a discourse on method-第1节

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　　　　　　　　　　　A　Discourse　on　Method


　　　　　　　　DISCOURSE　ON　THE　METHOD　OF　RIGHTLY　CONDUCTING　THE　REASON；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　AND　SEEKING　TRUTH　IN　THE　SCIENCES

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　by　Rene　Descartes



PREFATORY　NOTE　BY　THE　AUTHOR

If　this　Discourse　appear　too　long　to　be　read　at　once；　it　may　be　divided　into　six　Parts：　　and；　in　the　first；　will　be　found　various　considerations　touching　the　Sciences；　in　the　second；　the　principal　rules　of　the　Method　which　the　Author　has　discovered；　in　the　third；　certain　of　the　rules　of　Morals　which　he　has　deduced　from　this　Method；　in　the　fourth；　the　reasonings　by　which　he　establishes　the　existence　of　God　and　of　the　Human　Soul；　which　are　the　foundations　of　his　Metaphysic；　in　the　fifth；　the　order　of　the　Physical　questions　which　he　has　investigated；　and；　in　particular；　the　explication　of　the　motion　of　the　heart　and　of　some　other　difficulties　pertaining　to　Medicine；　as　also　the　difference　between　the　soul　of　man　and　that　of　the　brutes；　and；　in　the　last；　what　the　Author　believes　to　be　required　in　order　to　greater　advancement　in　the　investigation　of　Nature　than　has　yet　been　made；　with　the　reasons　that　have　induced　him　to　write。



PART　1

Good　sense　is；　of　all　things　among　men；　the　most　equally　distributed；　for　every　one　thinks　himself　so　abundantly　provided　with　it；　that　those　even　who　are　the　most　difficult　to　satisfy　in　everything　else；　do　not　usually　desire　a　larger　measure　of　this　quality　than　they　already　possess。　　And　in　this　it　is　not　likely　that　all　are　mistaken　the　conviction　is　rather　to　be　held　as　testifying　that　the　power　of　judging　aright　and　of　distinguishing　truth　from　error；　which　is　properly　what　is　called　　good　sense　or　reason；　is　by　nature　equal　in　all　men；　and　that　the　diversity　of　our　opinions；　consequently；　does　not　arise　from　some　being　endowed　with　a　larger　share　of　reason　than　others；　but　solely　from　this；　that　we　conduct　our　thoughts　along　different　ways；　and　do　not　fix　our　attention　on　the　same　objects。　For　to　be　possessed　of　a　vigorous　mind　is　not　enough；　the　prime　requisite　is　rightly　to　apply　it。　　The　greatest　minds；　as　they　are　capable　of　the　highest　excellences；　are　open　likewise　to　the　greatest　aberrations；　and　those　who　travel　very　slowly　may　yet　make　far　greater　progress；　provided　they　keep　always　to　the　straight　road；　than　those　who；　while　they　run；　forsake　it。

For　myself；　I　have　never　fancied　my　mind　to　be　in　any　respect　more　perfect　than　those　of　the　generality；　on　the　contrary；　I　have　often　wished　that　I　were　equal　to　some　others　in　promptitude　of　thought；　or　in　clearness　and　distinctness　of　imagination；　or　in　fullness　and　readiness　of　memory。　　And　besides　these；　I　know　of　no　other　qualities　that　contribute　to　the　perfection　of　the　mind；　for　as　to　the　reason　or　sense；　inasmuch　as　it　is　that　alone　which　constitutes　us　men；　and　distinguishes　us　from　the　brutes；　I　am　disposed　to　believe　that　it　is　to　be　found　complete　in　each　individual；　and　on　this　point　to　adopt　the　common　opinion　of　philosophers；　who　say　that　the　difference　of　greater　and　less　holds　only　among　the　accidents；　and　not　among　the　forms　or　natures　of　individuals　of　the　same　species。

I　will　not　hesitate；　however；　to　avow　my　belief　that　it　has　been　my　singular　good　　fortune　to　have　very　early　in　life　fallen　in　with　certain　tracks　which　have　conducted　me　to　considerations　and　maxims；　of　which　I　have　formed　a　method　that　gives　me　the　means；　as　I　think；　of　gradually　augmenting　my　knowledge；　and　of　raising　it　by　little　and　little　to　the　highest　point　which　the　mediocrity　of　my　talents　and　the　brief　duration　of　my　life　will　permit　me　to　reach。　　For　I　have　already　reaped　from　it　such　fruits　that；　although　I　have　been　accustomed　to　think　lowly　enough　of　myself；　and　although　when　I　look　with　the　eye　of　a　philosopher　at　the　varied　courses　and　pursuits　of　mankind　at　large；　I　find　scarcely　one　which　does　not　appear　in　vain　and　useless；　I　nevertheless　derive　the　highest　satisfaction　from　the　progress　I　conceive　myself　to　have　already　made　in　the　search　after　truth；　and　cannot　help　entertaining　such　expectations　of　the　future　as　to　believe　that　if；　among　the　occupations　of　men　as　men；　there　is　any　one　really　excellent　and　important；　it　is　that　which　I　have　chosen。

After　all；　it　is　possible　I　may　be　mistaken；　and　it　is　but　a　little　copper　and　glass；　perhaps；　that　I　take　for　gold　and　diamonds。　　I　know　how　very　liable　we　are　to　delusion　in　what　relates　to　ourselves；　and　also　how　much　the　judgments　of　our　friends　are　to　be　suspected　when　given　in　our　favor。　　But　I　shall　endeavor　in　this　discourse　to　describe　the　paths　I　have　followed；　and　to　delineate　my　life　as　in　a　picture；　in　order　that　each　one　may　also　be　able　to　judge　of　them　for　himself；　and　that　in　the　general　opinion　entertained　of　them；　as　gathered　from　current　report；　I　myself　may　have　a　new　help　towards　instruction　to　be　added　to　those　I　have　been　in　the　habit　of　employing。

