thoughts on man-第56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！


hat　the　absolute　particles　contained　in　the　solar　system　might；　for　aught　we　know；　he　contained　in　a　nutshell＇77＇；　and　that　no　two　ever　touched　each　other；　or　approached　so　near　that　they　might　not　be　brought　nearer；　provided　a　sufficient　force　could　be　applied　for　that　purpose；and　if；　as　Priestley　teaches；　all　that　we　observe　is　the　result　of　successive　spheres　of　attraction　and　repulsion；　the　centre　of　which　is　a　mathematical　point　only；　we　then　certainly　come　very　near　to　a　conclusion；　which　should　banish　matter　out　of　the　theatre　of　real　existences＇78＇。

＇77＇　See　above；　Essay　XXI。

＇78＇　See　above；　Essay　XXI。


But　the　extreme　subtleties　of　human　intellect　are　perhaps　of　little　further　use；　than　to　afford　an　amusement　to　persons　of　curious　speculation；　and　whose　condition　in　human　society　procures　them　leisure　for　such　enquiries。　　The　same　thing　happens　here；　as　in　the　subject　of　my　Twelfth　Essay；　on　the　Liberty　of　Human　Actions。　　The　speculator　in　his　closet　is　one　man：　　the　same　person；　when　he　comes　out　of　his　retirement；　and　mixes　in　intercourse　with　his　fellow…creatures；　is　another　man。　　The　necessarian；　when　he　reasons　on　the　everlasting　concatenation　of　antecedents　and　consequents；　proves　to　his　own　apprehension　irrefragably；　that　he　is　a　passive　instrument；　acted　upon；　and　acting　upon　other　things；　in　turn；　and　that　he　can　never　disengage　himself　from　the　operation　of　the　omnipotent　laws　of　physical　nature；　and　the　impulses　of　other　men　with　whom　he　is　united　in　the　ties　of　society。　　But　no　sooner　does　this　acute　and　ingenious　reasoner　come　into　active　life　and　the　intercourse　of　his　fellowmen；　than　all　these　fine…drawn　speculations　vanish　from　his　recollection。　　He　regards　himself　and　other　men　as　beings　endowed　with　a　liberty　of　action；　as　possessed　of　a　proper　initiative　power；　and　free　to　do　a　thing　or　not　to　do　it；　without　being　subject　to　the　absolute　and　irresistible　constraint　of　motives。　　It　is　from　this　internal　and　indefeasible　sense　of　liberty；　that　we　draw　all　our　moral　energies　and　enthusiasm；　that　we　persevere　heroically　in　defiance　of　obstacles　and　discouragements；　that　we　praise　or　blame　the　actions　of　others；　and　admire　the　elevated　virtues　of　the　best　of　our　contemporaries；　and　of　those　whose　achievements　adorn　the　page　of　history。

It　is　in　a　manner　of　precisely　the　same　sort　as　that　which　prevails　in　the　philosophical　doctrines　of　liberty　and　necessity；　that　we　find　ourselves　impelled　to　feel　on　the　question　of　the　existence　of　the　material　universe。　　Berkeley；　and　as　many　persons　as　are　persuaded　by　his　or　similar　reasonings；　feel　satisfied　in　speculation　that　there　is　no　such　thing　as　matter　in　the　sense　in　which　it　is　understood　by　the　writers　on　natural　philosophy；　and　that　all　our　notions　of　the　external　and　actual　existence　of　the　table；　the　chair；　and　the　other　material　substances　with　which　we　conceive　ourselves　to　be　surrounded；　of　woods；　and　mountains；　and　rivers；　and　seas；　are　mere　prejudice　and　misconception。　　All　this　is　very　well　in　the　closet；　and　as　long　as　we　are　involved　in　meditation；　and　remain　abstracted　from　action；　business；　and　the　exertion　of　our　limbs　and　corporal　faculties。　　But　it　is　too　fine　for　the　realities　of　life。　　Berkeley；　and　the　most　strenuous　and　spiritualised　of　his　followers；　no　sooner　descend　from　the　high　tower　of　their　speculations；　submit　to　the　necessities　of　their　nature；　and　mix　in　the　business　of　the　world；　than　they　become　impelled；　as　strongly　as　the　necessarian　in　the　question　of　the　liberty　of　human　actions；　not　only　to　act　like　other　men；　but　even　to　feel　just　in　the　same　manner　as　if　they　had　never　been　acquainted　with　these　abstractions。　　A　table　then　becomes　absolutely　a　table；　and　a　chair　a　chair：　　they　are　〃fed　with　the　same　food；　hurt　by　the　same　weapons；　and　warmed　and　cooled　by　the　same　summer　and　winter；〃　as　other　men：　　and　they　make　use　of　the　refreshments　which　nature　requires；　with　as　true　an　orthodoxy；　and　as　credulous　a　temper；　as　he　who　was　never　assailed　with　such　refinements。　　Nature　is　too　strong；　to　be　prevailed　on　to　retire；　and　give　way　to　the　authority　of　definitions　and　syllogistical　deduction。

