PART I SECT. I. General A PHORISMS for interpreting NATURE; and extending the Empire of Man, over the Creation. I. M APHORISM I. AN, who is the Servant and Interpreter of Nature, can Man's Power, APHORISM II. 2. Neither the Hand without Inftruments, nor the unaffifted Under- Man requires standing, can do much; they both require Helps, to fit them for Bufi- Instruments. nefs and as Inftruments of the Hand, either ferve to excite Motion, or direct it; fo the Inftruments of the Mind, either fuggest to, or guard and preferve the Understanding. APHORISM 2 Human Knowledge is acquired by Obfervation, and Experience; or by converfing with the Things about us, thro' the Mediation of the Senfes, and subsequent Reflexion: therefore, the more we obferve and try; the more we learn and are enabled to perform. And thus Knowledge and Power go hand in hand: fo that the way to increase in Power, is to increase in Knowledge. The Europeans exceed the favage Indians in Power, by having a superior Knowledge of Arts, Arms, &c. See Apk. 3. This Aphorifm in another Place is turn'd thus. "The naked and unaffifted Hand, how"ever strong and true, is adapted only to the Performance of a few eafy Works; but when "affifted by Inftruments, becomes able to perform abundance more, and of much greater dif"ficulty: and the Cafe is exactly the fame with the Mind." The Whole will be abundantly explained and illuftrated by what follows. See alfo Introduction, §. 2 and 3. Power and APHORISM III. 3. The Knowledge and Power of Man are coincident: for whilft ignoKnowledge co- rant of Causes, he can produce no Effects: Nor is Nature to be conquer'd but by Submiffion. And that which in Speculation ftands for the Caufe; is what in Practice ftands for the Rule a. incide. APHORISM IV. 4. In Works, Man can do no more than put natural Bodies together, and take them afunder: all the reft is perform'd by the internal Ope rations of Nature. APHORISM V. Arts and Sci 5. The Mechanic, the Mathematician, the Phyfician, the Chemist, and the ences imper- natural Magician, are concern'd in the Works of Nature; but, all of them, at prefent, fuperficially, and to little purpofe. felt. APHORISM VI 6. 'Tis Madness, and a Contradiction, to expect that Things which were never yet perform'd, should be effected, except by Means hitherto untried.. APHORISM VII. 7. The Productions of the Mind and Hand, feem exceedingly numerous: in Books and Works; yet all this Variety arifes from the particular fub tilizing Viz. By condefcending to enquire into, and obferve her Methods of working; as a Servant who would learn of his Mafter. For no Power of Man can poflibly break the Chain of natural Caufes; fo that the only Method whereby Men can rule Nature, muft depend upon learning her Ways. 66 66 This Aphorifm is otherwife expreffed by the Author in another Place; thus. "The buman Power has this for its Object; to impofe or introduce any Nature upon a given Bafis.of "Matter, within the Condition of Poffibility; and the Object of the buman Knowledge is the Discovery of the Caufes of an Effect affign'd, in any Subject. And these are two coincident "Intentions: for what in Contemplation is affign'd as the Caufe, is in Operation the Means "of producing the Effect." And again, thus. "There is, in Fact, no difference betwixt theoretical and practical Propofition: thus to affert that Light belongs not to the Nature "of Heat; is the fame as to affert, that in the Production of Heat there is no neceffity for "the producing of Light." This Matter alfo will be fully illuitrated hereafter; tho' it. be indeed felf-evident upon a little Attention. 66 a This Aphorifm is more fully deliver'd in another Place; thus. "The Knowledge of "which Mankind are hitherto poffeffed, does not reach to Certainty; and the Production of great Effects. Phyficians pronounce many Difeafes incurable; and frequently mistake and "fail in the Cure of the reft: the Alchemist never relinquishes his Hopes: the Works of the "natural Magician are unftable, and of little Advantage: the mechanic Arts derive no great. Light from Philofophy; and but languidly profecute Experiments in low and trivial Sub"jects. fo that the Difcoveries at prefent in ufe are extremely crude, and far from perfect. 56 tilizing upon, and applying, a few known Things; and not from any Number of Axioms f. APHORISM VIII. 8. Nay, the Works hitherto difcover'd, are owing rather to Accident and Trial, than the Sciences; which, as they now ftand, are nothing but Compilements of Things found out before; and not Methods of Enquiry, or Plans of new Works. APHORISM IX. 9. The Root of all the Mifchief in the Sciences, is this; that fally magnifying and admiring the Powers of the Mind, we feek not its real Helps. APHORISM X. 10. The Subtilty of Nature, far exceeds the Subtilty of the Senfe and Understanding; fo that the fublime Meditations, Speculations, and Reafonings of Men, are but a kind of Madness; if a fit Perfon were to obferve them ". APHORISM XI. 11. As the Sciences now in being, are useless in the Discovery of Works; Logic. fo is the prefent Logic in the Difcovery of the Sciences" APHORISM XII. 12. The common Legic is better fitted to fix and establish Errors, which are founded in vulgar Notions, than for fearching after Truth; fo as to be more prejudicial than ufeful. APHORISM XIII. 13. Syllogifm is not applied to the Principles of the Sciences; and 'tis Syllogifm. in vain applied to intermediate Axioms; as being unequal to the Sub f Thus the numerous Books wrote upon Religions, Laws, Morality, &c. may be reduced back to a few Particulars, which gave them Origin; and the Arts of Glafs, Medicine, the modern Art of War, &c. to the cafual Obfervation of Afhes melted by Heat, the accidental Difcovery of Simples, Gun-powder, &c. whereas had all thefe proceeded from the Light of Axioms; they would have proved much more perfect, ferviceable, and advantagious: But the Axioms are wanting for this Purpose. 