My　present　design；　then；　is　not　to　teach　the　method　which　each　ought　to　follow　for　the　right　conduct　of　his　reason；　but　solely　to　describe　the　way　in　which　I　have　endeavored　to　conduct　my　own。　　They　who　set　themselves　to　give　precepts　must　of　course　regard　themselves　as　possessed　of　greater　skill　than　those　to　whom　they　prescribe；　and　if　they　err　in　the　slightest　particular；　they　subject　themselves　to　censure。　　But　as　this　tract　is　put　forth　merely　as　a　history；　or；　if　you　will；　as　a　tale；　in　which；　amid　some　examples　worthy　of　imitation；　there　will　be　found；　perhaps；　as　many　more　which　it　were　advisable　not　to　follow；　I　hope　it　will　prove　useful　to　some　without　being　hurtful　to　any；　and　that　my　openness　will　find　some　favor　with　all。

From　my　childhood；　I　have　been　familiar　with　letters；　and　as　I　was　given　to　believe　that　by　their　help　a　clear　and　certain　knowledge　of　all　that　is　useful　in　life　might　be　acquired；　I　was　ardently　desirous　of　instruction。　But　as　soon　as　I　had　finished　the　entire　course　of　study；　at　the　close　of　which　it　is　customary　to　be　admitted　into　the　order　of　the　learned；　I　completely　changed　my　opinion。　　For　I　found　myself　involved　in　so　many　doubts　and　errors；　that　I　was　convinced　I　had　advanced　no　farther　in　all　my　attempts　at　learning；　than　the　discovery　at　every　turn　of　my　own　ignorance。　　And　yet　I　was　studying　in　one　of　the　most　celebrated　schools　in　Europe；　in　which　I　thought　there　must　be　learned　men；　　if　such　were　anywhere　to　be　found。　　I　had　been　taught　all　that　others　learned　there；　and　not　contented　with　the　sciences　actually　taught　us；　I　had；　in　addition；　read　all　the　books　that　had　fallen　into　my　hands；　treating　of　such　branches　as　are　esteemed　the　most　curious　and　rare。　　I　knew　the　judgment　which　others　had　formed　of　me；　and　I　did　not　find　that　I　was　considered　inferior　to　my　fellows；　although　there　were　among　them　some　who　were　already　marked　out　to　fill　the　places　of　our　instructors。　　And；　in　fine；　our　age　appeared　to　me　as　flourishing；　and　as　fertile　in　powerful　minds　as　any　preceding　one。　　I　was　thus　led　to　take　the　liberty　of　judging　of　all　other　men　by　myself；　and　of　concluding　that　there　was　no　science　in　existence　that　was　of　such　a　nature　as　I　had　previously　been　given　to　believe。

I　still　continued；　however；　to　hold　in　esteem　the　studies　of　the　schools。　I　was　aware　that　the　languages　taught　in　them　are　necessary　to　the　understanding　of　the　writings　of　the　ancients；　that　the　grace　of　fable　stirs　the　mind；　that　the　memorable　deeds　of　history　elevate　it；　and；　if　read　with　discretion；　aid　in　forming　the　judgment；　that　the　perusal　of　all　excellent　books　is；　　as　it　were；　to　interview　with　the　noblest　men　of　past　ages；　who　have　written　them；　and　even　a　studied　interview；　in　which　are　discovered　to　us　only　their　choicest　thoughts；　that　eloquence　has　incomparable　force　and　beauty；　that　poesy　has　its　ravishing　graces　and　delights；　that　in　the　mathematics　there　are　many　refined　discoveries　eminently　suited　to　gratify　the　inquisitive；　as　well　as　further　all　the　arts　an　lessen　the　labour　of　man；　that　numerous　highly　useful　precepts　and　exhortations　to　virtue　are　contained　in　treatises　on　morals；　that　theology　points　out　the　path　to　heaven；　that　philosophy　affords　the　means　of　discoursing　with　an　appearance　of　truth　on　all　matters；　and　commands　the　admiration　of　the　more　simple；　that　jurisprudence；　medicine；　and　the　other　sciences；　secure　for　their　cultivators　honors　and　riches；　and；　in　fine；　that　it　is　useful　to　bestow　some　attention　upon　all；　even　upon　those　abounding　the　most　in　superstition　and　error；　that　we　may　be　in　a　position　to　determine　their　real　value；　and　guard　against　being　deceived。

But　I　believed　that　I　had　already　given　sufficient　time　to　languages；　and　likewise　to　the　reading　of　the　writings　of　the　ancients；　to　their　histories　and　fables。　　　For　to　hold　converse　with　those　of　other　ages　and　to　travel；　are　almost　the　same　thing。　　It　is　useful　to　know　something　of　the　manners　of　different　nations；　that　we　may　be　enabled　　to　form　a　more　correct　judgment　regarding　our　own；　and　be　prevented　from　thinking　that　everything　contrary　to　our　customs　is　ridiculous　and　irrational；　a　conclusion　usually　come　to　by　those　whose　experience　has　been　limited　to　their　own　country。　　On　the　other　hand；　when　too　much　time　is　occupied　in