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. II.

That the Animal Spirits usually observe the Traces of Idea's which are most familiar to us; which is the Reason that we never make a sound Judgment of things.

I Suppose I have sufficiently explain'd in the foregoing Chapters the various alterations that are to be met with in the Animal Spirits, and in the Constitution of the Fibres of the Brain, according to the several Ages of Man. So that but a little Meditation upon what has been said, will help us to a distinct Knowledge of the Imagination, and of the most common Natural Causes of the Differences that are to be observ'd a∣mong Wits, since all the Alterations that befall the Imagination and the Mind, are but Consequences of those in the Animal Spirits, and in the Fibres of which the Brain is compos'd.

But there are several Particular Moral Causes of the Alterations that befall the Imagination of Man, viz. their different Conditions, Employments, and manner of Living; to the Consideration of which we must oblige our selves, since these sorts of Alterations are the Causes of almost an infinite number of Errors, every one judging of Things according to the relation they have to his Condition. We do not think it necessary to spend time in Explaining the Effects of some in∣different Causes, as great Sicknesses, surprising Mis∣fortunes, and other unexpected Accidents, which make most violent impressions upon the Brain, and extreamly disturb it, because these things but rarely happen; and for that the Errors, into which such sort of Persons fall, are so palpable, that they are no way contageous, seeing they are so easily found out and rejected by all the World.

Now for the more perfect apprehending all the Alterations, which Different Conditions produce in the Imagination, 'tis absolutely necessary to remember that we never imagine Objects but by first forming Images of 'em; and that these Images are nothing else, but the Traces which the Animal Spirits delineate in the Brain, that we imagine things so much the more strongly, the deeper and more plainly these Traces are impress'd, and the oftner and more violently the Ani∣mal Spirits have past through them; and that when the Spirits have past through several times, they enter in more easily than into other parts adjoining, through which they never past, or at least not so often. This is the most usual Cause of the Confusion and Falshood of our Idea's. For the Animal Spirits, that are di∣rected by the Action of External Objects, or else by the Orders of the Soul, to produce certain Traces in the Brain, many times produce others, which in truth resemble 'em in something; but which are not alto∣gether the Traces of the same Objects, nor those which the Soul desired to represent to it self; for that the Animal Spirits finding some Resistance in those parts of the Brain, through which they ought to have past, readily turn aside and croud into the deeper Traces of those Idea's which are more familiar to us. And here we shall produce very manifest and sensible Examples of these Things.

When they who are not extreamly short sighted, behold the Moon, they see two Eyes, a Nose, and a Mouth; in a word, it seems to them as if they saw a Face: Nevertheless there is nothing at all in the Moon of what they imagine there. Many Per∣sons behold there quite another Thing. And they, who take the Moon to be such as she seems to be to them, may be easily undeceived, if they look upon her with a small Prospective Glass; or if they consult the De∣scriptions which Hevelius, Riccioli, and others have publish'd. Now the Reason why Men generally be∣hold a Face in the Moon, and not the Irregular Spots which are there, is this, because the Traces of the Face, which are in the Brain are very deep, for that we

frequently and with great Attention look upon Faces. So that the Animal Spirits finding some Resistance in other parts of the Brain, easily turn aside from the Direction which the Light of the Moon imprints, and enter into those Traces to which the Idea's of a Face are naturally affixt. Besides, that the Appearing Big∣ness of the Moon, not being much different from the largeness of an ordinary Head at a certain distance, the Impression of it forms those Traces which have a great Affinity with those that represent a Nose, a Mouth, and Eyes; and by that means determines the Spirits to take their Course in the Traces of a Face, Some there are who see a Man a Horseback in the Moon, or any thing else, which is not a Face; because their Imagination having been strongly af∣fected by certain Objects, the same Traces are open'd by the least things to which they have any Relation.

For the same Reason it is, that we imagine we be∣hold Chariots, Men, Lions, and other Animals in the Clouds, when there is the least resemblance between those Creatures and their Figures; and that all Men, but chiefly they who are accustomed to Designing and Drawing, many times see Heads of Men upon the Walls, where there are several Irregular Spots.

'Tis for this Reason also, that the Spirits of Wine, entring without any direction of the Will into Traces most familiar to us, help to discover Secrets of the greatest Importance; and that in our sleep we most commonly dream of those Objects which we have seen in the day time, and which had form'd the largest Traces in the Brain; for that the Soul always repre∣sents to her self those things of which she has the largest and deepest Traces. To these we may add other Examples more Compos'd.

A Distemper is a Novelty, it makes such Havock as surprizes the World. This imprints such deep Traces in the Brain, that the Distemper is always pre∣sent to the Mind. Suppose this Disease, for Ex∣ample, be call'd the Scurvy, all Distempers will be the Scurvy. The Scurvy is new, therefore all Di∣stempers shall be the Scurvy. The Scurvy is attended

with several Symptoms, many of which are common to other Diseases. That's nothing to the purpose; if it happen that the Sick Person has any one of those Symptoms, he shall be sick of the Scurvy, and they shall not so much as think of other Distempers that are accompanied with the same Symptoms; they will ex∣pect that all the Accidents that they have known Scor∣butic Persons labour under, befal them also. They shall prescribe the same Remedies, and shall wonder why they do not work the same Effects, as they have wrought in others.

An Author applies himself to one sort of Study; upon which the Traces of the Subject of his Employ∣ment make so deep an Impression, and irradiate so vigorously over all the Brain, that many times they confound and deface the Traces of such things as are very different one from another. There was one, for Example, who compil'd several Volumes upon the Cross; this made him see Crosses where ever he came: Nor was it without reason, that Father Morin derides him for believing that a Medal represented a Cross, when it represented quite another thing. And by Vertue of such a sort of Imagination as this it was, that Gilbert, and several others, after they had study'd the Loadstone, and admir'd its Properties, would needs apply, to Magnetick Qualities, a great Number of Natural Effects, which have not the least Correspondence with them.

The Examples here cited, are sufficient to prove, that (from this extraordinary easiness of the Imagina∣tion, to represent to it self the Objects which are most familiar to it, and the difficulty which it under∣goes to imagine those which are new and unusual,) it come to pass, that Men are always forming Idea's, which may be call'd Mix'd and Impure, and that the Mind never Judges of things, but with reference to it self, and its first Thoughts. Thus the different Passions of Men, their Inclinations, their Condi∣tions, their Employments, their Qualities, their Stu∣dies; in a word, all their various Manners of Li∣ving, producing very great differences in their

Idea's: And this it is, that makes them fall into an Infinite number of Errors, of which we shall discourse more at large hereafter. This was it that made the Lord Chancellor Bacon utter these Judicious Expres∣sions: All Perceptions, as well of the Sense as of the Mind, are, Ex analogia Hominis, not ex analogia Ʋni∣versi, estque intellectus humanus instar speculi inequalis ad radios rerum, qui suam naturam naturae rerum immiscet, cam{que} destorquet & inficit.