an enquiry concerning human understanding-第23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！


　　　　　Of　a　Particular　Providence　and　of　a　Future　State。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
　　　　　I　W/AS　lately　engaged　in　conversation　with　a　friend
who　loves　sceptical　paradoxes；　where；　though　he　advanced
many　principles；　of　which　I　can　by　no　means　approve；　yet　as
they　seem　to　be　curious；　and　to　bear　some　relation　to　the
chain　of　reasoning　carried　on　throughout　this　enquiry；　I
shall　here　copy　them　from　my　memory　as　accurately　as　I　can；
in　order　to　submit　them　to　the　judgement　of　the　reader。

　　　　　Our　conversation　began　with　my　admiring　the　singular
good　fortune　of　philosophy；　which；　as　it　requires　entire
liberty　above　all　other　privileges；　and　chiefly　flourishes
from　the　free　opposition　of　sentiments　and　argumentation；
received　its　first　birth　in　an　age　and　country　of　freedom
and　toleration；　and　was　never　cramped；　even　in　its　most
extravagant　principles；　by　any　creeds；　concessions；　or　penal
statutes。　For；　except　the　banishment　of　P/ROTAGORAS；　and
the　death　of　S/OCRATES；　which　last　event　proceeded　partly
from　other　motives；　there　are　scarcely　any　instances　to　be
met　with；　in　ancient　history；　of　this　bigoted　jealousy；　with
which　the　present　age　is　so　much　infested。　E/PICURUS　lived
at　A/THENS　to　an　advanced　age；　in　peace　and　tranquillity：
E/PICUREANS＇33＇　were　even　admitted　to　receive　the
sacerdotal　character；　and　to　officiate　at　the　altar；　in　the
most　sacred　rites　of　the　established　religion：　And　the
public　encouragement＇34＇　of　pensions　and　salaries　was
afforded　equally；　by　the　wisest　of　all　the　R/OMAN
emperors＇35＇；　to　the　professors　of　every　sect　of　philosophy。
How　requisite　such　kind　of　treatment　was　to　philosophy；　in
her　early　youth；　will　easily　be　conceived；　if　we　reflect；
that；　even　at　present；　when　she　may　be　supposed　more　hardy
and　robust；　she　bears　with　much　difficulty　the　inclemency　of
the　seasons；　and　those　harsh　winds　of　calumny　and
persecution；　which　blow　upon　her。

　　　　　You　admire；　says　my　friend；　as　the　singular　good
fortune　of　philosophy；　what　seems　to　result　from　the　natural
course　of　things；　and　to　be　unavoidable　in　every　age　and
nation。　This　pertinacious　bigotry；　of　which　you　complain；　as
so　fatal　to　philosophy；　is　really　her　offspring；　who；　after
allying　with　superstition；　separates　himself　entirely　from
the　interest　of　his　parent；　and　becomes　her　most　inveterate
enemy　and　persecutor。　Speculative　dogmas　of　religion；　the
present　occasions　of　such　furious　dispute；　could　not
possibly　be　conceived　or　admitted　in　the　early　ages　of　the
world；　when　mankind；　being　wholly　illiterate；　formed　an　idea
of　religion　more　suitable　to　their　weak　apprehension；　and
composed　their　sacred　tenets　of　such　tales　chiefly　as　were
the　objects　of　traditional　belief；　more　than　of　argument　or
disputation。　After　the　first　alarm；　therefore；　was　over；
which　arose　from　the　new　paradoxes　and　principles　of　the
philosophers；　these　teachers　seem　ever　after；　during　the
ages　of　antiquity；　to　have　lived　in　great　harmony　with　the
established　superstition；　and　to　have　made　a　fair　partition
of　mankind　between　them；　the　former　claiming　all　the　learned
and　wise；　the　latter　possessing　all　the　vulgar　and
illiterate。

　　　　　It　seems　then；　say　I；　that　you　leave　politics　entirely
out　of　the　question；　and　never　suppose；　that　a　wise
magistrate　can　justly　be　jealous　of　certain　tenets　of
philosophy；　such　as　those　of　E/PICURUS；　which；　denying　a
divine　existence；　and　consequently　a　providence　and　a　future
state；　seem　to　loosen；　in　a　great　measure　the　ties　of
morality；　and　may　be　supposed；　for　that　reason；　pernicious
to　the　peace　of　civil　society。