But；　when　we　have　granted　all　this；　it　is　however　a　mistake　to　say；　that　these　〃subtleties　of　human　intellect　are　of　little　further　use；　than　to　afford　an　amusement　to　persons　of　curious　speculation＇79＇。〃　We　have　seen；　in　the　case　of　the　doctrine　of　philosophical　necessity＇80＇；　that；　though　it　can　never　form　a　rule　for　the　intercourse　between　man　and　man；　it　may　nevertheless　be　turned　to　no　mean　advantage。　　It　is　calculated　to　inspire　us　with　temperance　and　toleration。　　It　tends　impressively　to　evince　to　us；　that　this　scene　of　things　is　but　like　the　shadows　which　pass　before　us　in　a　magic　lanthorn；　and　that；　after　all；　men　are　but　the　tools；　not　the　masters；　of　their　fate。　　It　corrects　the　illusions　of　life；　much　after　the　same　manner　as　the　spectator　of　a　puppet…shew　is　enlightened；　who　should　be　taken　within　the　curtain；　and　shewn　how　the　wires　are　pulled　by　the　master；　which　produce　all　the　turmoil　and　strife　that　before　riveted　our　attention。　　It　is　good　for　him　who　would　arrive　at　all　the　improvement　of　which　our　nature　is　capable；　at　one　time　to　take　his　place　among　the　literal　beholders　of　the　drama；　and　at　another　to　go　behind　the　scenes；　and　remark　the　deceptions　in　their　original　elements；　and　the　actors　in　their　proper　and　natural　costume。

＇79＇　See　above；　Essay　XXII。

＇80＇　See　above；　Essay　XII。


And；　as　in　the　question　of　the　liberty　of　human　actions；　so　in　that　of　the　reality　of　the　material　universe；　it　is　a　privilege　not　to　be　despised；　that　we　are　so　formed　as　to　be　able　to　dissect　the　subject　that　is　submitted　to　our　examination；　and　to　strip　the　elements　of　which　this　sublunary　scene　is　composed；　of　the　disguise　in　which　they　present　themselves　to　the　vulgar　spectator。　　It　is　little；　after　all；　that　we　are　capable　to　know；　and　the　man　of　heroic　mind　and　generous　enterprise；　will　not　refuse　the　discoveries　that　are　placed　within　his　reach。　　The　subtleties　of　grammar　are　as　the　porch；　which　leads　from　the　knowledge　of　words　to　the　knowledge　of　things。　　The　subtleties　of　mathematics　defecate　the　grossness　of　our　apprehension；　and　supply　the　elements　of　a　sounder　and　severer　logic。　　And　in　the　same　manner　the　faculty　which　removes　the　illusions　of　external　appearance；　and　enables　us　to　〃look　into　the　seeds　of　time；〃　is　one　which　we　are　bound　to　estimate　at　its　genuine　value。　　The　more　we　refine　our　faculties；　other　things　equal；　the　wiser　we　grow：　　we　are　the　more　raised　above　the　thickness　of　the　atmosphere　that　envelops　our　fellow…mortals；　and　are　made　partakers　of　a　nature　superhuman　and　divine。

There　is　a　curious　question　that　has　risen　out　of　this　proposition　of　Berkeley；　of　the　supposed　illusion　we　suffer　in　our　conceptions　of　the　material　universe。　　It　has　been　said；　〃Well　then；　I　am　satisfied　that　the　chairs；　the　tables；　and　the　other　material　substances　with　which　I　conceive　myself　to　be　surrounded；　are　not　what　they　appear　to　be；　but　are　merely　an　eternal　chain　of　antecedents　and　consequents；　going　on　according　to　what　Leibnitz　calls　a　'preestablished　harmony；'　and　thus　furnishing　the　ground　of　the　speculations　which　mortals　cherish；　and　the　motives　of　their　proceeding。　　But；　if　thus；　in　the　ordinary　process　of　human　affairs；　we　believe　in　matter；　when　in　reality　there　is　no　such　thing　as　matter；　how　shall　we　pronounce　of　mind；　and　the　things　which　happen　to　us　in　our　seeming　intercourse　with　our　fellow…men；　and　in　the　complexities　of　love　and　hatred；　of　kindred　and　friendship；　of　benevolence　and　misanthropy；　of　robbery　and　murder；　and　of　the　wholesale　massacre　of　thousands　of　human　beings　which　are　recorded　in　the　page　of　history？　　We　absolutely　know　nothing　of　the　lives　and　actions　of　others　but　through　the　medium　of　material　impulse。　　And；　if　you　take　away　matter；　the　bodies　of　our　fellow…men；　does　it　not　follow　by　irresistible　consequence　that　all　knowledge　of　their　minds　is　taken　away　also？　　Am　not　I　therefore　（the　person　engaged　in　reading　the　present　Essay）　the　only　being　in　existence；　an　entire　universe　to　myself？〃

