第1章

。Itisindeedsomethingunusual;butmythoughtsweresotakenupwithasubjectIwasdiscoursingoflastnight,thatfindingIcouldnotsleep,Iresolvedtoriseandtakeaturninthegarden。

。Ithappenedwell,toletyouseewhatinnocentandagreeablepleasuresyouloseeverymorning。Cantherebeapleasantertimeoftheday,oramoredelightfulseasonoftheyear?Thatpurplesky,thosewildbutsweetnotesofbirds,thefragrantbloomuponthetreesandflowers,thegentleinfluenceoftherisingsun,theseandathousandnamelessbeautiesofnatureinspirethesoulwithsecrettransports;itsfacultiestoobeingatthistimefreshandlively,arefitforthosemeditations,whichthesolitudeofagardenandtranquillityofthemorningnaturallydisposeusto。ButIamafraidIinterruptyourthoughts:foryouseemedveryintentonsomething。

。Itistrue,Iwas,andshallbeobligedtoyouifyouwillpermitmetogooninthesamevein;notthatIwouldbyanymeansdeprivemyselfofyourcompany,formythoughtsalwaysflowmoreeasilyinconversationwithafriend,thanwhenIamalone:

butmyrequestis,thatyouwouldsuffermetoimpartmyreflexionstoyou。

。Withallmyheart,itiswhatIshouldhaverequestedmyselfifyouhadnotpreventedme。

。Iwasconsideringtheoddfateofthosemenwhohaveinallages,throughanaffectationofbeingdistinguishedfromthevulgar,orsomeunaccountableturnofthought,pretendedeithertobelievenothingatall,ortobelievethemostextravagantthingsintheworld。Thishowevermightbeborne,iftheirparadoxesandscepticismdidnotdrawafterthemsomeconsequencesofgeneraldisadvantagetomankind。Butthemischieflieth{172}here;thatwhenmenoflessleisureseethemwhoaresupposedtohavespenttheirwholetimeinthepursuitsofknowledgeprofessinganentireignoranceofallthings,oradvancingsuchnotionsasarerepugnanttoplainandcommonlyreceivedprinciples,theywillbetemptedtoentertainsuspicionsconcerningthemostimportanttruths,whichtheyhadhithertoheldsacredandunquestionable。

。Ientirelyagreewithyou,astotheilltendencyoftheaffecteddoubtsofsomephilosophers,andfantasticalconceitsofothers。Iamevensofargoneoflateinthiswayofthinking,thatIhavequittedseveralofthesublimenotionsI

hadgotintheirschoolsforvulgaropinions。AndIgiveityouonmyword;sincethisrevoltfrommetaphysicalnotionstotheplaindictatesofnatureandcommonsense,Ifindmyunderstandingstrangelyenlightened,sothatIcannoweasilycomprehendagreatmanythingswhichbeforewereallmysteryandriddle。

。IamgladtofindtherewasnothingintheaccountsI

heardofyou。

。Pray,whatwerethose?

。Youwererepresented,inlastnight\'sconversation,asonewhomaintainedthemostextravagantopinionthateverenteredintothemindofman,towit,thatthereisnosuchthingasintheworld。

。Thatthereisnosuchthingaswhat,Iamseriouslypersuaded:but,ifI

weremadetoseeanythingabsurdorscepticalinthis,IshouldthenhavethesamereasontorenouncethisthatIimagineIhavenowtorejectthecontraryopinion。

。WhatIcananythingbemorefantastical,morerepugnanttoCommonSense,oramoremanifestpieceofScepticism,thantobelievethereisnosuchthingas

。Softly,goodHylas。Whatifitshouldprovethatyou,whoholdthereis,are,byvirtueofthatopinion,agreatersceptic,andmaintainmoreparadoxesandrepugnancestoCommonSense,thanIwhobelievenosuchthing?

。Youmayassoonpersuademe,thepartisgreaterthanthewhole,asthat,inordertoavoidabsurdityandScepticism,I

shouldeverbeobligedtogiveupmyopinioninthispoint。

。Wellthen,areyoucontenttoadmitthatopinionfortrue,whichuponexaminationshallappearmostagreeabletoCommonSense,andremotefromScepticism?

。Withallmyheart。Sinceyouareforraisingdisputes{173}abouttheplainestthingsinnature,Iamcontentforoncetohearwhatyouhavetosay。

。Pray,Hylas,whatdoyoumeanbya

。Imeanwhatallmenmean——onethatdoubtsofeverything。

。Hethenwhoentertainsnodoubtsconcerningsomeparticularpoint,withregardtothatpointcannotbethoughtasceptic。

。Iagreewithyou。

。Whetherdothdoubtingconsistinembracingtheaffirmativeornegativesideofaquestion?

。Inneither;forwhoeverunderstandsEnglishcannotbutknowthatsignifiesasuspensebetweenboth。

。Hethenthatdeniesanypoint,cannomorebesaidtodoubtofit,thanhewhoaffirmethitwiththesamedegreeofassurance。

。True。

。And,consequently,forsuchhisdenialisnomoretobeesteemedascepticthantheother。

。Iacknowledgeit。

。Howcomethittopassthen,Hylas,thatyoupronounceme,becauseIdenywhatyouaffirm,towit,theexistenceofMatter?Since,foraughtyoucantell,Iamasperemptoryinmydenial,asyouinyouraffirmation。

。Hold,Philonous,Ihavebeenalittleoutinmydefinition;buteveryfalsestepamanmakesindiscourseisnottobeinsistedon。Isaidindeedthatawasonewhodoubtedofeverything;butIshouldhaveadded,orwhodeniestherealityandtruthofthings。

。Whatthings?Doyoumeantheprinciplesandtheoremsofsciences?Buttheseyouknowareuniversalintellectualnotions,andconsequentlyindependentofMatter。Thedenialthereforeofthisdothnotimplythedenyingthem。

。Igrantit。Butaretherenootherthings?Whatthinkyouofdistrustingthesenses,ofdenyingtherealexistenceofsensiblethings,orpretendingtoknownothingofthem。Isnotthissufficienttodenominateamana

。Shallwethereforeexaminewhichofusitisthatdeniestherealityofsensiblethings,orprofessesthegreatestignoranceofthem;since,ifItakeyourightly,heistobe{174}esteemedthegreatest

。ThatiswhatIdesire。

。WhatmeanyoubySensibleThings?