　　　　　I　know；　replied　he；　that　in　fact　these　persecutions
never；　in　any　age；　proceeded　from　calm　reason；　or　from
experience　of　the　pernicious　consequences　of　philosophy；　but
arose　entirely　from　passion　and　prejudice。　But　what　if　I
should　advance　farther；　and　assert；　that　if　E/PICURUS　had
been　accused　before　the　people；　by　any　of　the　
or　informers　of　those　days；　he　could　easily　have　defended
his　cause；　and　proved　his　principles　of　philosophy　to　be　as
salutary　as　those　of　his　adversaries；　who　endeavoured；　with
such　zeal；　to　expose　him　to　the　public　hatred　and　jealousy？

　　　　　I　wish；　said　I；　you　would　try　your　eloquence　upon　so
extraordinary　a　topic；　and　make　a　speech　for　E/PICURUS；
which　might　satisfy；　not　the　mob　of　A/THENS；　if　you　will
allow　that　ancient　and　polite　city　to　have　contained　any
mob；　but　the　more　philosophical　part　of　his　audience；　such
as　might　be　supposed　capable　of　comprehending　his　arguments。

　　　　　The　matter　would　not　be　difficult；　upon　such
conditions；　replied　he：　And　if　you　please；　I　shall　suppose
myself　E/PICURUS　for　a　moment；　and　make　you　stand　for　the
A/THENIAN　people；　and　shall　deliver　you　such　an　harangue　as
will　fill　all　the　urn　with　white　beans；　and　leave　not　a
black　one　to　gratify　the　malice　of　my　adversaries。

　　　　　Very　well：　Pray　proceed　upon　these　suppositions。

　　　　　I　come　hither；　O　ye　A/THENIANS；　to　justify　in　your
assembly　what　I　maintain　in　my　school；　and　I　find　myself
impeached　by　furious　antagonists；　instead　of　reasoning　with
calm　and　dispassionate　enquirers。　Your　deliberations；　which
of　right　should　be　directed　to　questions　of　public　good；　and
the　interest　of　the　commonwealth；　are　diverted　to　the
disquisitions　of　speculative　philosophy；　and　these
magnificent；　but　perhaps　fruitless　enquiries；　take　place　of
your　more　familiar　but　more　useful　occupations。　But　so　far
as　in　me　lies；　I　will　prevent　this　abuse。　We　shall　not　here
dispute　concerning　the　origin　and　government　of　worlds。　We
shall　only　enquire　how　far　such　questions　concern　the　public
interest。　And　if　I　can　persuade　you；　that　they　are　entirely
indifferent　to　the　peace　of　society　and　security　of
government；　I　hope　that　you　will　presently　send　us　back　to
our　schools；　there　to　examine；　at　leisure；　the　question　the
most　sublime；　but；　at　the　same　time；　the　most　speculative　of
all　philosophy。

　　　　　The　religious　philosophers；　not　satisfied　with　the
tradition　of　your　forefathers；　and　doctrine　of　your　priests
（in　which　I　willingly　acquiesce）；　indulge　a　rash　curiosity；
in　trying　how　far　they　can　establish　religion　upon　the
principles　of　reason；　and　they　thereby　excite；　instead　of
satisfying；　the　doubts；　which　naturally　arise　from　a
diligent　and　scrutinous　enquiry。　They　paint；　in　the　most
magnificent　colours；　the　order；　beauty；　and　wise　arrangement
of　the　universe；　and　then　ask；　if　such　a　glorious　display　of
intelligence　could　proceed　from　the　fortuitous　concourse　of
atoms；　or　if　chance　could　produce　what　the　greatest　genius
can　never　sufficiently　admire。　I　shall　not　examine　the
justness　of　this　argument。　I　shall　allow　it　to　be　as　solid
as　my　antagonists　and　accusers　can　desire。　It　is　sufficient；
if　I　can　prove；　from　this　very　reasoning；　that　the　question
is　entirely　speculative；　and　that；　when；　in　my　philosophical
disquisitions；　I　deny　a　providence　and　a　future　state；　I
undermine　not　the　foundations　of　society；　but　advance
principles；　which　they　themselves；　upon　their　own　topics；　if
they　argue　consistently；　must　allow　to　be　solid　and
satisfactory。

