　he　had　examined　the　question　on　all　sides；　and　at　length　arrives　at　what　is　to　him　a　satisfactory　conclusion。　　He　resumes　the　view　of　this　conclusion　day　after　day；　he　finds　in　it　an　unalterable　validity；　he　says　in　his　heart；　〃Thus　much　I　have　gained；　this　is　a　real　advance　in　the　search　after　truth；　I　have　added　in　a　defined　and　palpable　degree　to　what　I　knew　before。〃　　And　yet　it　has　sometimes　happened；　that　this　person；　after　having　been　shut　up　for　weeks；　or　for　a　longer　period；　in　his　sanctuary；　living；　so　far　as　related　to　an　exchange　of　oral　disquisitions　with　his　fellow…men；　like　Robinson　Crusoe　in　the　desolate　island；　shall　come　into　the　presence　of　one；　equally　clear…sighted；　curious　and　indefatigable　with　himself；　and　shall　hear　from　him　an　obvious　and　palpable　statement；　which　in　a　moment　shivers　his　sightly　and　glittering　fabric　into　atoms。　　The　statement　was　palpable　and　near　at　hand；　it　was　a　thin；　an　almost　imperceptible　partition　that　hid　it　from　him；　he　wonders　in　his　heart　that　it　never　occurred　to　his　meditations。　　And　yet　so　it　is：　　it　was　hid　from　him　for　weeks；　or　perhaps　for　a　longer　period：　　it　might　have　been　hid　from　him　for　twenty　years；　if　it　had　not　been　for　the　accident　that　supplied　it。　　And　he　no　sooner　sees　it；　than　he　instantly　perceives　that　the　discovery　upon　which　he　plumed　himself；　was　an　absurdity；　of　which　even　a　schoolboy　might　be　ashamed。

A　circumstance　not　less　curious；　among　the　phenomena　which　belong　to　this　subject　of　belief；　is　the　repugnance　incident　to　the　most　ingenuous　minds；　which　we　harbour　against　the　suddenly　discarding　an　opinion　we　have　previously　entertained；　and　the　adopting　one　which　comes　recommended　to　us　with　almost　the　force　of　demonstration。　　Nothing　can　be　better　founded　than　this　repugnance。　　The　mind　of　man　is　of　a　peculiar　nature。　　It　has　been　disputed　whether　we　can　entertain　more　than　one　idea　at　a　time。　　But　certain　it　is；　that　the　views　of　the　mind　at　any　one　time　are　considerably　narrowed。　　The　mind　is　like　the　slate　of　a　schoolboy；　which　can　contain　only　a　certain　number　of　characters　of　a　given　size；　or　like　a　moveable　panorama；　which　places　a　given　scene　or　landscape　before　me；　and　the　space　assigned；　and　which　comes　within　the　limits　marked　out　to　my　perception；　is　full。　　Many　things　are　therefore　almost　inevitably　shut　out；　which；　had　it　not　been　so；　might　have　essentially　changed　the　view　of　the　case；　and　have　taught　me　that　it　was　a　very　different　conclusion　at　which　I　ought　to　have　arrived。

At　first　sight　nothing　can　appear　more　unreasonable；　than　that　I　should　hesitate　to　admit　the　seemingly　irresistible　force　of　the　argument　presented　to　me。　　An　ingenuous　disposition　would　appear　to　require　that；　the　moment　the　truth；　or　what　seems　to　be　the　truth；　is　set　before　me；　I　should　pay　to　it　the　allegiance　to　which　truth　is　entitled。　　If　I　do　otherwise；　it　would　appear　to　argue　a　pusillanimous　disposition；　a　mind　not　prompt　and　disengaged　to　receive　the　impression　of　evidence；　a　temper　that　loves　something　else　better　than　the　lustre　which　all　men　are　bound　to　recognise；　and　that　has　a　reserve　in　favour　of　ancient　prejudice；　and　of　an　opinion　no　longer　supported　by　reason。