。Thosethingswhichareperceivedbythesenses。CanyouimaginethatImeananythingelse?

。Pardonme,Hylas,ifIamdesirousclearlytoapprehendyournotions,sincethismaymuchshortenourinquiry。

Suffermethentoaskyouthisfartherquestion。Arethosethingsonlyperceivedbythesenseswhichareperceivedimmediately?Or,maythosethingsproperlybesaidtobewhichareperceivedmediately,ornotwithouttheinterventionofothers?

。Idonotsufficientlyunderstandyou。

。Inreadingabook,whatIimmediatelyperceivearetheletters;butmediately,orbymeansofthese,aresuggestedtomymindthenotionsofGod,virtue,truth,&c。Now,thatthelettersaretrulysensiblethings,orperceivedbysense,thereisnodoubt:butIwouldknowwhetheryoutakethethingssuggestedbythemtobesotoo。

。No,certainly:itwereabsurdtothinkorsensiblethings;thoughtheymaybesignifiedandsuggestedtothemindbysensiblemarks,withwhichtheyhaveanarbitraryconnexion。

。Itseemsthen,thatbyyoumeanthoseonlywhichcanbeperceivedbysense?

。Right。

。Dothitnotfollowfromthis,thatthoughIseeonepartoftheskyred,andanotherblue,andthatmyreasondoththenceevidentlyconcludetheremustbesomecauseofthatdiversityofcolours,yetthatcausecannotbesaidtobeasensiblething,orperceivedbythesenseofseeing?

。Itdoth。

。Inlikemanner,thoughIhearvarietyofsounds,yetIcannotbesaidtohearthecausesofthosesounds?

。Youcannot。

。AndwhenbymytouchIperceiveathingtobehotandheavy,Icannotsay,withanytruthorpropriety,thatIfeelthecauseofitsheatorweight?

。Topreventanymorequestionsofthiskind,Itellyouonceforall,thatbyImeanthoseonlywhichareperceivedbysense;andthatintruththesensesperceivenothingwhichtheydonotperceive:fortheymakeno{175}inferences。Thededucingthereforeofcausesoroccasionsfromeffectsandappearances,whichaloneareperceivedbysense,entirelyrelatestoreason。

。Thispointthenisagreedbetweenus——That。Youwillfartherinformme,whetherweimmediatelyperceivebysightanythingbesidelight,andcolours,andfigures;orbyhearing,anythingbutsounds;bythepalate,anythingbesidetastes;bythesmell,besideodours;orbythetouch,morethantangiblequalities。

。Wedonot。

。Itseems,therefore,thatifyoutakeawayallsensiblequalities,thereremainsnothingsensible?

。Igrantit。

。Sensiblethingsthereforeare{250}nothingelsebutsomanysensiblequalities,orcombinationsofsensiblequalities?

。Nothingelse。

thenisasensiblething?

。Certainly。

。Doththeofsensiblethingsconsistinbeingperceived?or,isitsomethingdistinctfromtheirbeingperceived,andthatbearsnorelationtothemind?

。Toisonething,andtobeisanother。

。Ispeakwithregardtosensiblethingsonly。AndoftheseIask,whetherbytheirrealexistenceyoumeanasubsistenceexteriortothemind,anddistinctfromtheirbeingperceived?

。Imeanarealabsolutebeing,distinctfrom,andwithoutanyrelationto,theirbeingperceived。

。Heattherefore,ifitbeallowedarealbeing,mustexistwithoutthemind?

。Itmust。

。Tellme,Hylas,isthisrealexistenceequallycompatibletoalldegreesofheat,whichweperceive;oristhereanyreasonwhyweshouldattributeittosome,anddenyittoothers?Andiftherebe,prayletmeknowthatreason。

。Whateverdegreeofheatweperceivebysense,wemaybesurethesameexistsintheobjectthatoccasionsit。

。What!thegreatestaswellastheleast?

tellyou,thereasonisplainlythesameinrespectofboth。Theyarebothperceivedbysense;nay,thegreaterdegreeofheatismoresensiblyperceived;andconsequently,ifthereis{176}anydifference,wearemorecertainofitsrealexistencethanwecanbeoftherealityofalesserdegree。

。Butisnotthemostvehementandintensedegreeofheataverygreatpain?

。Noonecandenyit。

。Andisanyunperceivingthingcapableofpainorpleasure?

。No,certainly。

。Isyourmaterialsubstanceasenselessbeing,orabeingendowedwithsenseandperception?

。Itissenselesswithoutdoubt。

。Itcannotthereforebethesubjectofpain?

。Bynomeans。

。Norconsequentlyofthegreatestheatperceivedbysense,sinceyouacknowledgethistobenosmallpain?

。Igrantit。

。Whatshallwesaythenofyourexternalobject;isitamaterialSubstance,orno?

。Itisamaterialsubstancewiththesensiblequalitiesinheringinit。

。Howthencanagreatheatexistinit,sinceyouownitcannotinamaterialsubstance?Idesireyouwouldclearthispoint。

。Hold,Philonous,IfearIwasoutinyieldingintenseheattobeapain。Itshouldseemrather,thatpainissomethingdistinctfromheat,andtheconsequenceoreffectofit。

。Uponputtingyourhandnearthefire,doyouperceiveonesimpleuniformsensation,ortwodistinctsensations?

。Butonesimplesensation。

。Isnottheheatimmediatelyperceived?,。Itis。

。Andthepain?

。True。

。Seeingthereforetheyarebothimmediatelyperceivedatthesametime,andthefireaffectsyouonlywithonesimpleoruncompoundedidea,itfollowsthatthissamesimpleideaisboththeintenseheatimmediatelyperceived,andthepain;and,consequently,thattheintenseheatimmediatelyperceivedisnothingdistinctfromaparticularsortofpain。

。Itseemsso。

。Again,tryinyourthoughts,Hylas,ifyoucanconceiveavehementsensationtobewithoutpainorpleasure。

{177}

。Icannot。

。Orcanyouframetoyourselfanideaofsensiblepainorpleasureingeneral,abstractedfromeveryparticularideaofheat,cold,tastes,smells?&c。

。IdonotfindthatIcan。

。Dothitnotthereforefollow,thatsensiblepainisnothingdistinctfromthosesensationsorideas,inanintensedegree?