　　　　　You　then；　who　are　my　accusers；　have　acknowledged；　that
the　chief　or　sole　argument　for　a　divine　existence　（which　I
never　questioned）　is　derived　from　the　order　of　nature；　where
there　appear　such　marks　of　intelligence　and　design；　that　you
think　it　extravagant　to　assign　for　its　cause；　either　chance；
or　the　blind　and　unguided　force　of　matter。　You　allow；　that
this　is　an　argument　drawn　from　effects　to　causes。　From　the
order　of　the　work；　you　infer；　that　there　must　have　been
project　and　forethought　in　the　workman。　If　you　cannot　make
out　this　point；　you　allow；　that　your　conclusion　fails；　and
you　pretend　not　to　establish　the　conclusion　in　a　greater
latitude　than　the　phenomena　of　nature　will　justify。　These
are　your　concessions。　I　desire　you　to　mark　the　consequences。

　　　　　When　we　infer　any　particular　cause　from　an　effect；　we
must　proportion　the　one　to　the　other；　and　can　never　be
allowed　to　ascribe　to　the　cause　any　qualities；　but　what　are
exactly　sufficient　to　produce　the　effect。　A　body　of　ten
ounces　raised　in　any　scale　may　serve　as　a　proof；　that　the
counterbalancing　weight　exceeds　ten　ounces；　but　can　never
afford　a　reason　that　it　exceeds　a　hundred。　If　the　cause；
assigned　for　any　effect；　be　not　sufficient　to　produce　it；　we
must　either　reject　that　cause；　or　add　to　it　such　qualities
as　will　give　it　a　just　proportion　to　the　effect。　But　if　we
ascribe　to　it　farther　qualities；　or　affirm　it　capable　of
producing　other　effects；　we　can　only　indulge　the　licence　of
conjecture；　and　arbitrarily　suppose　the　existence　of
qualities　and　energies；　without　reason　or　authority。

　　　　　The　same　rule　holds；　whether　the　cause　assigned　be
brute　unconscious　matter；　or　a　rational　intelligent　being。
If　the　cause　be　known　only　by　the　effect；　we　never　ought　to
ascribe　to　it　any　qualities；　beyond　what　are　precisely
requisite　to　produce　the　effect：　Nor　can　we；　by　any　rules　of
just　reasoning；　return　back　from　the　cause；　and　infer　other
effects　from　it；　beyond　those　by　which　alone　it　is　known　to
us。　No　one；　merely　from　the　sight　of　one　of　Z/EUXIS'S
pictures；　could　know；　that　he　was　also　a　statuary　or
architect；　and　was　an　artist　no　less　skilful　in　stone　and
marble　than　in　colours。　The　talents　and　taste；　displayed　in
the　particular　work　before　us；　these　we　may　safely　conclude
the　workman　to　be　possessed　of。　The　cause　must　be
proportioned　to　the　effect；　and　if　we　exactly　and　precisely
proportion　it；　we　shall　never　find　in　it　any　qualities；　that
point　farther；　or　afford　an　inference　concerning　any　other
design　or　performance。　Such　qualities　must　be　somewhat
beyond　what　is　merely　requisite　for　producing　the　effect；
which　we　examine。

　　　　　Allowing；　therefore；　the　gods　to　be　the　authors　of　the
existence　or　order　of　the　universe；　it　follows；　that　they
possess　that　precise　degree　of　power；　intelligence；　and
benevolence；　which　appears　in　their　workmanship；　but　nothing
farther　can　ever　be　proved；　except　we　call　in　the　assistance
of　exaggeration　and　flattery　to　supply　the　defects　of
argument　and　reasoning。　So　far　as　the　traces　of　any
attributes；　at　present；　appear；　so　far　may　we　conclude　these
attributes　to　exist。　The　supposition　of　farther　attributes
is　mere　hypothesis；　much　more　the　supposition；　that；　in
distant　regions　of　space　or　periods　of　time；　there　has　been；
or　will　be；　a　more　magnificent　display　of　these　attributes；
and　a　scheme　of　administration　more　suitable　to　such
imaginary　virtues。　We　can　never　be　allowed　to　mount　up　from
the　universe；　the　effect；　to　J/UPITER；　the　cause；　and　then
descend　downwards；　to　infer　any　new　effect　from　that　cause；
as　if　the　present　effects　alone　were　not　entirely　worthy　of
the　glorious　attributes；　which　we　ascribe　to　that　deity。　The
knowledge　of　the　cause　being　derived　solely　from　the　effect；
they　must　be　exactly　adjusted　to　each　other；　and　the　one　can
never　refer　to　any　thing　farther；　or　be　the　foundation　of
any　new　inference　and　conclusion。

　　　　　You　find　certain　phenomena　in　nature。　You　seek　a　cause
or　author。　You　imagine　that　you　have　found　him。　You
afterwards　become　so　enamoured　of　this　offspring　o