Certainly　this　is　a　very　different　conclusion　from　any　that　Berkeley　ever　contemplated。　　In　the　very　title　of　the　Treatise　in　which　his　notions　on　this　subject　are　unfolded；　he　professes　his　purpose　to　be　to　remove　〃the　grounds　of　scepticism；　atheism　and　irreligion。〃　　Berkeley　was　a　sincere　Christian；　and　a　man　of　the　most　ingenuous　dispositions。　　Pope；　in　the　Epilogue　to　his　Satires；　does　not　hesitate　to　ascribe　to　him　〃every　virtue　under　heaven。〃　　He　was　for　twenty　years　a　prelate　of　the　Protestant　church。　　And；　though　his　personal　sentiments　were　in　the　highest　degree　philanthropical　and　amiable；　yet；　in　his　most　diffusive　production；　entitled　The　Minute　Philosopher；　he　treats　〃those　who　are　called　Free　Thinkers〃　with　a　scorn　and　disdain；　scarcely　to　be　reconciled　with　the　spirit　of　Christian　meekness。

There　are　examples　however；　especially　in　the　fields　of　controversy；　where　an　adventurous　speculatist　has　been　known　to　lay　down　premises　and　principles；　from　which　inferences　might　be　fairly　deduced；　incompatible　with　the　opinions　entertained　by　him　who　delivered　them。　　It　may　therefore　be　no　unprofitable　research　to　enquire　how　far　the　creed　of　the　non…existence　of　matter　is　to　be　regarded　as　in　truth　and　reality　countenancing　the　inference　which　has　just　been　recited。

The　persons　then；　who　refine　with　Berkeley　upon　the　system　of　things　so　far；　as　to　deny　that　there　is　any　such　thing　as　matter　in　the　sense　in　which　it　is　understood　by　the　writers　on　natural　philosophy；　proceed　on　the　ground　of　affirming　that　we　have　no　reason　to　believe　that　the　causes　of　our　sensations　have　an　express　resemblance　to　the　sensations　themselves＇81＇。　　That　which　gives　us　a　sensation　of　colour　is　not　itself　coloured：　　and　the　same　may　be　affirmed　of　the　sensations　of　hot　and　cold；　of　sweet　and　bitter；　and　of　odours　offensive　or　otherwise。　　The　immaterialist　proceeds　to　say；　that　what　we　call　matter　has　been　strewn　to　be　so　exceedingly　porous；　that；　for　any　thing　we　know；　all　the　solid　particles　in　the　universe　might　be　contained　in　a　nutshell；　that　there　is　no　such　thing　in　the　external　world　as　actual　contact；　and　that　no　two　particles　of　matter　were　ever　so　near　to　each　other；　but　that　they　might　be　brought　nearer；　if　a　sufficient　force　could　be　applied　for　that　purpose。　　From　these　premises　it　seems　to　follow　with　sufficient　evidence；　that　the　causes　of　our　sensations；　so　far　as　the　material　universe　is　concerned；　bear　no　express　resemblance　to　the　sensations　themselves。

＇81＇　See　above；　Essay　XXI。


How　then　does　the　question　stand　with　relation　to　mind？　　Are　those　persons　who　deny　the　existence　of　matter；　reduced；　if　they　would　be　consistent　in　their　reasonings；　to　deny；　each　man　for　himself；　that　he　has　any　proper　evidence　of　the　existence　of　other　minds　than　his　own？

He　denies；　while　he　has　the　sensation　of　colour；　that　there　exists　colour　out　of　himself；　unless　in　thinking　and　percipient　beings　constituted　in　a　manner　similar　to　that　in　which　he　is　constituted。　　And　the　same　of　the　sensations　of　hot　and　cold；　sweet　and　bitter；　and　odours　offensive　or　otherwise。　　He　affirms；　whil