笛卡尔+第一哲学沉思录+英文版-第9节

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me；　which；　by　the　organs　of　my　senses；　or　by　some　other　method
whatever　it　might　be；　conveyed　these　ideas　or　images　to　me
＇and　imprinted　on　me　their　similitudes＇。
　　　　　But　there　is　yet　another　method　of　inquiring　whether　any
of　the　objects　of　which　I　have　ideas　within　me　exist　outside
of　me。　　If　ideas　are　only　taken　as　certain　modes　of　thought；　I
recognise　amongst　them　no　difference　or　inequality；　and　all
appear　to　proceed　from　me　in　the　same　manner；　but　when　we
consider　them　as　images；　one　representing　one　thing　and　the
other　another；　it　is　clear　that　they　are　very　different　one
from　the　other。　　There　is　no　doubt　that　those　which　represent
to　me　substances　are　something　more；　and　contain　so　to　speak
more　objective　reality　within　them　＇that　is　to　say；　by
representation　participate　in　a　higher　degree　of　being　or
perfection＇　than　those　that　simply　represent　modes　or
accidents；　and　that　idea　again　by　which　I　understand　a　supreme
God；　eternal；　infinite；　＇immutable＇；　omniscient；　omnipotent；
and　Creator　of　all　things　which　are　outside　of　Himself；　has
certainly　more　objective　reality　in　itself　than　those　ideas　by
which　finite　substances　are　represented。
　　　　　Now　it　is　manifest　by　the　natural　light　that　there　must
at　least　be　as　much　reality　in　the　efficient　and　total　cause
as　in　its　effect。　　For；　pray；　whence　can　the　effect　derive　its
reality；　if　not　from　its　cause？　　And　in　what　way　can　this
cause　municate　this　reality　to　it；　unless　it　possessed　it
in　itself？　　And　from　this　it　follows；　not　only　that　something
cannot　proceed　from　nothing；　but　likewise　that　what　is　more
perfect￥that　is　to　say；　which　has　more　reality　within
itself￥cannot　proceed　from　the　less　perfect。　　And　this　is　not
only　evidently　true　of　those　effects　which　possess　actual　or
formal　reality；　but　also　of　the　ideas　in　which　we　consider
merely　what　is　termed　objective　reality。　　To　take　an　example；
the　stone　which　has　not　yet　existed　not　only　cannot　now
mence　to　be　unless　it　has　been　produced　by　something　which
possesses　within　itself；　either　formally　or　eminently；　all
that　enters　into　the　position　of　the　stone　＇i。e。　it　must
possess　the　same　things　or　other　more　excellent　things　than
those　which　exist　in　the　stone＇　and　heat　can　only　be　produced
in　a　subject　in　which　it　did　not　previously　exist　by　a　cause
that　is　of　an　order　＇degree　or　kind＇　at　least　as　perfect　as
heat；　and　so　in　all　other　cases。　　But　further；　the　idea　of
heat；　or　of　a　stone；　cannot　exist　in　me　unless　it　has　been
placed　within　me　by　some　cause　which　possesses　within　it　at
least　as　much　reality　as　that　which　I　conceive　to　exist　in　the
heat　or　the　stone。　　For　although　this　cause　does　not　transmit
anything　of　its　actual　or　formal　reality　to　my　idea；　we　must
not　for　that　reason　imagine　that　it　is　necessarily　a　less　real
cause；　we　must　remember　that　＇since　every　idea　is　a　work　of
the　mind＇　its　nature　is　such　that　it　demands　of　itself　no
other　formal　reality　than　that　which　it　borrows　from　my
thought；　of　which　it　is　only　a　mode　＇i。e。　a　manner　or　way　of
thinking＇。　　But　in　order　that　an　idea　should　contain　some　one
certain　objective　reality　rather　than　another；　it　must　without
doubt　derive　it　from　some　cause　in　which　there　is　at　least　as
much　formal　reality　as　this　idea　contains　of　objective
reality。　　For　if　we　imagine　that　something　is　found　in　an　idea
which　is　not　found　in　the　cause；　it　must　then　have　been
derived　from　nought；　but　however　imperfect　may　be　this　mode　of
being　by　which　a　thing　is　objectively　＇or　by　representation＇
in　the　understanding　by　its　idea；　we　cannot　certainly　say　that
this　mode　of　being　is　nothing；　nor　consequently；　that　the　idea
derives　its　origin　from　nothing。
　　　　　Nor　must　I　imagine　that；　since　the　reality　that　I
consider　in　these　ideas　is　only　objective；　it　is　not　essential
that　this　reality　should　be　formally　in　the　causes　of　my
ideas；　but　that　it　is　sufficient　that　it　should　be　found
objectively。　　For　just　as　this　mode　of　objective　existence
pertains　to　ideas　by　their　proper　nature；　so　does　the　mode　of
formal　existence　pertain　tot　he　causes　of　those　ideas　（this　is
at　least　true　of　the　first　and　principal）　by　the　nature
peculiar　to　them。　　And　although　it　may　be　the　case　that　one
idea　gives　birth　to　another　idea；　that　cannot　continue　to　be
so　indefinitely；　for　in　the　end　we　must　reach　an　idea　whose
cause　shall　be　so　to　speak　an　archetype；　in　which　the　whole
reality　＇or　perfection＇　which　is　so　to　speak　objectively　＇or
by　representation＇　in　these　ideas　is　contained　formally　＇and
really＇。　　Thus　the　light　of　nature　causes　me　to　know　clearly
