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THE TRANSLATORS Preface. TO THE READERS.
THE TRANSLATORS Preface. TO THE READERS.
Had honor or applause and not the publick advantage of English Readers been the design of this Undertaking, the consideration of the common Fate of Translations had discouraged Me from permitting this even to have seen the light; for meer Versions do alwayes carry with them this Property, that if not well done they may much disgrace, but if well, not much commend the doers. And certainly I might well have expected the same chance, had this been the Translation of an History, Play or Romance; whe
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ERRATA.
ERRATA.
Pag. 1. line 8. dele off . p. 3. l. 21. there wants the sign of Interrogation . p. 8. l. 10. r. Premeditated . ib. l. 14. r. falshoods . p. 18. l. 15. r. that it may . p. 20. l. 11. r. suffers . In the two or three first chapters there are Astericks wanting . p. 33. l. 10. dele I. p. 39. l. 25. r. formally . p. 49. l. 14 r. Duration and Continuance . p. 54. l. 2 for the Point put a Comma . p. 61. l. ult. r. I enquire . p. 91. r. in the margin doubted . p. 124. l. 6. r. have no affinity . Transcr
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Meditat. I. Of Things Doubtful.
Meditat. I. Of Things Doubtful.
Some years past I perceived how many Falsities I admitted as Truths in my Younger years, and how Dubious those things were which I raised from thence; and therefore I thought it requisite (if I had a designe to establish any thing that should prove firme and permanent in sciences) that once in my life I should clearly cast aside all my former opinions, and begin a new from some First principles . But this seemed a great Task, and I still expected that maturity of years, then which none could be
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Meditat. II. Of the nature of Mans mind, and that ’tis easier proved to be then our body.
Meditat. II. Of the nature of Mans mind, and that ’tis easier proved to be then our body.
By yesterdays Meditation I am cast into so great Doubts , that I shall never forget them, and yet I know not how to answer them, but being plunged on a suddain into a deep Gulf, I am so amazed that I can neither touch the bottome, nor swim at the top. Nevertheless, I will endeavour once more, and try the way I set on yesterday, by removing from me whatever is in the least doubtful , as if I had certainly discover’d it to be altogether false , and will proceed till I find out some certainty , or
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Meditat. III. Of GOD, and that there is a God.
Meditat. III. Of GOD, and that there is a God.
Now will I shut my eyes, I will stop my ears, and withdraw all my senses, I will blot out the Images of corporeal things clearly from my mind, or (because that can scarce be accomplish’d) I will give no heed to them, as being vain and false , and by discoursing with my self, and prying more rightly into my own Nature, will endeavour to make my self by degrees more known and familiar to my self. I am a Thinking Thing , that is to say, doubting , affirming , denying , understanding few things, ign
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Meditat. IV. Of Truth and Falshood.
Meditat. IV. Of Truth and Falshood.
Of late it has been so common with me to withdraw my Mind from my sences , and I have so throughly consider’d how few things there are appertaining to Bodies that are truly perceived, and that there are more Things touching Mans mind , and yet more concerning God , which are well known ; that now without any difficulty I can turn my Thoughts from things sensible , to those which are only Intelligible , and Abstracted from Matter . And truely I have a much more distinct Idea of a Mans mind (as it
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Meditat. V. Of the Essence of Things Material. And herein Again of God. And that he does Exist.
Meditat. V. Of the Essence of Things Material. And herein Again of God. And that he does Exist.
There are yet remaining many Things concerning Gods Attributes , and many things concerning the nature of my self or of my Mind , which ought to be searched into: but these perhaps I shall set upon at some other Opportunity. And at Present nothing seems to me more requisite (feeling I have discover’d what I must avoid , and what I must Do for the Attaining of Truth ) then that I imploy my Endeavours to free my self from those doubts into which I have lately fallen, and that I try whether I can h
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Meditat. VI. Of Corporeal Beings, and Their Existence: As Also of the Real Difference, Between Mind and Body.
Meditat. VI. Of Corporeal Beings, and Their Existence: As Also of the Real Difference, Between Mind and Body.
It now remains that I examine whether any Corporeal Beings do Exist ; And already I know that (as they are the Object of Pure Mathematicks ) they May (at least) Exist , for I clearly and distinctly perceive them; and doubtless God is able to make , whatever I am able to perceive , and I never Judged any thing to be beyond his Power , but what was Repugnant to a distinct perception . Moreover, such Material Beings seem to Exist from the faculty of Imagination , which I find my self make use of, w
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ADVERTISEMENT CONCERNING THE OBJECTIONS.
