Malebranch's search after truth, or, A treatise of the nature of the humane mind and of its management for avoiding error in the sciences : vol I : done out of French from the last edition.

CHAP. I.

I. A general Idea of the Imagination.

II. That it includes two faculties, the one Active, and the other Passive.

III. The general Cause of the changes which happen to the Imagination of Man, and the design of this second Book.

IN the preceeding Book we have treated of the Senses, and have endeavoured to explain their Nature, precisely observing what use ought to be made of them. We have discovered the chief, and most general Errors which they make us subject to, and have attempted so to limit their power, that we may expect much, and fear nothing from them, if they are always kept within these limits we have pre∣scribed. In this second Book, we shall treat of the Imagination, Natural Order obliging us to it, for there being so great a Relation between the Senses and the Imagination, we ought not to separate them. It will afterwards appear, that these two Powers differ a∣mongst themselves only as to more or lest.

This is the order we shall observe in this following. Treatise: It is divided into three Parts. In the first we shall explain the Physical Causes of the disorder and Errors of the Imagination. In the second, we shall make some application of these Causes to the most general Errors of the Imagination; and shall also speak of what may be call'd the Moral Causes of these Errors. In the third, we shall speak of the con∣tagious Communication of strong Imaginations.

If the generality of those things that are contain'd in this Treatise, are not so New, as what has been already said in explaining the Errors of the Senses, they will not however be of less use. Thinking Per∣sons are sensible enough both of the Errors, and even of the Causes of the Errors whereof I treat; but ve∣ry few make a sufficient reflexion thereon. I pretend not to instruct all the World, 'tis the Ignorant I wou'd teach, and only inform others, or rather I en∣deavour here both to instruct and inform my self.

We have said in the first Book, * 1.1 that the Organs of our Senses were composed of little Fibres, which on one side terminate in the outward parts of the body and skin, and on the other, at the middle of the Brain. Now these little Fibres may be moved two ways, either by beginning at the ends which termi∣nate in the Brain, or those that terminate in the Ex∣terior parts of the body. The agitation of these Fi∣bres cannot be communicated unto the Brain; but the Soul must perceive something; If this Motion be∣gins by an impression that the objects make upon the extremity of the Fibres of our Nerves, is so com∣municated to the Brain, then the Soul perceives and judges that what it * 1.2 feels, is without, that is, it per∣ceives an object as present. But if it is only the in∣ward Fibres which are agitated by the course of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of Spirit, or by some other way, the Soul ima∣gines and judges that what it imagines is not without, but within the Brain, that is, it perceives an object as absent. This is the difference there is between Sensa∣tion and Imagination.

But it is requisite to observe, that the Fibres of the Brain, are much more agitated by the impression of Objects, than by the course of the Spirits; and that, that is the reason why the Soul is made more sensible by external Objects, which it looks upon as present, and, as it were, capable of making it immediately feel either pleasure or pain, than by the course of the Ani∣mal Spirits. Nevertheless, it sometimes happens in Persons who have their Animal Spirits very much agi∣tated by Fasting, Watching, a high Fever, or by some violent Passion, that these Spirits move the internal Fibres of the Brain, with as much force as outward objects could do, so that these Persons perceive what they ought only to imagine, and think they see those objects before their Eyes, which are only in their Imagination. From whence it plainly appears, that in respect to what passes in the Body, the Senses and Imagination differ only as to More or Less, as I have before advanced.

But to give a more particular and distinct Idea of Imagination, we must know, that every time there happens any change in that part of the Brain where the Nerves meet, there likewise happens some change in the Soul, that is, as we have already explain'd, if in this part there is any Motion that changes the or∣der of its Fibres, there also happens some New per∣ception in the Soul, and it feels or imagines some New thing; and the Soul can never perceive or imagine a∣ny thing anew, except there be some change in the Fibres of this same part of the Brain.

So that the faculty of Imagining, or the Imagina∣tion, consists only in the power that the Soul has of forming to its self Images of objects, in producing a change in the Fibres of this part of the Brain, which may be called the principal part, since it answers to all the parts of our bodies, and is the place where our Soul immediately resides, if we may be permitted to say so.