that　the　ideas　in　me　are　like　＇pictures　or＇　images　which　can；
in　truth；　easily　fall　short　of　the　perfection　of　the　objects
from　which　they　have　been　derived；　but　which　can　never　contain
anything　greater　or　more　perfect。
　　　　　And　the　longer　and　the　more　carefully　that　I　investigate
these　matters；　the　more　clearly　and　distinctly　do　I　recognise
their　truth。　　But　what　am　I　to　conclude　from　it　all　in　the
end？　　It　is　this；　that　if　the　objective　reality　of　any　one　of
my　ideas　is　of　such　a　nature　as　clearly　to　make　me　recognise
that　it　is　not　in　me　either　formally　or　eminently；　and　that
consequently　I　cannot　myself　be　the　cause　of　it；　it　follows　of
necessity　that　I　am　not　alone　in　the　world；　but　that　there　is
another　being　which　exists；　or　which　is　the　cause　of　this
idea。　　On　the　other　hand；　had　no　such　an　idea　existed　in　me；　I
should　have　had　no　sufficient　argument　to　convince　me　of　the
existence　of　any　being　beyond　myself；　for　I　have　made　very
careful　investigation　everywhere　and　up　to　the　present　time
have　been　able　to　find　no　other　ground。
　　　　　But　of　my　ideas；　beyond　that　which　represents　me　to
myself；　as　to　which　there　can　here　be　no　difficulty；　there　is
another　which　represents　a　God；　and　there　are　others
representing　corporeal　and　inanimate　things；　others　angels；
others　animals；　and　others　again　which　represent　to　me　men
similar　to　myself。
　　　　　As　regards　the　ideas　which　represent　to　me　other　men　or
animals；　or　angels；　I　can　however　easily　conceive　that　they
might　be　formed　by　an　admixture　of　the　other　ideas　which　I
have　of　myself；　of　corporeal　things；　and　of　God；　even　although
there　were　apart　from　me　neither　men　nor　animals；　nor　angels；
in　all　the　world。
　　　　　And　in　regard　to　the　ideas　of　corporeal　objects；　I　do　not
recognise　in　them　anything　so　great　or　so　excellent　that　they
might　not　have　possibly　proceeded　from　myself；　for　if　I
consider　them　more　closely；　and　examine　them　individually；　as
I　yesterday　examined　the　idea　of　wax；　I　find　that　there　is
very　little　in　them　which　I　perceive　clearly　and　distinctly。
Magnitude　or　extension　in　length；　breadth；　or　depth；　I　do　so
perceive；　also　figure　which　results　from　a　termination　of　this
extension；　the　situation　which　bodies　of　different　figure
preserve　in　relation　to　one　another；　and　movement　or　change　of
situation；　to　which　we　may　also　add　substance；　duration　and
number。　　As　to　other　things　such　as　light；　colours；　sounds；
scents；　tastes；　heat；　cold　and　the　other　tactile　qualities；
they　are　thought　by　me　with　so　much　obscurity　and　confusion
that　I　do　not　even　know　if　they　are　true　or　false；　i。e。
whether　the　ideas　which　I　form　of　these　qualities　are　actually
the　ideas　of　real　objects　or　not　＇or　whether　they　only
represent　chimeras　which　cannot　exist　in　fact＇。　　For　although
I　have　before　remarked　that　it　is　only　in　judgments　that
falsity；　properly　speaking；　or　formal　falsity；　can　be　met
with；　a　certain　material　falsity　may　nevertheless　be　found　in
ideas；　i。e。　when　these　ideas　represent　what　is　nothing　as
though　it　were　something。　　For　example；　the　ideas　which　I　have
of　cold　and　heat　are　so　far　from　clear　and　distinct　that　by
their　means　I　cannot　tell　whether　cold　is　merely　a　privation
of　heat；　or　heat　a　privation　of　cold；　or　whether　both　are　real
qualities；　or　are　not　such。　　And　inasmuch　as　＇since　ideas
resemble　images＇　there　cannot　be　any　ideas　which　do　not　appear
to　represent　some　things；　if　it　is　correct　to　say　that　cold　is
merely　a　privation　of　heat；　the　idea　which　represents　it　to　me
as　something　real　and　positive　will　not　be　improperly　termed
false；　and　the　same　holds　good　of　other　similar　ideas。
　　　　　To　these　it　is　certainly　not　necessary　that　I　should
attribute　any　author　other　than　myself。　　For　if　they　are
false；　i。e。　if　they　represent　things　which　do　not　exist；　the
light　of　nature　shows　me　that　they　issue　from　nought；　that　is
to　say；　that　they　are　only　in　me　so　far　as　something　is
lacking　to　the　perfection　of　my　nature。　　But　if　they　are　true；
nevertheless　because　they　exhibit　so　little　reality　to　me　that
I　cannot　even　clearly　distinguish　the　thing　represented　from
non…being；　I　do　not　see　any　reason　why　they　should　not　be
produced　by　myself。
　　　　　As　to　the　clear　and　distinct　idea　which　I　have　of
corporeal　things；　some　of　them　seem　as　though　I　might　have
derived　them　from　the　idea　which　I　possess　of　myself；　as　those
which　I　have　of　substance；　duration；　number；　and　such　like。
For　＇even＇　when　I　think　that　a　stone　is　a　substance；　or　at
least　a　thing　capable　of　existing　of　itself；　and　that　I　am　a
substance　also；　although　I　conceive　that　I　am　a　thing　that
thinks