ADVERTISEMENT CONCERNING THE OBJECTIONS.
Among seven Parcels of Objections made by Divers Learned Persons against these Meditations, I have made choise of the Third in the Latine Copy, as being Penn’d by Thomas Hobbs of Malmesbury , a Man famously known to the World abroad, but especially to his own the English Nation; and therefore ’tis likely that what comes from Him may be more acceptable to his Countrymen, then what proceeds from a Stranger; and as the strength of a Fortification is never better known then by a Forcible Resistance,
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OBJECT. I. Against the First Meditation: Of things Doubtful.
OBJECT. I. Against the First Meditation: Of things Doubtful.
’Tis evident enough from What has been said in this Meditation, that there is no sign by Which we may Distinguish our Dreams from True Sense and Waking , and therefore that those Phantasmes which we have waking and from our Senses are not accidents inhering in Outward Objects, neither do they Prove that such outward Objects do Exist; and therefore if we trust our Senses without any other Ground, we may well doubt whether any Thing Be or Not . We therefore acknowledge the Truth of this Meditation
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OBJECT. II. Against the Second Meditation: Of the Nature of Mans Mind.
OBJECT. II. Against the Second Meditation: Of the Nature of Mans Mind.
I am a Thinking Thing . ’Tis True; for because I think or have a Phantasme (whether I am awake or asleep ) it follows that I am Thinking , for I Think and I am Thinking signifie the same Thing. Because I Think , it follows That I am , for whatever Thinks cannot be Nothing . But when he Adds, That is , a Mind , a Soul , an Understanding , Reason , I question his Argumentation; for it does not seem a Right Consequence to say, I am a Thinking Thing , therefore I am a Thought , neither, I am an Unde
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OBJECT. III.
OBJECT. III.
* Which of them is it, that is distinct from my thought? which of them is it that can be separated from me? Some perhaps will answer this Question thus, I my self, who think am distinct from my thought , and my thought is different from me (tho’ not seperated ) as dancing is distinguished from the Dancer (as before is noted.) But if Des-Cartes will prove, that he who understands is the same with his understanding , we shall fall into the Scholastick expressions, the understanding understands , t
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OBJECT. IV.
OBJECT. IV.
* It remains therefore for me to Confess that I cannot Imagine what this Wax is, but that I conceive in my mind What it is. There is a great Difference between Imagination (that is) having an Idea of a Thing, and the Conception of the Mind (that is) a Concluding from Reasoning that a thing Is or Exists . But Des-Cartes has not Declared to us in what they Differ. Besides, the Ancient Aristotelians have clearly deliver’d as a Doctrine, that substance is not perceived by sense but is Collected by R
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OBJECT. V. Against the Third Meditation of God.
OBJECT. V. Against the Third Meditation of God.
* Some of These (viz. Humane Thoughts ) are as it were the Images of Things, and to these alone belongs properly the Name of an Idea, as when I Think on a Man, a Chimera, Heaven, an Angel, or God. When I Think on a Man I perceive an Idea made up of Figure and Colour , whereof I may doubt whether it be the Likeness of a Man or not; and so when I think on Heaven . But when I think on a Chimera, I perceive an Image or Idea , of which I may doubt whether it be the Likeness of any Animal not only at
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OBJECT. VI.
OBJECT. VI.
* But there are Other ( Thoughts ) That have Superadded Forms to them, as when I Will, when I Fear, when I Affirm, when I Deny; I know I have alwayes (whenever I think) some certain thing as the Subject or Object of my Thought, but in this last sort of Thoughts there is something More which I think upon then Barely the Likeness of the Thing; and of these Thoughts some are called Wills and Affections, and others of them Judgements. When any one Fears or Wills , he has certainly the Image of the T
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OBJECT. VII.
OBJECT. VII.
* Now it remains for me to examine, how I have received this Idea of God, for I have neither received it by means of my senses, neither comes it to me without my forethought, as the Ideas of sensible things use to do, when those things work on the Organs of my sense, or at least seem so to work; Neither is this Idea framed by my self, for I can neither add to, nor detract from it. Wherefore I have only to conclude, that it is innate, even as the Idea of me my self is Natural to my self. If there
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OBJECT. VIII.
OBJECT. VIII.
