a discourse on method-第13节

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！


o　understand　them；　and　although　there　is　not　one　of　them　of　which　I　do　not　expect　to　be　able　to　give　demonstration；　yet；　as　it　is　impossible　that　they　can　be　in　accordance　with　all　the　diverse　opinions　of　others；　I　foresee　that　I　should　frequently　be　turned　aside　from　my　grand　design；　on　occasion　of　the　opposition　which　they　would　be　sure　to　awaken。

It　may　be　said；　that　these　oppositions　would　be　useful　both　in　making　me　aware　of　my　errors；　and；　if　my　speculations　contain　anything　of　value；　in　bringing　others　to　a　fuller　understanding　of　it；　and　still　farther；　as　many　can　see　better　than　one；　in　leading　others　who　are　now　beginning　to　avail　themselves　of　my　principles；　to　assist　me　in　turn　with　their　discoveries。　　But　though　I　recognize　my　extreme　liability　to　error；　and　scarce　ever　trust　to　the　first　thoughts　which　occur　to　me；　yet…the　experience　I　have　had　of　possible　objections　to　my　views　prevents　me　from　anticipating　any　profit　from　them。　　For　I　have　already　had　frequent　proof　of　the　judgments；　as　well　of　those　I　esteemed　friends；　as　of　some　others　to　whom　I　thought　I　was　an　object　of　indifference；　and　even　of　some　whose　malignancy　and　envy　would；　I　knew；　determine　them　to　endeavor　to　discover　what　partiality　concealed　from　the　eyes　of　my　friends。　　But　it　has　rarely　happened　that　anything　has　been　objected　to　me　which　I　had　myself　altogether　overlooked；　unless　it　were　something　far　removed　from　the　subject：　　so　that　I　have　never　met　with　a　single　critic　of　my　opinions　who　did　not　appear　to　me　either　less　rigorous　or　less　equitable　than　myself。　And　further；　I　have　never　observed　that　any　truth　before　unknown　has　been　brought　to　light　by　the　disputations　that　are　practised　in　the　schools；　for　while　each　strives　for　the　victory；　each　is　much　more　occupied　in　making　the　best　of　mere　verisimilitude；　than　in　weighing　the　reasons　on　both　sides　of　the　question；　and　those　who　have　been　long　good　advocates　are　not　afterwards　on　that　account　the　better　judges。

