a discourse on method-第12节

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at　the　science　of　medicine；　as　it　now　exists；　contains　few　things　whose　utility　is　very　remarkable：　　but　without　any　wish　to　depreciate　it；　I　am　confident　that　there　is　no　one；　even　among　those　whose　profession　it　is；　who　does　not　admit　that　all　at　present　known　in　it　is　almost　nothing　in　comparison　of　what　remains　to　be　discovered；　and　that　we　could　free　ourselves　from　an　infinity　of　maladies　of　body　as　well　as　of　mind；　and　perhaps　also　even　from　the　debility　of　age；　if　we　had　sufficiently　ample　knowledge　of　their　causes；　and　of　all　the　remedies　provided　for　us　by　nature。　　But　since　I　designed　to　employ　my　whole　life　in　the　search　after　so　necessary　a　science；　and　since　I　had　fallen　in　with　a　path　which　seems　to　me　such；　that　if　any　one　follow　it　he　must　inevitably　reach　the　end　desired；　unless　he　be　hindered　either　by　the　shortness　of　life　or　the　want　of　experiments；　I　judged　that　there　could　be　no　more　effectual　provision　against　these　two　impediments　than　if　I　were　faithfully　to　communicate　to　the　public　all　the　little　I　might　myself　have　found；　and　incite　men　of　superior　genius　to　strive　to　proceed　farther；　by　contributing；　each　according　to　his　inclination　and　ability；　to　the　experiments　which　it　would　be　necessary　to　make；　and　also　by　informing　the　public　of　all　they　might　discover；　so　that；　by　the　last　beginning　where　those　before　them　had　left　off；　and　thus　connecting　the　lives　and　labours　of　many；　we　might　collectively　proceed　much　farther　than　each　by　himself　could　do。

I　remarked；　moreover；　with　respect　to　experiments；　that　they　become　always　more　necessary　the　more　one　is　advanced　in　knowledge；　for；　at　the　commencement；　it　is　better　to　make　use　only　of　what　is　spontaneously　presented　to　our　senses；　and　of　which　we　cannot　remain　ignorant；　provided　we　bestow　on　it　any　reflection；　however　slight；　than　to　concern　ourselves　about　more　uncommon　and　recondite　phenomena：　　the　reason　of　which　is；　that　the　more　uncommon　often　only　mislead　us　so　long　as　the　causes　of　the　more　ordinary　are　still　unknown；　and　the　circumstances　upon　which　they　depend　are　almost　always　so　special　and　minute　as　to　be　highly　difficult　to　detect。　　But　in　this　I　have　adopted　the　following　order：　　first；　I　have　essayed　to　find　in　general　the　principles；　or　first　causes　of　all　that　is　or　can　be　in　the　world；　without　taking　into　consideration　for　this　end　anything　but　God　himself　who　has　created　it；　and　without　educing　them　from　any　other　source　than　from　certain　germs　of　truths　naturally　existing　in　our　minds　In　the　second　place；　I　examined　what　were　the　first　and　most　ordinary　effects　that　could　be　deduced　from　these　causes；　and　it　appears　to　me　that；　in　this　way；　I　have　found　heavens；　stars；　an　earth；　and　even　on　the　earth　water；　air；　fire；　minerals；　and　some　other　things　of　this　kind；　which　of　all　others　are　the　most　common　and　simple；　and　hence　the　easiest　to　know。　　Afterwards　when　I　wished　to　descend　to　the　more　particular；　so　many　diverse　objects　presented　themselves　to　me；　that　I　believed　it　to　be　impossible　for　the　human　mind　to　distinguish　the　forms　or　species　of　bodies　that　are　upon　the　earth；　from　an　infinity　of　others　which　might　have　been；　if　it　had　pleased　God　to　place　them　there；　or　consequently　to　apply　them　to　our　use；　unless　we　rise　to　causes　through　their　effects；　and　avail　ourselves　of　many　particular　experiments。　Thereupon；　turning　over　in　my　mind　I　the　objects　that　had　ever　been　presented　to　my　senses　I　freely　venture　to　state　that　I　have　never　observed　any　which　I　could　not　satisfactorily　explain　by　the　principles　had　discovered。　　But　it　is　necessary　also　to　confess　that　the　power　of　nature　is　so　ample　and　vast；　and　these　principles　so　simple　and　general；　that　I　have　hardly　observed　a　single　particular　effect　which　I　cannot　at　once　recognize　as　capable　of　being　deduced　in　man　different　modes　from　the　principles；　and　that　my　greatest　difficulty　usually　is　to　discover　in　which　of　these　modes　the　effect　is　dependent　upon　them；　for　out　of　this　difficulty　cannot　otherwise　extricate　myself　than　by　again　seeking　certain　experiments；　which　may　be　such　that　their　result　is　not　the　same；　if　it　is　in　the　one　of　these　modes　at　we　must　explain　it；　as　it　would　be　if　it　were　to　be　explained　in　the　other。　　As　to　what　remains；　I　am　now　in　a　position　to　discern；　as　I　think；　with　sufficient　clearness　what　course　must　be　taken　to　make　the　majority　those　experiments　which　may　conduce　to　this　end：　　but　I　perceive　likewise　that　they　are　such　and　so　numerous；　that　neither　my　hands　nor　my　income；　though　it　were　a　thousand　times　larger　than　it　is；　would　be　sufficient　for　them　all；　so　that　according　as　henceforward　I　shall　have　the　means　of　making　more　or　fewer　experiments；　I　shall　in　the　same　proportion　make　greater　or　less　progress　in　the　knowledge　of　nature。　This　was　what　I　had　hoped　to　make　known　by　the　treatise　I　had　written；　and　so　clearly　to　exhibit　the　advantage　that　would　thence　accrue　to　the　public；　as　to　induce　all　who　have　the　common　good　of　man　at　heart；　that　is；　all　who　are　virtuous　in　truth；　and　not　merely　in　appearance；　or　according　to　opinion；　as　well　to　communicate　to　me　the　experiments　they　had　already　made；　as　to　assist　me　in　those　that　remain　to　be　made。