* An other Idea of the Sun as taken from the Arguments of Astronomers, that is consequentially collected by me from certain natural notions. At the same time we can certainly have but one Idea of the Sun, whether it be look’d at by our eyes, or collected by Ratiocination to be much bigger than it seems; for this last is not an Idea of the Sun, but a proof by Arguments, that the Idea of the Sun would be much larger, if it were look’d at nigher. But at different or several times the Ideas of the S
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OBJECT. IX.
OBJECT. IX.
* For without doubt those Ideas which Represent substances are something more, or (as I may say) have more of objective Reality in them, then those that represent only accidents or modes; and again, that by which I understand a mighty God, Eternal, Infinite, Omniscient, Omnipotent, Creatour of all things besides himself, has certainly in it more objective reality, then those by which Finite substances are exhibited. I have before often noted that there can be no Idea of God or the Mind : I will
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OBJECT. X.
OBJECT. X.
* Wherefore There only Remains the Idea of God; Wherein I must consider whether there be not something Included, which cannot Possibly have its Original from me. By the Word, God, I mean a certain Infinite Substance, Independent, Omniscient, Almighty, by whom both I my self and every thing Else That Is (if any thing do actually exist) was Created; All which attributes are of such an High Nature That the more attentively I consider them, the Less I Conceive my self alone possible to be the Author
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OBJECT. XI.
OBJECT. XI.
* The whole stress of which Argument lyes thus; because I know it impossible for me to be of the same nature I am, viz , having the Idea of a God in me, unless really there were a God, A God (I say) that very same God, whose Idea I have in my mind. Wherefore seeing ’tis not demonstrated that we have an Idea of God , and the Christian Religion commands us to believe that God is Inconceivable , that is, as I suppose, that we cannot have an Idea of Him, it follows, that the Existence of God is not
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OBJECT. XII. Against the Fourth Meditation, Of Truth and Falshood.
OBJECT. XII. Against the Fourth Meditation, Of Truth and Falshood.
* By Which I understand that Error (as it is Error) is not a Real Being, Dependent on God, but is only a Defect; and that therefore to make me Err there is not requisite a Faculty of Erring Given me by God. ’Tis Certain that Ignorance is only a Defect , and that there is no Occasion of any Positive Faculty to make us Ignorant . But this position is not so clear in Relation to Error , for Stones and Inanimate Creatures cannot Err , for this Reason only, because they have not the Faculties of Reas
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OBJECT. XIII.
OBJECT. XIII.
* As for Example, When lately I set my self to examine Whether any Thing Do Exist, and found, that from my setting my self to examine such a Thing, it evidently follows, That I my self Exist, I could not but Judge, what I so clearly understood, to be true, not that I was forced thereto by any outward Impulse, but because a strong Propension in my Will did follow this Great Light in my Understanding, so that I believed it so much the more Freely and Willingly, by how much the Less indifferent I w
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OBJECT XIV. Against the Fifth Meditation. Of the Essence of material things.
OBJECT XIV. Against the Fifth Meditation. Of the Essence of material things.
* As when for Example, I imagine a Triangle, tho perhaps such a Figure exists no where out of my thoughts, nor ever will exist, yet the Nature thereof is determinate, and its Essence or Form is immutable and eternal, which is neither made by me nor depends on my mind, as appears from this, that many propositions may be demonstrated of this Triangle. If a Triangle be no where , I understand not how it can have any Nature , for what is no where , is not, and therefore has not a Being , or any Natu
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OBJECT. XV. Against the Sixth Meditation. Of the Existence of Material Beings.
OBJECT. XV. Against the Sixth Meditation. Of the Existence of Material Beings.
* And seeing God has given me no Faculty to know whether these Ideas proceed from Bodies or not, but rather a strong inclination to believe, that these Ideas are sent from Bodies, I see no reason, why God should not be counted a Deceiver, if these Ideas came from any where, but from Corporeal Beings, and therefore we must conclude that Corporeal Beings exist. ’Tis a received opinion, that Physicians who deceive their Patients for their Healths sake, and Fathers, who deceive their Children for th
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The Last Objection.
The Last Objection.
* For now I plainly discover a great difference between them ( that is sleep and waking ) for my Dreams are never conjoyn’d by my Memory, with the other Actions of my Life. I desire to Know, whether it be certain, that a Man dreaming , that the doubts whether he dream or not , may not Dream , that he joyns his Dream to the Ideas of things past long since; if he may, than those Actions of his past life, may be thought as true if he were awake. Moreover because (as D. Cartes affirms) the Certainty
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