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descartes’ reason discourse(笛卡尔的推理)-第16章

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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 acplishment 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  parison      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 pared to the 

manders   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 overe 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 



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                           SEEKING TRUTH IN THE SCIENCES 



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 



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                             SEEKING TRUTH IN THE SCIENCES 



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 munication 

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 

inparably   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 



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                             SEEKING TRUTH IN THE SCIENCES 



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 
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