。Itisundeniable;and,tospeakthetruth,Ibegintosuspectaverygreatheatcannotexistbutinamindperceivingit。

。What!areyoutheninthatscepticalstateofsuspense,betweenaffirminganddenying?

。IthinkImaybepositiveinthepoint。Averyviolentandpainfulheatcannotexistwithoutthemind。

。Ithathnotthereforeaccordingtoyou,any

being?

。Iownit。

。Isitthereforecertain,thatthereisnobodyinnaturereallyhot?

。Ihavenotdeniedthereisanyrealheatinbodies。I

onlysay,thereisnosuchthingasanintenserealheat。

。But,didyounotsaybeforethatalldegreesofheatwereequallyreal;or,iftherewasanydifference,thatthegreaterweremoreundoubtedlyrealthanthelesser?

。True:butitwasbecauseIdidnotthenconsiderthegroundthereisfordistinguishingbetweenthem,whichInowplainlysee。Anditisthis:becauseintenseheatisnothingelsebutaparticularkindofpainfulsensation;andpaincannotexistbutinaperceivingbeing;itfollowsthatnointenseheatcanreallyexistinanunperceivingcorporealsubstance。Butthisisnoreasonwh\'weshoulddenyheatinaninferiordegreetoexistinsuchasubstance。

。Buthowshallwebeabletodiscernthosedegreesofheatwhichexistonlyinthemindfromthosewhichexistwithoutit?

。Thatisnodifficultmatter。Youknowtheleastpaincannotexistunperceived;whatever,therefore,degreeofheatisapainexistsonlyinthemind。But,asforallotherdegreesofheat,nothingobligesustothinkthesameofthem。

。Ithinkyougrantedbeforethatnounperceivingbeingwascapableofpleasure,anymorethanofpain。

。Idid。{178}

。Andisnotwarmth,oramoregentledegreeofheatthanwhatcausesuneasiness,apleasure?

。Whatthen?

。Consequently,itcannotexistwithoutthemindinanunperceivingsubstance,orbody。

。Soitseems。

。Since,therefore,aswellthosedegreesofheatthatarenotpainful,asthosethatare,canexistonlyinathinkingsubstance;maywenotconcludethatexternalbodiesareabsolutelyincapableofanydegreeofheatwhatsoever?

。Onsecondthoughts,Idonotthinkitsoevidentthatwarmthisapleasureasthatagreatdegreeofheatisapain。

donotpretendthatwarmthisasgreatapleasureasheatisapain。But,ifyougrantittobeevenasmallpleasure,itservestomakegoodmyconclusion。

。Icouldrathercallitan。Itseemstobenothingmorethanaprivationofbothpainandpleasure。Andthatsuchaqualityorstateasthismayagreetoanunthinkingsubstance,Ihopeyouwillnotdeny。

。Ifyouareresolvedtomaintainthatwarmth,oragentledegreeofheat,isnopleasure,Iknownothowtoconvinceyouotherwisethanbyappealingtoyourownsense。Butwhatthinkyouofcold?

。ThesamethatIdoofheat。Anintensedegreeofcoldisapain;fortofeelaverygreatcold,istoperceiveagreatuneasiness:itcannotthereforeexistwithoutthemind;butalesserdegreeofcoldmay,aswellasalesserdegreeofheat。

。Thosebodies,therefore,uponwhoseapplicationtoourown,weperceiveamoderatedegreeofheat,mustbeconcludedtohaveamoderatedegreeofheatorwarmthinthem;andthose,uponwhoseapplicationwefeelalikedegreeofcold,mustbethoughttohavecoldinthem。

。Theymust。

。Cananydoctrinebetruethatnecessarilyleadsamanintoanabsurdity?

。Withoutdoubtitcannot。

。Isitnotanabsurditytothinkthatthesamethingshouldbeatthesametimebothcoldandwarm?

。Itis。

。Supposenowoneofyourhandshot,andtheothercold,andthattheyarebothatonceputintothesamevesselof{179}water,inanintermediatestate;willnotthewaterseemcoldtoonehand,andwarmtotheother?

。Itwill。

。Oughtwenottherefore,byyourprinciples,toconcludeitisreallybothcoldandwarmatthesametime,thatis,accordingtoyourownconcession,tobelieveanabsurdity?

。Iconfessitseemsso。

。Consequently,theprinciplesthemselvesarefalse,sinceyouhavegrantedthatnotrueprincipleleadstoanabsurdity。

。But,afterall,cananythingbemoreabsurdthantosay,

。Tomakethepointstillclearer;tellmewhether,intwocasesexactlyalike,weoughtnottomakethesamejudgment?。。Weought。

。Whenapinpricksyourfinger,dothitnotrendanddividethefibresofyourflesh?

。Itdoth。

。Andwhenacoalburnsyourfinger,dothitanymore?

。Itdothnot。

。Since,therefore,youneitherjudgethesensationitselfoccasionedbythepin,noranythinglikeittobeinthepin;youshouldnot,conformablytowhatyouhavenowgranted,judgethesensationoccasionedbythefire,oranythinglikeit,tobeinthefire。

。Well,sinceitmustbeso,Iamcontenttoyieldthispoint,andacknowledgethatheatandcoldareonlysensationsexistinginourminds。Buttherestillremainqualitiesenoughtosecuretherealityofexternalthings。

。Butwhatwillyousay,Hylas,ifitshallappearthatthecaseisthesamewithregardtoallothersensiblequalities,andthattheycannomorebesupposedtoexistwithoutthemind,thanheatandcold?

。Thenindeedyouwillhavedonesomethingtothepurpose;butthatiswhatIdespairofseeingproved。

。Letusexaminetheminorder。Whatthinkyouof,dotheyexistwithoutthemind,orno?

