a discourse on method-第14章

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　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　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　th