Matter and Will as the Cause
Table of Contents
The Matter as the Cause
Other philosophers maintain the efficacy of second causes.
They attribute a derivative, real power and energy to matter.
They confess that this energy does not lie in any of the known qualities of matter.
The difficulty still remains on the origin of its idea.
If we really have an idea of power, we may attribute power to an unknown quality.
But it is impossible that that idea of power can be derived from such a quality because nothing in known qualities can produce that power.
It follows that we deceive ourselves when we imagine we have any idea of power in this way.
All ideas are derived from, and represent impressions.
We never have any impression that contains any power or efficacy.
Therefore, we never have any idea of power.
Human Will as the Cause
Some have asserted that we feel an energy or power in our own mind.
We transfer this power to matter when we are not able immediately to discover it.
Our body’s motions and our mind’s thoughts and feelings obey the will.
We do not seek further to acquire a just notion of force or power.
The will does not have a discoverable connection with its effects, just as any material cause has a discoverable connection with its proper effect.
The effect of the connection between an act of the will and a motion of the body is most inexplicable from the powers and essence of thought and matter.
The empire of the will over our mind is not more intelligible.
The effect there:
- is distinguishable and separable from the cause, and
- could not be foreseen without the experience of their constant conjunction.
We have command over our mind to a certain degree.
But beyond that, we lose all empire over it.
It is impossible to fix any precise bounds to our authority when we do not consult experience.
In short, the mind’s actions are the same with those of matter in this respect.
We only perceive their constant conjunction.
We can never reason beyond it.
No internal impression has an apparent energy, more than external objects have.
Since, therefore, matter is confessed by philosophers to operate by an unknown force, we should in vain hope to attain an idea of force by consulting our own minds. [Footnote 8]
Footnote 8
The same imperfection attends our ideas of the Deity. But this can have no effect on religion or morals. The order of the universe proves an omnipotent mind. That mind has a will which is constantly attended with the obedience of every creature and being.
Nothing more is needed to give a foundation to all the articles of religion.
It is unnecessary that we should form a distinct idea of the force and energy of the supreme Being.
It has been established as a principle:
- that general or abstract ideas are just individual ideas taken in a certain light, and
- that in reflecting on any object, it is as impossible to exclude from our thought all degrees of its quantity and quality..
If we had any idea of power in general, we must also be able to conceive some kinds of it.