。Cananymaninhissensesdoubtwhethersugarissweet,orwormwoodbitter?

。Informme,Hylas。Isasweettasteaparticularkindofpleasureorpleasantsensation,orisitnot?{180}

。Itis。

。Andisnotbitternesssomekindofuneasinessorpain?

。Igrantit。

。Ifthereforesugarandwormwoodareunthinkingcorporealsubstancesexistingwithoutthemind,howcansweetnessandbitterness,thatis,Pleasureandpain,agreetothem?

。Hold,Philonous,Inowseewhatitwasdeludetime。

Youaskedwhetherheatandcold,sweetnessatwerenotparticularsortsofpleasureandpain;towhichsimply,thattheywere。

WhereasIshouldhavethusdistinguished:thosequalities,asperceivedbyus,arepleasuresorpairexistingintheexternalobjects。Wemustnotthereforeconcludeabsolutely,thatthereisnoheatinthefire,orsweetnessinthesugar,butonlythatheatorsweetness,asperceivedbyus,arenotinthefireorsugar。Whatsayyoutothis?

。Isayitisnothingtothepurpose。Ourdiscourseproceededaltogetherconcerningsensiblethings,whichyoudefinedtobe,。Whateverotherqualities,therefore,youspeakofasdistinctfromthese,Iknownothingofthem,neitherdotheyatallbelongtothepointindispute。Youmay,indeed,pretendtohavediscoveredcertainqualitieswhichyoudonotperceive,andassertthoseinsensiblequalitiesexistinfireandsugar。Butwhatusecanbemadeofthistoyourpresentpurpose,Iamatalosstoconceive。Tellmethenoncemore,doyouacknowledgethatheatandcold,sweetnessandbitterness(meaningthosequalitieswhichareperceivedbythesenses),donotexistwithoutthemind?

。Iseeitistonopurposetoholdout,soIgiveupthecauseastothosementionedqualities。ThoughIprofessitsoundsoddly,tosaythatsugarisnotsweet。

。But,foryourfarthersatisfaction,takethisalongwithyou:thatwhichatothertimesseemssweet,shall,toadistemperedpalate,appearbitter。And,nothingcanbeplainerthanthatdiverspersonsperceivedifferenttastesinthesamefood;sincethatwhichonemandelightsin,anotherabhors。Andhowcouldthisbe,ifthetastewassomethingreallyinherentinthefood?

。IacknowledgeIknownothow。

。Inthenextplace,aretobeconsidered。

And,withregardtothese,Iwouldfainknowwhetherwhathath{181}beensaidoftastesdothnotexactlyagreetothem?Aretheynotsomanypleasingordispleasingsensations?

。Theyare。

。Canyouthenconceiveitpossiblethattheyshouldexistinanunperceivingthing?

。Icannot。

。Or,canyouimaginethatfilthandordureaffectthosebruteanimalsthatfeedonthemoutofchoice,withthesamesmellswhichweperceiveinthem?

。Bynomeans。

。Maywenotthereforeconcludeofsmells,asoftheotherforementionedqualities,thattheycannotexistinanybutaperceivingsubstanceormind?

。Ithinkso。

。Thenasto,whatmustwethinkofthem:aretheyaccidentsreallyinherentinexternalbodies,ornot?

。Thattheyinherenotinthesonorousbodiesisplainfromhence:becauseabellstruckintheexhaustedreceiverofanair-pumpsendsforthnosound。Theair,therefore,mustbethoughtthesubjectofsound。

。Whatreasonisthereforthat,Hylas?

。Because,whenanymotionisraisedintheair,weperceiveasoundgreaterorlesser,accordingtotheair\'smotion;butwithoutsomemotionintheair,weneverhearanysoundatall。

。Andgrantingthatweneverhearasoundbutwhensomemotionisproducedintheair,yetIdonotseehowyoucaninferfromthence,thatthesounditselfisintheair。

。Itisthisverymotionintheexternalairthatproducesinthemindthesensationof。For,strikingonthedrumoftheear,itcausethavibration,whichbytheauditorynervesbeingcommunicatedtothebrain,thesoulisthereuponaffectedwiththesensationcalled

。What!issoundthenasensation?

。Itellyou,asperceivedbyus,itisaparticularsensationinthemind。

。Andcananysensationexistwithoutthemind?

。No,certainly。

。Howthencansound,beingasensation,existintheair,ifbytheyoumeanasenselesssubstanceexistingwithoutthemind?

。Youmustdistinguish,Philonous,betweensoundasitis{182}perceivedbyus,andasitisinitself;or(whichisthesamething)betweenthesoundweimmediatelyperceive,andthatwhichexistswithoutus。Theformer,indeed,isaparticularkindofsensation,butthelatterismerelyavibrativeorundulatorymotiontheair。

。IthoughtIhadalreadyobviatedthatdistinction,byanswerIgavewhenyouwereapplyingitinalikecasebefore。

But,tosaynomoreofthat,areyousurethenthatsoundisreallynothingbutmotion?

。Iam。

。Whateverthereforeagreestorealsound,maywithtruthbeattributedtomotion?

。Itmay。

。Itisthengoodsensetospeakofasofathingthatis

seeyouareresolvednottounderstandme。Isitnotevidentthoseaccidentsormodesbelongonlytosensiblesound,orthecommonacceptationoftheword,butnottointherealandphilosophicsense;which,asIjustnowtoldyou,isnothingbutacertainmotionoftheair?

。Itseemsthentherearetwosortsofsound——theonevulgar,orthatwhichisheard,theotherphilosophicalandreal?

。Evenso。

。Andthelatterconsistsinmotion?

。Itoldyousobefore。

。Tellme,Hylas,towhichofthesenses,thinkyou,theideaofmotionbelongs?tothehearing?

