Upon my inquiring concerning these, theologians
present themselves, and tell me that these also are modifications,
and modifications of one simple, uncompounded, and indivisible
substance. Immediately upon which I am deafened with the noise of a
hundred voices, that treat the first hypothesis with detestation
and scorn, and the second with applause and veneration. I turn my
attention to these hypotheses to see what may be the reason of so
great a partiality; and find that they have the same fault of being
unintelligible, and that, as far as we can understand them, they
are so much alike, that 'tis impossible to discover any absurdity
in one, which is not common to both of them."--(I. p. 309.)
For the manner in which Hume makes his case good, I must refer to the
original. Plain people may rest satisfied that both hypotheses are
unintelligible, without plunging any further among syllogisms, the
premisses of which convey no meaning, while the conclusions carry no
conviction.
FOOTNOTES:
[35] "Our internal intuition shows no permanent existence, for the Ego
is only the consciousness of my thinking." "There is no means whatever
by which we can learn anything respecting the constitution of the soul,
so far as regards the possibility of its separate existence."--_Kritik
von den Paralogismen der reinen Vernunft_.
[36] _Essays on Some of the Peculiarities of the Christian Religion_,
(Essay I.
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