That shews us very evidently, that this power which the Soul hath of forming Images includes two things, the one depending upon the Soul it self, and the other

upon the Body. * 1.3 The first is Action, and the Com∣mand of the Will. The second is the Obedience that is given to it by the Animal Spirits, which trace these Images, and to the Fibres of the Brain, upon which they must be imprinted. In this discourse the name of Imagination is indifferently given to either of these two things, nor are they distinguished by the words Active and Passive which might be given to them; because, by the sense of what we shall speak, may easily be understood which of the two we mean, whe∣ther it be of the active imagination of the Soul, or passive imagination of the Body.

We have not yet determined in particular, what that principal part is, which we have just spoke of, First, because we believe it very unnecessary. Second∣ly, because we have not a certain knowledge of it. And in fine, we think it better to be silent in a matter whose truth cannot here be demonstrated to others, altho it were manifest to us what that principal part is.

Let it be then according to the opinion of Willis, that common Sense resides in those two Corpuscles he calls Corpora Striata; Let the sinuosity of the Brain preserve the Species of the Memory; and let the Cal∣lous body be the seat of the Imagination; or follow∣ing the Opinion of Fernellius, let us suppose it in the Pia Mater which involves the substance of the Brain, or with D'Cartes in the Glandula Pinealis; or, in fine, let it be in some other part, hitherto unknown, that our Soul exercises its principal functions, 'twill will be very indifferent to me. It suffices, that there is a principal part; Nay, it is absolutely necessary there shou'd be such an one, as also that the foundation of D'Cartes system should subsist; for it ought to be well observed, that althô he were deceived when he assures us that the Soul is immediately united to the Glandu∣la Pinealis, that ought not nevertheless to injure the foundation of his System, from which we shall always gather all the usefulness that can be expected from Truth, to improve our selves in the knowledge of Man.

Since then the Imagination consists only in the power that the Soul has of forming to it self Images of Ob∣jects, by imprinting them, if we may so say, * 1.4 in the Fibres of its Brain; the more distinct and larger the footsteps of these Animal Spirits be, which are the traces of these Images, the more strongly and distinct∣ly the Soul will imagine these Objects. Now even as breadth, depth, and clearness of the traces of any Graving, depend upon the force wherewith the Instru∣ment is acted, and on the Obedience that the Copper renders to the Workman; so the depth, and clearness of the Impressions made on the Imagination depend upon the force of the Animal Spirits, and the Consti∣tution of the Fibres of the Brain; 'tis the variety that is found in both these, which makes almost all this great difference that we observe in Persons Minds.

For 'tis no difficult thing to give a reason for all the different Characters which we meet with in the Mind of Man. On the one side, through Abundance and Want, Agitation and Slowness, or largeness and smalness of the Animal Spirits; and on the other side, through the Delicateness and Courseness, Humidity and Dryness, Flexibility or Inflexibility of the Fibres of the Brain; and in fine, through the relation that these Animal Spirits may have with these Fibres. And it would be very reasonable for every one, first to endeavour to represent to himself the different Combinations of these things, and to apply them to all the different Dispositions they meet with; because it is always more useful, nay, even more agreeable to make use of our own Wit, and so accustom it of it self to discover truth, then to suffer it to be spoiled with idleness, by only applying it to such things as are al∣ready well known and discover'd. Besides, there are some things to be observed in the difference of Peoples Genii that are so fine and so delicate, that althô we may be able to discover and perceive them well our selves, yet we cannot represent them to, nor make o∣thers sensible of them.

But to explain as much as possible, all these diffe∣rences that are to be observed in Dispositions; and that very one may the more easily observe in himself the Cause of all the changes that he feels at different times, it seems very proper in general to examine the Cause of these Changes which happen in the Animal Spirits, and in the Fibres of the Brain; because there∣by we shall discover all that are found in the Ima∣gination.

Man never continues very long in the same Mind; every one hath sufficient inward proofs of his own inconstancy, he judges of the same Subject sometimes after one manner, and sometimes after another. In a word, the Life of Man consists only in a Circulation of Blood, and in another Circulation of Thoughts and Desires; and it seems the best way of imploying his time would be, in seeking after the Cause of these Changes which happen to us, so that way to know our selves.

Notes

• * 1.1

  I. A gene∣ral Idea of the Imagi∣nation.
• * 1.2

  By a Na∣tural judg∣ment, which I 〈◊〉〈◊〉 be∣fore judge of in many places.
• * 1.3

  II. Two fa∣culties in the imagi∣nation, one Active, and the other Passive.
• * 1.4

  III. The ge∣neral cause of the Changes that happen in the Ima∣gination, and the de∣sign of the 2d Book.