。No,certainly;buttothesightandtouch。

。Itshouldfollowthen,that,accordingtoyou,realsoundsmaypossiblybe,butnever

。Lookyou,Philonous,youmay,ifyouplease,makeajestofmyopinion,butthatwillnotalterthetruthofthings。

Iown,indeed,theinferencesyoudrawmeintosoundsomethingoddly;butcommonlanguage,youknow,isframedby,andfortheuseofthevulgar:wemustnotthereforewonderifexpressionsadaptedtoexactphilosophicnotionsseemuncouthandoutoftheway。

。Isitcometothat?Iassureyou,Iimaginemyselftohavegainednosmallpoint,sinceyoumakesolightofdepartingfromcommonphrasesandopinions;itbeingamainpartofourinquiry,toexaminewhosenotionsarewidestofthe{183}

commonroad,andmostrepugnanttothegeneralsenseoftheworld。But,canyouthinkitnomorethanaphilosophicalparadox,tosaythat,andthattheideaofthemisobtainedbysomeothersense?Andistherenothinginthiscontrarytonatureandthetruthofthings?

。Todealingenuously,Idonotlikeit。And,aftertheconcessionsalreadymade,Ihadaswellgrantthatsoundstoohavenorealbeingwithoutthemind。

。AndIhopeyouwillmakenodifficultytoacknowledgethesameof

。Pardonme:thecaseofcoloursisverydifferent。Cananythingbeplainerthanthatweseethemontheobjects?

。Theobjectsyouspeakofare,Isuppose,corporealSubstancesexistingwithoutthemind?

。Theyare。

。Andhavetrueandrealcoloursinheringinthem?

。Eachvisibleobjecthaththatcolourwhichweseeinit。

。How!isthereanythingvisiblebutwhatweperceivebysight?

。Thereisnot。

。And,doweperceiveanythingbysensewhichwedonotperceiveimmediately?

。HowoftenmustIbeobligedtorepeatthesamething?

Itellyou,wedonot。

。Havepatience,goodHylas;andtellmeoncemore,whetherthereisanythingimmediatelyperceivedbythesenses,exceptsensiblequalities。Iknowyouassertedtherewasnot;butIwouldnowbeinformed,whetheryoustillpersistinthesameopinion。

。Ido。

。Pray,isyourcorporealsubstanceeitherasensiblequality,ormadeupofsensiblequalities?

。Whataquestionthatis!whoeverthoughtitwas?

。Myreasonforaskingwas,becauseinsaying,,youmakevisibleobjectstobecorporealsubstances;whichimplieseitherthatcorporealsubstancesaresensiblequalities,orelsethatthereissomethingbesidessensiblequalitiesperceivedbysight:

but,asthispointwasformerlyagreedbetweenus,andisstillmaintainedbyyou,itisaclearconsequence,thatyourisnothingdistinctfrom。{184}

。Youmaydrawasmanyabsurdconsequencesasyouplease,andendeavourtoperplextheplainestthings;butyoushallneverpersuademeoutofmysenses。Iclearlyunderstandmyownmeaning。

。Iwishyouwouldmakemeunderstandittoo。But,sinceyouareunwillingtohaveyournotionofcorporealsubstanceexamined,Ishallurgethatpointnofarther。Onlybepleasedtoletmeknow,whetherthesamecolourswhichweseeexistinexternalbodies,orsomeother。

。Theverysame。

。What!arethenthebeautifulredandpurpleweseeonyondercloudsreallyinthem?Ordoyouimaginetheyhaveinthemselvesanyotherformthanthatofadarkmistorvapour?

。Imustown,Philonous,thosecoloursarenotreallyinthecloudsastheyseemtobeatthisdistance。Theyareonlyapparentcolours。

callyouthem?howshallwedistinguishtheseapparentcoloursfromreal?

。Veryeasily。Thosearetobethoughtapparentwhich,appearingonlyatadistance,vanishuponanearerapproach。

。Andthose,Isuppose,aretobethoughtrealwhicharediscoveredbythemostnearandexactsurvey。

。Right。

。Isthenearestandexactestsurveymadebythehelpofamicroscope,orbythenakedeye?

。Byamicroscope,doubtless。

。Butamicroscopeoftendiscoverscoloursinanobjectdifferentfromthoseperceivedbytheunassistedsight。

And,incasewehadmicroscopesmagnifyingtoanyassigneddegree,itiscertainthatnoobjectwhatsoever,viewedthroughthem,wouldappearinthesamecolourwhichitexhibitstothenakedeye。

。Andwhatwillyouconcludefromallthis?Youcannotarguethattherearereallyandnaturallynocoloursonobjects:

becausebyartificialmanagementstheymaybealtered,ormadetovanish。

。Ithinkitmayevidentlybeconcludedfromyourownconcessions,thatallthecoloursweseewithournakedeyesareonlyapparentasthoseontheclouds,sincetheyvanishuponamorecloseandaccurateinspectionwhichisaffordedusbyamicroscope。Then\'astowhatyousaybywayofprevention:{185}

Iaskyouwhethertherealandnaturalstateofanobjectisbetterdiscoveredbyaverysharpandpiercingsight,orbyonewhichislesssharp?

。Bytheformerwithoutdoubt。

。Isitnotplainfromthatmicroscopesmakethesightmorepenetrating,andrepresentobjectsastheywouldappeartotheeyeincaseitwerenaturallyendowedwithamostexquisitesharpness?

。Itis。

。Consequentlythemicroscopicalrepresentationistobethoughtthatwhichbestsetsforththerealnatureofthething,orwhatitisinitself。Thecolours,therefore,byitperceivedaremoregenuineandrealthanthoseperceivedotherwise。

。Iconfessthereissomethinginwhatyousay。

。Besides,itisnotonlypossiblebutmanifest,thatthereactuallyareanimalswhoseeyesarebynatureframedtoperceivethosethingswhichbyreasonoftheirminutenessescapeoursight。Whatthinkyouofthoseinconceivablysmallanimalsperceivedbyglasses?mustwesupposetheyareallstarkblind?

Or,incasetheysee,canitbeimaginedtheirsighthathnotthesameuseinpreservingtheirbodiesfrominjuries,whichappearsinthatofallotheranimals?Andifithath,isitnotevidenttheymustseeparticleslessthantheirownbodies;whichwillpresentthemwithafardifferentviewineachobjectfromthatwhichstrikesoursenses?Evenourowneyesdonotalwaysrepresentobjectstousafterthesamemanner。Inthejaundiceeveryoneknowsthatallthingsseemyellow。Isitnotthereforehighlyprobablethoseanimalsinwhoseeyeswediscernaverydifferenttexturefromthatofours,andwhosebodiesaboundwithdifferenthumours,donotseethesamecoloursineveryobjectthatwedo?Fromallwhich,shoulditnotseemtofollowthatallcoloursareequallyapparent,andthatnoneofthosewhichweperceivearereallyinherentinanyoutwardobject?