8 This Aphorifm deferves Attention. Certainly, upon examining, every Man may find his common Notions of Things very inadequate; or far from correfponding even with those he gains byconverfing more familiarly and intimately with Nature. And yet, after a Life fpent upon any particular Enquiry, in the common Method, there still usually remains fome Subtilty of Nature behind, which we cannot catch; and are apt, perhaps very extravagantly, to guefs at. And if this be the Cafe in fenfible and material Things; what muft our general Theories and Systems be? This feems to have been fully fhewn in the de Augmentis Scientiarum. This Matter has alfo been difcuffed in the de Augmentis Scientiarum. * See below, Aph. 19. VOL. II. Notions not tilty of Nature: and therefore catches the Affent; but lets Things themfelves flip through '. APHORISM XIV. 14. Syllogifin confifts of Propofitions, Propofitions of Words, and Words are the Signs of Notions; therefore, if our Nctions, the Basis of all, are confused, and over haftily taken from Things; nothing that is built upon them can be firm whence our only Hope refts upon genuine Indulion". APHORISM XV. 15. No Notion can be fafely trufted, either in Logics or Phyfics; not fafely trusted. even those of Substances, Qualities, Actions, Paffions, and Existence; much lefs thofe of Gravity, Levity, Denfity, Tenuity, Moisture, Dryness, Generation, Corruption, Attraction, Avoidance, Element, Matter, Form, &c. but all are phantaftical, and ill defined ". APHORISM XVI. 16. The Notions of the lower Species, as of a Man, a Dog, a Dove; and the immediate Apprehenfions of Senfe, as Heat, Cold, White, Black, &c. do not greatly deceive us; tho' these alfo are fometimes greatly confounded by the flowing in of Matter, and the putting of Things together. And for all the reft, which Mankind have hitherto employ'd, they are mistaken; or not duly abstracted, and raised, from Things ". APHORISM XVII. 17. Nor is there lefs Licentioufnefs, or fewer Mistakes, in the raising of Axioms, than in the forming of Notions; and this even in Principles themselves, which depend upon the vulgar Induction: much more in the inferior Axioms, and Propofitions, deduced by Syllogifm. 1 See the next Aphorifm. APHORISM Viz. A competent Catalogue of Inftances, on both Sides of the Queftion; fo that when all the Exceptions are properly made, a found, or at least a serviceable, Portion of Truth may be left, as an Axiom, behind. See Aph. 105, 106. Mr. Locke's Chapter of Idea's, in his Effay upon Human Understanding, is a kind of Comment upon this Aphorifm. Now commonly called Senfations. P See Mr. Locke's Effay upon Human Understanding. The vulgar Induction, to explain it im a familiar manner, is that Method of arguing which Men ufe, when they fay, I'll give you an Inftance; and then produce a Cafe, or feveral Cafes, wherein their Propofition holds And in the fame manner, the common Logical Induction proceeds upon an Enumeration of particular Inftances, or Examples; but without a due Regard to thofe that may be produced on the contrary, or negative Side: fo that this Induction is abfolutely unfafe and trifling; as being liable to be fet afide by the contradictory Initances, whenever they fhall appear. And this we fee frequently happens, both in Difcourfe and Writing. What the Author's Method of Induction is, may appear from the Note upon Aph. 14. above ; but more fully hereafter, Aph. 105, 106. and in the Second Part of this Piece. APHORISM XVIII. 18. All hitherto difcover'd in the Sciences, falls nearly under vulgar Notions but to proceed farther into Nature, 'tis requifite that both Notions and Axioms be form'd from Things, in a furer and more guarded Manner; and that a better and more certain Way of working with the Understanding be introduced. APHORISM XIX. Truth. 19. There are two Ways of fearching after, and difcovering Truth: Two Ways of the one, from Sense and Particulars, rifes directly to the most general discovering Axioms; and refting upon thefe Principles, and their unfhaken Truth, finds out intermediate Axioms: and this is the Method in ufe. But the other raises Axioms from Senfe and Particulars, by a continued gradual Afcent; til at last it arrives at the most general Axioms: which is the true Way; but hitherto untried ". APHORISM XX. 20. The Understanding, when left to itself, takes the first of these Ways; The Action of and prepares it in logical Order: for the Mind delights in fpringing the unaffifted up to the moft general Axioms; that it may find reft. But after a Underftandfhort Stay here, it difdains Experience: and these Mischiefs are at length increafed by Logic, for the Oftentation of Difpute'. pra tapte 26. APHORISM XXI. ing. 21. The Understanding being left to itself, in a fober, patient, and Its Action in fedate Genius; and efpecially if unprejudiced by any former Doctrine; a fober Genius. will make fome Attempt in the fecond or right Way; but to little Advantage for unlefs regulated and affifted, the Understanding is here very unequal, and absolutely unfit to conquer the Obfcurity of Things. APHORISM XXII. 22. Both thefe Ways begin with Senfe and Particulars; and end in The difference the most general Principles: but they otherwife differ immenfely. The of the two one lightly paffes over Experience and Particulars; which the other Ways of dif duly and orderly dwells on the former conftitutes certain abftract and covering And upon this Way it is that the Author refts his greateft Hopes of improving Philofophy and the Sciences. See hereafter, Aph. 105. There is scarce a more pernicious Thing to Philofophy, than the common Practice of dif puting with Heat, and a hafty turbulent Ufe of Syllogifm. These kind of captious and fophiitical Contests are as the Fevers of the Reafon. Truth. |