OCR Text |
Show Knml!ledge of Bxiftence o(otber '( hings. Book IV. Chap. XII. lmpr0'1Jement of our K11(ftj}ledge. 3, 2 3 ni!l: Which certainty of fuch general Propoft!ions , depends on tbe ~gr¢ement ot Difagreement is to be difcovcred in thofe abfirad: Ideas. ~- , 4. In the former cafe, our 1\nowledge is the confequence of the Exillcnce of Things p~oducing Ideas in our Minds b): our Senfcs; in tile latter, ~S:nuwledge ts the confequence of the Ideas ,that are iJ1 our ~inds whatfuever they are , and produce genera~ c(rtaio Propo.(itions IJlal)y wh~eof are called tEt<r•lll Peritates; and are indeed fo, not fro~ bfi.og wrilten in the Minds of all M~n, or that they were before the Work!: But wherefoever we can fuppofe fuch a Creature as Man is en· dowed wich fucb Faculties, and thereby furnifhed with fuch Ideas as we have, we mufi conclude he mufl needs, when he applies his Thoughts to the confideration of Ius Ideas, know the Truth of certain Propofition~ chat will arifo:: from the Agreement, or Difagreement, he will perceive ~mongft them. For Namts being fuppofed to fiand perpetually for the lame Ideas; and the fame Ideas having immutably the iame lclabitudes one to another, Propofitions, concerning any abfiraCl: Ideas that are once trllt, mufi needs be eternal Verities. . CHAP. XII. Of the Improwment of our I\Jwwledge. ~. r. }1' having ~n the common received Opinion amongfi Men of Letters, that Maxims were the foondations of all Knowledge 1 1nd that the Sciences were each of them built upon certain pr~tcog•ita, from whence the Underfianding was to take its rife, and by which it; was to cnndud: it felf, in its enquiries into the mattm belo~tng to that IScience, the beaten road oftheSchools,h'\5 been tol~y down m the beg~llibg, one or more general Propofitions, as Foundattons whereon to build the Knowledge was to be had of that Subject. Thefe DoctriJles thus laid clown for Foundations of any Science, were called l'ri»cipler, as the ~ginnings from which we mull fet out, and look no farther backwards 10 our Enquiries, but rake thefe for certain and unquefitOnable Truths, and ~abliflied Principles. · . . . §. 1. That which gave occafion to tillS way of proceedtng tn other Sciences, was (as I fuppofe) the good fuccefs i~ fcemed to have in /ffptbeotaticks, wherein Men, being obferved to attain a great oertatnty of ~now ledge, thefe Sciences came by p;e-eminence to be c;alled MdoF""', 'lt!d Moe&•" I• Learning, or things learn d, throughly 'learn d, as havtng of Iii! other the ~rea tell certainty, clearnefs, and evidence rin them. · ~- J. But it any one will confider, he will(! guefs) find_, that tJ;c great <11hancement and <certai.nty of real Knowledge M~ ~·lv.ed to 10 thew &iences was not owing to the influence of thetr Pnnc•ples , nor denved !rom any peculiau.dvantage they received .from .t;wo or three general Mbims laid ~own in the beginnin~; but from the clear, ~iflinEI, Cllmpleat Ut~l .their Thoughts were ern ploy d abouf, and the relatton of £qua!jty and Excefs .fo cle:lr between fome of them, that llhey had an JOtulttve tl!!owledge,-and by that a way to difrov~ it In others, .and this without -the beJv of thole Maxims. For I ask, Is tt .n?t _polhble for a young ~d to know, that his whole Body is bigger than Ius httle Fmger, buttlJ Vtrtue of this Axiom, that the whole is bigger than a part; nor be alfused of It, Tt 1 bll |