。Itshould。

。Thepointwillbepastalldoubt,ifyouconsiderthat,incasecolourswererealpropertiesoraffectionsinherentinexternalbodies,theycouldadmitofnoalterationwithoutsomechangewroughtintheverybodiesthemselves:but,isitnotevidentfromwhathathbeensaidthat,upontheuseofmicroscopes,uponachangehappeningintheburnoutsoftheeye,oravariationofdistance,withoutanymannerofrealalteration{186}inthethingitself,thecoloursofanyobjectareeitherchanged,ortotallydisappear?Nay,allothercircumstancesremainingthesame,changebutthesituationofsomeobjects,andtheyshallpresentdifferentcolourstotheeye。Thesamethinghappensuponviewinganobjectinvariousdegreesoflight。Andwhatismoreknownthanthatthesamebodiesappeardifferentlycolouredbycandle-lightfromwhattheydointheopenday?Addtothesetheexperimentofaprismwhich,separatingtheheterogeneousraysoflight,altersthecolourofanyobject,andwillcausethewhitesttoappearofadeepblueorredtothenakedeye。Andnowtellmewhetheryouarestillofopinionthateverybodyhathitstruerealcolourinheringinit;and,ifyouthinkithath,Iwouldfainknowfartherfromyou,whatcertaindistanceandpositionoftheobject,whatpeculiartextureandformationoftheeye,whatdegreeorkindoflightisnecessaryforascertainingthattruecolour,anddistinguishingitfromapparentones。

。Iownmyselfentirelysatisfied,thattheyareallequallyapparent,andthatthereisnosuchthingascolourreallyinheringinexternalbodies,butthatitisaltogetherinthelight。Andwhatconfirmsmeinthisopinionis,thatinproportiontothelightcoloursarestillmoreorlessvivid;andiftherebenolight,thenaretherenocoloursperceived。

Besides,allowingtherearecoloursonexternalobjects,yet,howisitpossibleforustoperceivethem?Fornoexternalbodyaffectsthemind,unlessitactsfirstonourorgansofsense。

Buttheonlyactionofbodiesismotion;andmotioncannotbecommunicatedotherwisethanbyimpulse。Adistantobjectthereforecannotactontheeye;norconsequentlymakeitselforitspropertiesperceivabletothesoul。Whenceitplainlyfollowsthatitisimmediatelysomecontiguoussubstance,which,operatingontheeye,occasionsaperceptionofcolours:andsuchislight。

。Howlislightthenasubstance?

……Itellyou,Philonous,externallightisnothingbutathinfluidsubstance,whoseminuteparticlesbeingagitatedwithabriskmotion,andinvariousmannersreflectedfromthedifferentsurfacesofoutwardobjectstotheeyes,communicatedifferentmotionstotheopticnerves;which,beingpropagatedtothebrain,causethereinvariousimpressions;andtheseareattendedwiththesensationsofred,blue,yellow,&c。

。Itseemsthenthelightdothnomorethanshaketheopticnerves。{187}

。Nothingelse。

。Andconsequenttoeachparticularmotionofthenerves,themindisaffectedwithasensation,whichissomeparticularcolour。

。Right。

。Andthesesensationshavenoexistencewithoutthemind。

。Theyhavenot。

。Howthendoyouaffirmthatcoloursareinthelight;sincebyyouunderstandacorporealsubstanceexternaltothemind?

。Lightandcolours,asimmediatelyperceivedbyus,I

grantcannotexistwithoutthemind。Butinthemselvestheyareonlythemotionsandconfigurationsofcertaininsensibleparticlesofmatter。

。Coloursthen,inthevulgarsense,ortakenfortheimmediateobjectsofsight,cannotagreetoanybutaperceivingsubstance。

。ThatiswhatIsay。

。Wellthen,sinceyougiveupthepointastothosesensiblequalitieswhicharealonethoughtcoloursbyallmankindbeside,youmayholdwhatyoupleasewithregardtothoseinvisibleonesofthephilosophers。Itisnotmybusinesstodisputeabout;onlyIwouldadviseyoutobethinkyourself,whether,consideringtheinquiryweareupon,itbeprudentforyoutoaffirm——。Arenottheseshockingnotions,andarenottheysubjecttoasmanyridiculousinferences,asthoseyouwereobligedtorenouncebeforeinthecaseofsounds?

。Ifranklyown,Philonous,thatitisinvaintolonger。Colours,sounds,tastes,inawordallthosetermed,havecertainlynoexistencewithoutthemind。ButbythisacknowledgmentImustnotbesupposedtoderogate,therealityofMatter,orexternalobjects;seeingitisnomorethanseveralphilosophersmaintain,whoneverthelessarethefarthestimaginablefromdenyingMatter。Fortheclearerunderstandingofthis,youmustknowsensiblequalitiesarebyphilosophersdividedintoand。TheformerareExtension,Figure,Solidity,Gravity,Motion,andRest;{188}

andthesetheyholdexistreallyinbodies。Thelatterarethoseaboveenumerated;or,briefly,;whichtheyassertareonlysomanysensationsorideasexistingnowherebutinthemind。Butallthis,Idoubtnot,youareapprisedof。Formypart,Ihavebeenalongtimesensibletherewassuchanopinioncurrentamongphilosophers,butwasneverthoroughlyconvincedofitstruthuntilnow。

。Youarestillthenofopinionthatandinherentinexternalunthinkingsubstances?

。Iam。

。ButwhatifthesameargumentswhicharebroughtagainstSecondaryQualitieswillholdgoodagainstthesealso?

。WhythenIshallbeobligedtothink,theytooexistonlyinthemind。

。Isityouropiniontheveryfigureandextensionwhichyouperceivebysenseexistintheoutwardobjectormaterialsubstance?