But　since　that　time　other　reasons　have　occurred　to　me；　by　which　I　have　been　led　to　change　my　opinion；　and　to　think　that　I　ought　indeed　to　go　on　committing　to　writing　all　the　results　which　I　deemed　of　any　moment；　as　soon　as　I　should　have　tested　their　truth；　and　to　bestow　the　same　care　upon　them　as　I　would　have　done　had　it　been　my　design　to　publish　them。　　This　course　commended　itself　to　me；　as　well　because　I　thus　afforded　myself　more　ample　inducement　to　examine　them　thoroughly；　for　doubtless　that　is　always　more　narrowly　scrutinized　which　we　believe　will　be　read　by　many；　than　that　which　is　written　merely　for　our　private　use　（and　frequently　what　has　seemed　to　me　true　when　I　first　conceived　it；　has　appeared　false　when　I　have　set　about　committing　it　to　writing）；　as　because　I　thus　lost　no　opportunity　of　advancing　the　interests　of　the　public；　as　far　as　in　me　lay；　and　since　thus　likewise；　if　my　writings　possess　any　value；　those　into　whose　hands　they　may　fall　after　my　death　may　be　able　to　put　them　to　what　use　they　deem　proper。　　But　I　resolved　by　no　means　to　consent　to　their　publication　during　my　lifetime；　lest　either　the　oppositions　or　the　controversies　to　which　they　might　give　rise；　or　even　the　reputation；　such　as　it　might　be；　which　they　would　acquire　for　me；　should　be　any　occasion　of　my　losing　the　time　that　I　had　set　apart　for　my　own　improvement。　　For　though　it　be　true　that　every　one　is　bound　to　promote　to　the　extent　of　his　ability　the　good　of　others；　and　that　to　be　useful　to　no　one　is　really　to　be　worthless；　yet　it　is　likewise　true　that　our　cares　ought　to　extend　beyond　the　present；　and　it　is　good　to　omit　doing　what　might　perhaps　bring　some　profit　to　the　living；　when　we　have　in　view　the　accomplishment　of　other　ends　that　will　be　of　much　greater　advantage　to　posterity。　　And　in　truth；　I　am　quite　willing　it　should　be　known　that　the　little　I　have　hitherto　learned　is　almost　nothing　in　comparison　with　that　of　which　I　am　ignorant；　and　to　the　knowledge　of　which　I　do　not　despair　of　being　able　to　attain；　for　it　is　much　the　same　with　those　who　gradually　discover　truth　in　the　sciences；　as　with　those　who　when　growing　rich　find　less　difficulty　in　making　great　acquisitions；　than　they　formerly　experienced　when　poor　in　making　acquisitions　of　much　smaller　amount。　　Or　they　may　be　compared　to　the　commanders　of　armies；　whose　forces　usually　increase　in　proportion　to　their　victories；　and　who　need　greater　prudence　to　keep　together　the　residue　of　their　troops　after　a　defeat　than　after　a　victory　to　take　towns　and　provinces。　　For　he　truly　engages　in　battle　who　endeavors　to　surmount　all　the　difficulties　and　errors　which　prevent　him　from　reaching　the　knowledge　of　truth；　and　he　is　overcome　in　fight　who　admits　a　false　opinion　touching　a　matter　of　any　generality　and　importance；　and　he　requires　thereafter　much　more　skill　to　recover　his　former　position　than　to　make　great　advances　when　once　in　possession　of　thoroughly　ascertained　principles。　　As　for　myself；　if　I　have　succeeded　in　discovering　any　truths　in　the　sciences　（and　I　trust　that　what　is　contained　in　this　volume　1　will　show　that　I　have　found　some）；　I　can　declare　that　they　are　but　the　consequences　and　results　of　five　or　six　principal　difficulties　which　I　have　surmounted；　and　my　encounters　with　which　I　reckoned　as　battles　in　which　victory　declared　for　me。　　I　will　not　hesitate　even　to　avow　my　belief　that　nothing　further　is　wanting　to　enable　me　fully　to　realize　my　designs　than　to　gain　two　or　three　similar　victories；　and　that　I　am　not　so　far　advanced　in　years　but　that；　according　to　the　ordinary　course　of　nature；　I　may　still　have　sufficient　leisure　for　this　end。　　But　I　conceive　myself　the　more　bound　to　husband　the　time　that　remains　the　greater　my　expectation　of　being　able　to　employ　it　aright；　and　I　should　doubtless　have　much　to　rob　me　of　it；　were　I　to　publish　the　principles　of　my　physics：　　for　although　they　are　almost　all　so　evident　that　to　assent　to　them　no　more　is　needed　than　simply　to　understand　them；　and　although　there　is　not　one　of　them　of　which　I　do　not　expect　to　be　able　to　give