In　fact　however　I　shall　act　most　wisely；　and　in　the　way　most　honourable　to　my　character；　if　I　resolve　to　adjourn　the　debate。　　No　matter　how　complete　the　view　may　seem　which　is　now　presented　to　my　consideration；　or　how　irresistible　the　arguments：　　truth　is　too　majestic　a　divinity；　and　it　is　of　too　much　importance　that　I　should　not　follow　a　delusive　semblance　that　may　shew　like　truth；　not　to　make　it　in　the　highest　degree　proper　that　I　should　examine　again　and　again；　before　I　come　to　the　conclusion　to　which　I　mean　to　affix　my　seal；　and　annex　my　sanction；　〃This　is　the　truth。〃　　The　ancient　Goths　of　Germany；　we　are　told；　had　a　custom　of　debating　every　thing　of　importance　to　their　state　twice；　once　in　the　high　animation　of　a　convivial　meeting；　and　once　in　the　serene　stillness　of　a　morning　consultation。　　Philip　of　Macedon　having　decided　a　cause　precipitately；　the　party　condemned　by　him　immediately　declared　his　resolution　to　appeal　from　the　sentence。　　And　to　whom；　said　the　king；　wilt　thou　appeal？　　To　Philip；　was　the　answer；　in　the　entire　possession　of　his　understanding。

Such　is　the　nature　of　the　human　mindat　least；　such　I　find　to　he　the　nature　of　my　ownthat　many　trains　of　thinking；　many　chains　of　evidence；　the　result　of　accumulated　facts；　will　often　not　present　themselves；　at　the　time　when　their　presence　would　be　of　the　highest　importance。　　The　view　which　now　comes　before　me　is　of　a　substance　so　close　and　well…woven；　and　of　colours　so　brilliant　and　dazzling；　that　other　matters　in　a　certain　degree　remote；　though　of　no　less　intrinsic　importance；　and　equally　entitled　to　influence　my　judgment　in　the　question　in　hand；　shall　be　entirely　shut　out；　shall　be　killed；　and　fail　to　offer　themselves　to　my　perceptions。

It　is　a　curious　circumstance　which　Pope；　a　man　of　eminent　logical　power　and　acuteness；　relates；　that；　having　at　his　command　in　his　youth　a　collection　of　all　the　tracts　that　had　been　written　on　both　sides　in　the　reign　of　James　the　Second；　he　applied　himself　with　great　assiduity　to　their　perusal；　and　the　consequence　was；　that　he　was　a　Papist　and　Protestant　by　turns；　according　to　the　last　book　he　read＇31＇。

＇31＇　Correspondence　with　Atterbury；　Letter　IV。


This　circumstance　in　the　structure　of　the　human　understanding　is　well　known；　and　is　the　foundation　of　many　provisions　that　occur　in　the　constitution　of　political　society。　　How　each　man　shall　form　his　creed；　and　arrange　those　opinions　by　which　his　conduct　shall　be　regulated；　is　of　course　a　matter　exclusively　subjected　to　his　own　discretion。　　But；　when　he　is　called　upon　to　act　in　the　name　of　a　community；　and　to　decide　upon　a　question　in　which　the　public　is　interested；　he　of　necessity　feels　himself　called　upon　to　proceed　with　the　utmost　caution。　　A　judge　on　the　bench；　a　chancellor；　is　not　contented　with　that　sudden　ray　of　mental　illumination　to　which　an　ingenuous　individual　is　often　disposed　to　yield　in　an　affair　of　abstract　speculation。　　He　feels　that　he　is　obliged　to　wait　for　evidence；　the　nature　of　which　he　does　not　yet　anticipate；　and　to　adjourn　his　decision。　　A　deliberative　council　or　assembly　is　aware　of　the　necessity　of　examining　a　question　again　and　again。　　It　is　upon　this　principle　that　the　two　houses　of　the　English　parliament　are　required　to　give　a　first；　a　second　and　a　third　reading；　together　with　various　other　forms　and　technicalities；　to　the　provision　that　is　brought　before　them；　previously　to　its　passing　into　a　law。　　And　there　is　many　a　fundamental　dogma　and　corner…stone　of　the　sentiments　that　I　shall　emphatically　call　my　own；　that　is　of　more　genuine　importance　to　the　individual；　than　to　a　nation　is　a　number　of　those　regulations；　which　by　courtesy　we　call　acts　of　parliament。

Nothing　can　have　a　more　glaring　tendency　to　subvert　the　authority　of　my　opinion　among　my　fellow…men；　than　instability。　　〃What　went　ye　out　into　the　wilderness　to　see〃　said　Jesus　Christ：　　〃a　reed　shaken　with　the　wind？〃　　We　ought　at　all　times　to　be　open　to　conviction。　　We　ought　to　be　ever　ready　to　listen　to　evidence。　　But；　conscious　of　our　human　frailty；　it　is　seldom　that　we　ought　immediately　to　subscribe　to　the　propositions；　however　specious；　that　are　now　for　the　first　time　presented　to　us。　　It　is　our　duty　to　lay　up　in　our　memory　the　suggestions　offered　upon　any　momentous　question；　and　not　to　suffer　them　to　lose　their　inherent　weight　and　impressiveness；　but　it　is　only　through　the　medium　of　consideration　and　reconsideration；　that　they　can　become　entitled　to　our　full　and　unreserved　assent。