。Itis。

。Haveallotheranimalsasgoodgroundstothinkthesameofthefigureandextensionwhichtheyseeandfeel?

。Withoutdoubt,iftheyhaveanythoughtatall。

。Answerme,Hylas。Thinkyouthesenseswerebestoweduponallanimalsfortheirpreservationandwell-beinginlife?

orweretheygiventomenaloneforthisend?

。Imakenoquestionbuttheyhavethesameuseinallotheranimals。

。Ifso,isitnotnecessarytheyshouldbeenabledbythemtoperceivetheirownlimbs,andthosebodieswhicharecapableofharmingthem?

。Certainly。

。Amitethereforemustbesupposedtoseehisownfoot,andthingsequalorevenlessthanit,asbodiesofsomeconsiderabledimension;thoughatthesametimetheyappeartoyouscarcediscernible,oratbestassomanyvisiblepoints?

。Icannotdenyit。

。Andtocreatureslessthanthemitetheywillseemyetlarger?

。Theywill。

。Insomuchthatwhatyoucanhardlydiscernwilltoanotherextremelyminuteanimalappearassomehugemountain?

{189}

。AllthisIgrant。

。Canoneandthesamethingbeatthesametimeinitselfofdifferentdimensions?

。Thatwereabsurdtoimagine。

。But,fromwhatyouhavelaiddownitfollowsthatboththeextensionbyyouperceived,andthatperceivedbythemiteitself,aslikewiseallthoseperceivedbylesseranimals,areeachofthemthetrueextensionofthemite\'sfoot;thatistosay,byyourownprinciplesyouareledintoanabsurdity。

。Thereseemstobesomedifficultyinthepoint。

。Again,haveyounotacknowledgedthatnorealinherentpropertyofanyobjectcanbechangedwithoutsomechangeinthethingitself?

。Ihave。

。But,asweapproachtoorrecedefromanobject,thevisibleextensionvaries,beingatonedistancetenorahundredtimesgreaterthananother。Dothitnotthereforefollowfromhencelikewisethatitisnotreallyinherentintheobject?

。IownIamatalosswhattothink。

。Yourjudgmentwillsoonbedetermined,ifyouwillventuretothinkasfreelyconcerningthisqualityasyouhavedoneconcerningtherest。Wasitnotadmittedasagoodargument,thatneitherheatnorcoldwasinthewater,becauseitseemedwarmtoonehandandcoldtotheother?

。Itwas。

。Isitnottheverysamereasoningtoconclude,thereisnoextensionorfigureinanobject,becausetooneeyeitshallseemlittle,smooth,andround,whenatthesametimeitappearstotheother,great,uneven,andregular?

。Theverysame。Butdoesthislatterfacteverhappen?

。Youmayatanytimemaketheexperiment,bylookingwithoneeyebare,andwiththeotherthroughamicroscope。

。Iknownothowtomaintainit;andyetIamloathtogiveup,Iseesomanyoddconsequencesfollowinguponsuchaconcession。

。Odd,sayyou?Aftertheconcessionsalreadymade,I

hopeyouwillstickatnothingforitsoddness。[But,ontheotherhand,shoulditnotseemveryodd,ifthegeneralreasoning{190}whichincludesallothersensiblequalitiesdidnotalsoincludeextension?Ifitbeallowedthatnoidea,noranythinglikeanidea,canexistinanunperceivingsubstance,thensurelyitfollowsthatnofigure,ormodeofextension,whichwecaneitherperceive,orimagine,orhaveanyideaof,canbereallyinherentinMatter;nottomentionthepeculiardifficultytheremustbeinconceivingamaterialsubstance,priortoanddistinctfromextensiontobetheofextension。Bethesensiblequalitywhatitwill——figure,orsound,orcolour,itseemsalikeimpossibleitshouldsubsistinthatwhichdothnotperceiveit。][2]

。Igiveupthepointforthepresent,reservingstillarighttoretractmyopinion,incaseIshallhereafterdiscoveranyfalsestepinmyprogresstoit。

。Thatisarightyoucannotbedenied。Figuresandextensionbeingdespatched,weproceednextto。Canarealmotioninanyexternalbodybeatthesametimeveryswiftandveryslow?

。Itcannot。

。Isnotthemotionofabodyswiftinareciprocalproportiontothetimeittakesupindescribinganygivenspace?

Thusabodythatdescribesamileinanhourmovesthreetimesfasterthanitwouldincaseitdescribedonlyamileinthreehours。

。Iagreewithyou。

。Andisnottimemeasuredbythesuccessionofideasinourminds?

。Itis。

。Andisitnotpossibleideasshouldsucceedoneanothertwiceasfastinyourmindastheydoinmine,orinthatofsomespiritofanotherkind?

。Iownit。

。Consequentlythesamebodymaytoanotherseemtoperformitsmotionoveranyspaceinhalfthetimethatitdothtoyou。Andthesamereasoningwillholdastoanyotherproportion:thatistosay,accordingtoyourprinciples(sincethemotionsperceivedarebothreallyintheobject)itispossibleoneandthesamebodyshallbereallymovedthesamewayatonce,bothveryswiftandveryslow。Howisthisconsistenteitherwithcommonsense,orwithwhatyoujustnowgranted?

{191}

。Ihavenothingtosaytoit。

。Thenasfor;eitheryoudonotmeananysensiblequalitybythatword,andsoitisbesideourinquiry:

orifyoudo,itmustbeeitherhardnessorresistance。Butboththeoneandtheotherareplainlyrelativetooursenses:itbeingevidentthatwhatseemshardtooneanimalmayappearsofttoanother,whohathgreaterforceandfirmnessoflimbs。NorisitlessplainthattheresistanceIfeelisnotinthebody。

。Iowntheveryofresistance,whichisallyouimmediatelyperceive,isnotinthebody;butthe

ofthatsensationis。

。Butthecausesofoursensationsarenotthingsimmediatelyperceived,andthereforearenotsensible。ThispointIthoughthadbeenalreadydetermined。

。Iownitwas;butyouwillpardonmeifIseemalittleembarrassed:Iknownothowtoquitmyoldnotions。

。Tohelpyouout,dobutconsiderthatif

beonceacknowledgedtohavenoexistencewithoutthemind,thesamemustnecessarilybegrantedofmotion,solidity,andgravity;sincetheyallevidentlysupposeextension。Itisthereforesuperfluoustoinquireparticularlyconcerningeachofthem。Indenyingextension,youhavedeniedthemalltohaveanyrealexistence。

。Iwonder,Philonous,ifwhatyousaybetrue,whythosephilosopherswhodenytheSecondaryQualitiesanyrealexistenceshouldyetattributeittothePrimary。Ifthereisnodifferencebetweenthem,howcanthisbeaccountedfor?

