a discourse on method-第15章

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！


d　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　therefore　eager　by　all　means　to　assist　him　in　successfully　prosecuting　his　designs；　I　do　not　see　that　they　could　do　aught　else　for　him　beyond　contributing　to　defray　the　expenses　of　the　experiments　that　might　be　necessary；　and　for　the　rest；　prevent　his　being　deprived　of　his　leisure　by　the　unseasonable　interruptions　of　any　one。　　But　besides　that　I　neither　have　so　high　an　opinion　of　myself　as　to　be　willing　to　make　promise　of　anything　extraordinary；　nor　feed　on　imaginations　so　vain　as　to　fancy　that　the　public　must　be　much　interested　in　my　designs；　I　do　not；　on　the　other　hand；　own　a　soul　so　mean　as　to　be　capable　of　accepting　from　any　one　a　favor　of　which　it　could　be　supposed　that　I　was　unworthy。

These　considerations　taken　together　were　the　reason　why；　for　the　last　three　years；　I　have　been　unwilling　to　publish　the　treatise　I　had　on　hand；　and　why　I　even　resolved　to　give　publicity　during　my　life　to　no　other　that　was　so　general；　or　by　which　the　principles　of　my　physics　might　be　understood。　　But　since　then；　two　other　reasons　have　come　into　operation　that　have　determined　me　here　to　subjoin　some　particular　specimens；　and　give　the　public　some　account　of　my　doings　and　designs。　　Of　these　considerations；　the　first　is；　that　if　I　failed　to　do　so；　many　who　were　cognizant　of　my　previous　intention　to　publish　some　writings；　might　have　imagined　that　the　reasons　which　induced　me　to　refrain　from　so　doing；　were　less　to　my　credit　than　they　really　are；　for　although　I　am　not　immoderately　desirous　of　glory；　or　even；　if　I　may　venture　so　to　say；　although　I　am　averse　from　it　in　so　far　as　I　deem　it　hostile　to　repose　which　I　hold　in　greater　account　than　aught　else；　yet；　at　the　same　time；　I　have　never　sought　to　conceal　my　actions　as　if　they　were　crimes；　nor　made　use　of　many　precautions　that　I　might　remain　unknown；　and　this　partly　because　I　should　have　thought　such　a　course　of　conduct　a　wrong　against　myself；　and　partly　because　it　would　have　occasioned　me　some　sort　of　uneasiness　which　would　again　have　been　contrary　to　the　perfect　mental　tranquillity　which　I　court。　And　forasmuch　as；　while　thus　indifferent　to　the　thought　alike　of　fame　or　of　forgetfulness；　I　have　yet　been　unable　to　prevent　myself　from　acquiring　some　sort　of　reputation；　I　have　thought　it　incumbent　on　me　to　do　my　best　to　save　myself　at　least　from　being　ill…spoken　of。　　The　other　reason　that　has　determined　me　to　commit　to　writing　these　specimens　of　philosophy　is；　that　I　am　becoming　daily　more　and　more　alive　to　the　delay　which　my　design　of　self…instruction　suffers；　for　want　of　the　infinity　of　experiments　I　require；　and　which　it　is　impossible　for　me　to　make　without　the　assistance　of　others：　　and；　without　flattering　myself　so　much　as　to　expect　the　public　to　take　a　large　share　in　my　interests；　I　am　yet　unwilling　to　be　found　so　far　wanting　in　the　duty　I　owe　to　myself；　as　to　give　occasion　to　those　who　shall　survive　me　to　make　it　matter　of　reproach　against　me　some　day；　that　I　might　have　left　them　many　things　in　a　much　more　perfect　state　than　I　have　done；　had　I　not　too　much　neglected　to　make　them　awar