The　nature　of　belief；　or　opinion；　has　been　well　illustrated　by　Lord　Shaftesbury＇32＇。　　There　are　many　notions　or　judgments　floating　in　the　mind　of　every　man；　which　are　mutually　destructive　of　each　other。　　In　this　sense　men's　opinions　are　governed　by　high　and　low　spirits；　by　the　state　of　the　solids　and　fluids　of　the　human　body；　and　by　the　state　of　the　weather。　　But　in　a　paramount　sense　that　only　can　be　said　to　be　a　man's　opinion　which　he　entertains　in　his　clearest　moments；　and　from　which；　when　he　is　most　himself；　he　is　least　subject　to　vary。　　In　this　emphatical　sense；　I　should　say；　a　man　does　not　always　know　what　is　his　real　opinion。　　We　cannot　strictly　be　said　to　believe　any　thing；　in　cases　where　we　afterwards　change　our　opinion　without　the　introduction　of　some　evidence　that　was　unknown　to　us　before。　　But　how　many　are　the　instances　in　which　we　can　be　affirmed　to　be　in　the　adequate　recollection　of　all　the　evidences　and　reasonings　which　have　at　some　time　occurred　to　us；　and　of　the　opinions；　together　with　the　grounds　on　which　they　rested；　which　we　conceived　we　had　justly　and　rationally　entertained？

The　considerations　here　stated　however　should　by　no　means　be　allowed　to　inspire　us　with　indifference　in　matters　of　opinion。　　It　is　the　glory　and　lustre　of　our　nature；　that　we　are　capable　of　receiving　evidence；　and　weighing　the　reasons　for　and　against　any　important　proposition　in　the　balance　of　an　impartial　and　enlightened　understanding。　　The　only　effect　that　should　be　produced　in　us；　by　the　reflection　that　we　can　at　last　by　no　means　be　secure　that　we　have　attained　to　a　perfect　result；　should　be　to　teach　us　a　wholsome　diffidence　and　humility；　and　induce　us　to　confess　that；　when　we　have　done　all；　we　are　ignorant；　dim…sighted　and　fallible；　that　our　best　reasonings　may　betray；　and　our　wisest　conclusions　deceive　us。

＇32＇　Enquiry　concerning　Virtue；　Book　1；　Part　1；　Section　ii。



ESSAY　XIV。　OF　YOUTH　AND　AGE。

Magna　debetur　pueris　reverentia。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Quintilian。

I　am　more　doubtful　in　writing　the　following　Essay　than　in　any　of　those　which　precede；　how　far　I　am　treating　of　human　nature　generally；　or　to　a　certain　degree　merely　recording　my　own　feelings　as　an　individual。　　I　am　guided　however　in　composing　it；　by　the　principle　laid　down　in　my　Preface；　that　the　purpose　of　my　book　in　each　instance　should　be　to　expand　some　new　and　interesting　truth；　or　some　old　truth　viewed　under　a　new　aspect；　which　had　never　by　any　preceding　writer　been　laid　before　the　public。

Education；　in　the　conception　of　those　whose　office　it　is　to　direct　it；　has　various　engines　by　means　of　which　it　is　to　be　made　effective；　and　among　these　are　reprehension　and　chastisement。

The　philosophy　of　the　wisest　man　that　ever　existed；　is　mainly　derived　from　the　act　of　introspection。　　We　look　into　our　own　bosoms；　observe　attentively　every　thing　that　passes　there；　anatomise　our　motives；　trace　step　by　step　the　operations　of　thought；　and　diligently　remark　the　effects　of　external　impulses　upon　our　feelings　and　conduct。　　Philosophers；　ever　since　the　time　in　which　Socrates　flourished；　to　carry　back　our　recollections　no　further；　have　found　that　the　minds　of　men　in　the　most　essential　particulars　are　framed　so　far　upon　the　same　model；　that　the　analysis　of　the　individual　may　stand　in　general　consideration　for　the　analysis　of　the　species。　　Where　this　principle　fails；　i