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the beauty and value of this fpecies of philofophy, up. on fuch a fuppofition? Moralifts have hitherto been accustomed, when they confidered the vaft multitude and diversity of actions that excite our approbation or diflike, to fearch for fome common principle, on which this variety of fentiments might depend. And tho' they have sometimes carried the matter too far, by their paffion for fome one general principle; it muft, however, be confeffed, that they are excufable, in expecting to find fome general principles, into which all the vices and virtues were juitly to be refolved. The like has been the endeavour of critics, logicians," and even politicians: Nor have their attempts been' wholly unsuccessful; tho' perhaps longer time, greater accuracy, and more ardent application may bring thefe sciences still nearer their perfection. To throw up at once all pretenfions of this kind may justly be deemed more rash, precipitate, and dogmatical, than even the boldest and most affirmative philofophy, which has ever attempted to impofe its crude dictates and principles on mankind.

WHAT tho' these reasonings concerning human nature feem abftract, and of difficult comprehenfion? This affords no presumption of their falfhood. On the contrary, it feems impoffible, that what has hitherto escaped fo many wife and profound philofophers can be very obvious and easy. And whatever pains these researches may coft us, we may think our

felves fufficiently rewarded, not only in point of profit but of pleasure, if, by that means, we can make any addition to our flock of knowledge, in fubjects of fuch unspeakable importance.ro a lo vimevil Da

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BUT as, after all, the abstractedness of thefe fpeculations is no recommendation, but rather a difadvan tage to them, and as this difficulty may perhaps be furmounted by care and art, and the avoiding all unneceffary detail, we have, in the following inquiry, attempted to throw fome light upon fubjects, from which uncertainty has hitherto deterred the wife, and obfcurity the ignorant. Happy, if we can unite the boundaries of the different species of philosophy, by reconciling profound inquiry with clearness, and truth with novelty!. And ftill more happy, if, reafoning in this eafy manner, iwe ican undermine the foundations of an abftrufe philofophy, which feems to have ferved hitherto only as a shelter to fuperftition, and a cover to abfurdity and error !

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SECTION II.

E

Of the ORIGIN of IDE AS.

1.

2

VERY one will readily allow, that there is a confiderable difference between the perceptions of the mind, when a man feels the pain of excessive heat, or the pleasure of moderate warmth, and when he afterwards recalls to his memory this fenfation, or anticipates it by his imagination.Thefe, faculties may mimic or copy the perceptions of the fenfes; but they never can reach entirely the force and vivacity of the original fentiment. The utmost we fay of them, even when they operate with greatest vigour, is, that they reprefent their object in fo lively a manner, that we could almoft say we feel or fee it: But except the mind be difordered by disease or madness, they never can arrive at fuch a pitch of vivacity, as to render these perceptions altogether undiftinguishable. All the colours of poetry, however splendid, can never paint natural objects in fuch a manner as to make the defcription be taken for a real landskip. A nolla k⠀ The

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The moft lively thought is still inferior to the dulleft fenfation.

We may obferve a like diftinction to run thro' all the other perceptions of the mind. A man, in a fit of anger, is actuated in a very different manner from one who only thinks of that emotion. If you tell me, that any person is in love, I easily understand your meaning, and form a juft conception of his fituation; but never can mistake that conception for the real diforders and agitations of the paffion. When we reflect on our past fentiments and affections, our thought is a faithful mirror, and copies its objects truly; but the colours which it employs are faint and dull, in comparifon of thofe in which our original perceptions were clothed. It requires no nice difcernment nor metaphyfical head to mark the distinc tion between them...

HERE therefore we may divide all the perceptions of the mind into two claffes or fpecies, which are diftinguished by their different degrees of forcé and vivacity. The lefs forcible and lively are commonly denominated THOUGHTS OF IDEAS. The other fpecies want a name in our language, and in moft others; I fuppofe, because it was not requifite for any, but philofophical purposes, to rank them under a general term or appellation. Let us, therefore, use a little freedom, and call them IMPRESSIONS; employing

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that word in a fenfe fomewhat different from the ufual. By the term impression, then, I mean all our more lively perceptions, when we hear, or fee, or feel, or love, or hate, or defire, or will. And impreffions are distinguished from ideas, which are the lefs lively perceptions of which we are confcious, when we tel Яection any of those fenfations or movements above mentioned. Ima 1 sd c. on your ow aids i a

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NOTHING, at firft view, may feem more unbounded than the thought of man, which not only escapes all human power and authority, but is not even restrained within the limits of nature and reality. To form monsters, and join incongruous fhapes and appearances, cofts no more trouble than to conceive the moft natural and familiar objects. And while the body is confined to one planet, along which it creeps with Spain and difficulty; the thought can in an inftant tranfport us into the most diftant regions of the univerfe; or even beyond the univerfe, into the un bounded chaos, where nature is fuppofed to lie in total confufion. What never was feen, nor heard of, may yet be conceived; nor is any thing beyond the power of thought, except what implies an abfolute contradiction.

2

BUT tho thought feems to poffefs this unbounded Tiberty, we shall find, upon a nearer examination, that it is really confined within very narrow limits, and that all this creative power of the mind amounts

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