As　for　the　advantage　that　others　would　derive　from　the　communication　of　my　thoughts；　it　could　not　be　very　great；　because　I　have　not　yet　so　far　prosecuted　them　as　that　much　does　not　remain　to　be　added　before　they　can　be　applied　to　practice。　　And　I　think　I　may　say　without　vanity；　that　if　there　is　any　one　who　can　carry　them　out　that　length；　it　must　be　myself　rather　than　another：　　not　that　there　may　not　be　in　the　world　many　minds　incomparably　superior　to　mine；　but　because　one　cannot　so　well　seize　a　thing　and　make　it　one's　own；　when　it　has　been　learned　from　another；　as　when　one　has　himself　discovered　it。　　And　so　true　is　this　of　the　present　subject　that；　though　I　have　often　explained　some　of　my　opinions　to　persons　of　much　acuteness；　who；　whilst　I　was　speaking；　appeared　to　understand　them　very　distinctly；　yet；　when　they　repeated　them；　I　have　observed　that　they　almost　always　changed　them　to　such　an　extent　that　I　could　no　longer　acknowledge　them　as　mine。　　I　am　glad；　by　the　way；　to　take　this　opportunity　of　requesting　posterity　never　to　believe　on　hearsay　that　anything　has　proceeded　from　me　which　has　not　been　published　by　myself；　and　I　am　not　at　all　astonished　at　the　extravagances　attributed　to　those　ancient　philosophers　whose　own　writings　we　do　not　possess；　whose　thoughts；　however；　I　do　not　on　that　account　suppose　to　have　been　really　absurd；　seeing　they　were　among　the　ablest　men　of　their　times；　but　only　that　these　have　been　falsely　represented　to　us。　　It　is　observable；　accordingly；　that　scarcely　in　a　single　instance　has　any　one　of　their　disciples　surpassed　them；　and　I　am　quite　sure　that　the　most　devoted　of　the　present　followers　of　Aristotle　would　think　themselves　happy　if　they　had　as　much　knowledge　of　nature　as　he　possessed；　were　it　even　under　the　condition　that　they　should　never　afterwards　attain　to　higher。　　In　this　respect　they　are　like　the　ivy　which　never　strives　to　rise　above　the　tree　that　sustains　it；　and　which　frequently　even　returns　downwards　when　it　has　reached　the　top；　for　it　seems　to　me　that　they　also　sink；　in　other　words；　render　themselves　less　wise　than　they　would　be　if　they　gave　up　study；　who；　not　contented　with　knowing　all　that　is　intelligibly　explained　in　their　author；　desire　in　addition　to　find　in　him　the　solution　of　many　difficulties　of　which　he　says　not　a　word；　and　never　perhaps　so　much　as　thought。　　Their　fashion　of　philosophizing；　however；　is　well　suited　to　persons　whose　abilities　fall　below　mediocrity；　for　the　obscurity　of　the　distinctions　and　principles　of　which　they　make　use　enables　them　to　speak　of　all　things　with　as　much　confidence　as　if　they　really　knew　them；　and　to　defend　all　that　they　say　on　any　subject　against　the　most　subtle　and　skillful；　without　its　being　possible　for　any　one　to　convict　them　of　error。　　In　this　they　seem　to　me　to　be　like　a　blind　man；　who；　in　order　to　fight　on　equal　terms　with　a　person　that　sees；　should　have　made　him　descend　to　the　bottom　of　an　intensely　dark　cave：　　and　I　may　say　that　such　persons　have　an　interest　in　my　refraining　from　publishing　the　principles　of　the　philosophy　of　which　I　make　use；　for；　since　these　are　of　a　kind　the　simplest　and　most　evident；　I　should；　by　publishing　them；　do　much　the　same　as　if　I　were　to　throw　open　the　windows；　and　allow　the　light　of　day　to　enter　the　cave　into　which　the　combatants　had　descended。　　But　even　superior　men　have　no　reason　for　any　great　anxiety　to　know　these　principles；　for　if　what　they　desire　is　to　be　able　to　speak　of　all　things；　and　to　acquire　a　reputation　for　learning；　they　will　gain　their　end　more　easily　by　remaining　satisfied　with　the　appearance　of　truth；　which　can　be　found　without　much　difficulty　in　all　sorts　of　matters；　than　by　seeking　the　truth　itself　which　unfolds　itself　but　slowly　and　that　only　in　some　departments；　while　it　obliges　us；　when　we　have　to　speak　of　others；　freely　to　confess　our　ignorance。　　If；　however；　they　prefer　the　knowledge　of　some　few　truths　to　the　vanity　of　appearing　ignorant　of　none；　as　such　knowledge　is　undoubtedly　much　to　be　preferred；　and；　if　they　choose　to　follow　a　course　similar　to　mine；　they　do　not　require　for　this　that　I　should　say　anything　more　than　I　have　already　said　in　this　discourse。　　For　if　they　are　capable　of　making　greater　advancement　than　I　have　made；　they　will　much　more　be　able　of　themselves　to　discover　all　that　I　believe　myself　to　have　found；　since　as　I　have　never　examined　aught　except　in　order；　it　is　certain　that　what　yet　remains　to　be　discovered　is　in　itself　more　difficult　and　recondite；　than　that　which　I　have　already　been　enabled　to　find；　and　the　gratification　would　be　much　less　in　learning　it　from　me　than　in　discovering　it　for　themselves。　　Besides　this；　the　habit　which　they　will　acquire；　by　seeking　first　what　is　easy；　and　then　passing　onward　slowly　and　step　by　step　to　the　more　difficult；　will　benefit　them　more　than　all　my　instructions。　　Thus；　in　my　own　case；　I　am　persuaded　that　if　I　had　been　taught　from　my　youth　all　the　truths　of　which　I　have　since　sought　out　demonstrations；　and　had　thus　learned　them　without　labour；　I　should　never；　perhaps；　have　known　any　beyond　these；　at　least；　I　should　never　have　acquired　the　habit　and　the　facility　which　I　think　I　possess　in　always　discovering　new　truths　in　proportion　as　I　give　myself　to　the　search。　And；　in　a　single　word；　if　there　is　any　work　in　the　world　which　cannot　be　so　well　finished　by　another　as　by　him　who　has　commenced　it；　it　is　that　at　which　I　labour。

It　is　true；　indeed；　as　regards　the　experiments　which　may　conduce　to　this　end；　that　one　man　is　not　equal　to　the　task　of　making　them　all；　but　yet　he　can　advantageously　avail　himself；　in　this　work；　of　no　hands　besides　his　own；　unless　those　of　artisans；　or　parties　of　the　same　kind；　whom　he　could　pay；　and　whom　the　hope　of　gain　（a　means　of　great　efficacy）　might　stimulate　to　accuracy　in　the　performance　of　what　was　prescribed　to　them。　　For　as　to　those　who；　through　curiosity　or　a　desire　of　learning；　of　their　own　accord；　perhaps；　offer　him　their　services；　besides　that　in　general　their　promises　exceed　their　performance；　and　that　they　sketch　out　fine　designs　of　which　not　one　is　ever　realized；　they　will；　without　doubt；　expect　to　be　compensated　for　their　trouble　by　the　explication　of　some　difficulties；　or；　at　least；　by　compliments　and　useless　speeches；　in　which　he　cannot　spend　any　portion　of　his　time　without　loss　to　himself。　　And　as　for　the　experiments　that　others　have　already　made；　even　although　these　parties　should　be　willing　of　themselves　to　communicate　them　to　him　（which　is　what　those　who　esteem　them　secrets　will　never　do）；　the　experiments　are；　for　the　most　part；　accompanied　with　so　many　circumstances　and　superfluous　elements；　as　to　make　it　exceedingly　difficult　to　disentangle　the　truth　from　its　adjuncts…　besides；　he　will　find　almost　all　of　them　so　ill　described；　or　even　so　false　（because　those　who　made　them　have　wished　to　see　in　them　only　such　facts　as　they　deemed　conformable　to　their　principles）；　that；　if　in　the　entire　number　there　should　be　some　of　a　nature　suited　to　his　purpose；　still　their　value　could　not　compensate　for　the　time　what　would　be　necessary　to　make　the　selection。　　So　that　if　there　existed　any　one　whom　we　assuredly　knew　to　be　capable　of　making　discoveries　of　the　highest　kind；　and　of　the　greatest　possible　utility　to　the　public；　and　if　all　other　men　were　th