。Itisnotmybusinesstoaccountforeveryopinionofthephilosophers。But,amongotherreasonswhichmaybeassignedforthis,itseemsprobablethatpleasureandpainbeingratherannexedtotheformerthanthelattermaybeone。Heatandcold,tastesandsmells,havesomethingmorevividlypleasingordisagreeablethantheideasofextension,figure,andmotionaffectuswith。And,itbeingtoovisiblyabsurdtoholdthatpainorpleasurecanbeinanunperceivingsubstance,menaremoreeasilyweanedfrombelievingtheexternalexistenceoftheSecondarythanthePrimaryQualities。Youwillbesatisfiedthereissomethinginthis,ifyourecollectthedifferenceyoumadebetweenanintenseandmoremoderatedegreeofheat;allowingtheonearealexistence,whileyoudeniedittotheother。But,afterall,thereisnorationalgroundforthatdistinction;for,surelyanindifferentsensationisas{191}truly

asonemorepleasingorpainful;andconsequentlyshouldnotanymorethantheybesupposedtoexistinanunthinkingsubject。

。Itisjustcomeintomyhead,Philonous,thatIhavesomewhereheardofadistinctionbetweenabsoluteandsensibleextension。Now,thoughitbeacknowledgedthatand,consistingmerelyintherelationwhichotherextendedbeingshavetothepartsofourownbodies,donotreallyinhereinthesubstancesthemselves;yetnothingobligesustoholdthesamewithregardto,whichissomethingabstractedfromand,fromthisorthatparticularmagnitudeorfigure。Solikewiseastomotion;and

arealtogetherrelativetothesuccessionofideasinourownminds。But,itdothnotfollow,becausethosemodificationsofmotionexistnotwithoutthemind,thatthereforeabsolutemotionabstractedfromthemdothnot。

。Praywhatisitthatdistinguishesonemotion,oronepartofextension,fromanother?Isitnotsomethingsensible,assomedegreeofswiftnessorslowness,somecertainmagnitudeorfigurepeculiartoeach?

。Ithinkso。

。Thesequalities,therefore,strippedofallsensibleproperties,arewithoutallspecificandnumericaldifferences,astheschoolscallthem。

。Theyare。

。Thatistosay,theyareextensioningeneral,andmotioningeneral。

。Letitbeso。

。Butitisauniversallyreceivedmaximthat。Howthencanmotioningeneral,orextensioningeneral,existinanycorporealsubstance?{193}

。Iwilltaketimetosolveyourdifficulty。

。ButIthinkthepointmaybespeedilydecided。

Withoutdoubtyoucantellwhetheryouareabletoframethisorthatidea。NowIamcontenttoputourdisputeonthisissue。Ifyoucanframeinyourthoughtsadistinctofmotionorextension,divestedofallthosesensiblemodes,asswiftandslow,greatandsmall,roundandsquare,andthelike,whichareacknowledgedtoexistonlyinthemind,Iwillthenyieldthepointyoucontendfor。Butifyoucannot,itwillbeunreasonableonyoursidetoinsistanylongeruponwhatyouhavenonotionof。

。Toconfessingenuously,Icannot。

。Canyouevenseparatetheideasofextensionandmotionfromtheideasofallthosequalitieswhichtheywhomakethedistinctionterm

。What!isitnotaneasymattertoconsiderextensionandmotionbythemselves,abstractedfromallothersensiblequalities?Prayhowdothemathematicianstreatofthem?

。Iacknowledge,Hylas,itisnotdifficulttoformgeneralpropositionsandreasoningsaboutthosequalities,withoutmentioninganyother;and,inthissense,toconsiderortreatofthemabstractedly。But,howdothitfollowthat,becauseIcanpronouncethewordbyitself,Icanformtheideaofitinmymindexclusiveofbody?or,becausetheoremsmaybemadeofextensionandfigures,withoutanymentionofor,oranyothersensiblemodeorquality,thatthereforeitispossiblesuchanabstractideaofextension,withoutanyparticularsizeorfigure,orsensiblequality,[3][shouldbedistinctlyformed,andapprehendedbythemind?Mathematicianstreatofquantity,withoutregardingwhatothersensible。

qualitiesitisattendedwith,asbeingaltogetherindifferenttotheirdemonstrations。But,whenlayingasidethewords,theycontemplatethebareideas,Ibelieveyouwillfind,theyarenotthepureabstractedideasofextension。

。Butwhatsayyouto?Maynotabstractedideasbeframedbythatfaculty?

。SinceIcannotframeabstractideasatall,itisplainIcannotframethembythehelpof;{194}

whatsoeverfacultyyouunderstandbythosewords。Besides,nottoinquireintothenatureofpureintellectanditsspiritualobjects,as,orthelike,thusmuchseemsmanifest——thatsensiblethingsareonlytobeperceivedbysense,orrepresentedbytheimagination。Figures,therefore,andextension,beingoriginallyperceivedbysense,donotbelongtopureintellect:but,foryourfarthersatisfaction,tryifyoucanframetheideaofanyfigure,abstractedfromallparticularitiesofsize,orevenfromothersensiblequalities。

。Letmethinkalittle——IdonotfindthatIcan。

。Andcanyouthinkitpossiblethatshouldreallyexistinnaturewhichimpliesarepugnancyinitsconception?

。Bynomeans。

。Sincethereforeitisimpossibleevenforthemindtodisunitetheideasofextensionandmotionfromallothersensiblequalities,dothitnotfollow,thatwheretheoneexisttherenecessarilytheotherexistlikewise?

。Itshouldseemso。