335# 第四则灵界见闻如下：
某日黎明，我从睡眠中醒来，见眼前仿佛有种种形状的幻影；后来，及至清晨，又见各样形态的虚光。有些虚光如同写满文字的薄膜，反复卷折，最终显如坠落的流星，在空中下坠而消散；有些则如展开的书卷，其中有的闪烁如小月，有的燃烧如烛火。在这些书卷之中，有的自行升向高处，并在高处消失；有的则坠落于地，在那里化为尘土。由这些所见之象，我推知，在这些流星般的现象之下，必有一些人正为他们所臆想、却自以为极其重要之事争辩不休；因为在灵界，站在下方之人的推理，会在诸气层中显现为这样的现象。
不久，我灵的视觉被开启，便看见一群灵，他们头上环绕着月桂叶，身上穿着缀满花饰的长袍；这些标记表明，他们是在自然界中曾以学识之名闻名的人。因我当时在灵中，便走近他们，并混入其会众之中；于是听见他们正在激烈而热切地彼此争论：人是否如兽类一样，自出生起便具有某些先天观念。那些否认者转身离开肯定者，最后彼此分列而立，如同两军方阵，即将拔剑交战；但因他们没有剑，便以言辞的锋刃相互搏击。
【2】正在此时，忽有一位天使灵立于他们中间，高声说道：“我从离你们不远之处听见，你们双方正为先天观念是否存在于人，如同存在于兽类中一样，而争执如火；然而我告诉你们：人没有任何先天观念，兽类也没有任何先天观念。因此，你们所争论的乃是虚无之事，或如俗语所说，是为山羊毛，或为本世纪之胡须而争。”众人听了，尽皆怒火中烧，呼喊说：“把此人赶出去；他说话违背常识。”然而，当他们正要将他赶出时，却见他被天上之光环绕；他们不能冲破那光，因为他是一位天使灵。于是他们退后，稍稍离开他。那光收回之后，他对他们说：“你们为何发怒？先听我说，收集我将提出的理由，然后你们自己从中作出结论。我预见，你们中凡有判断力的人，必会趋近，并平息你们心中兴起的风暴。”他们听了这些话，虽仍带愤懑之声，却说：“那么你说吧，我们听着。”
【3】于是他开始说道：“你们相信兽类有先天观念，并从它们的行为看来仿佛出于思想，而作出这种结论；然而，兽类连一丝思想也没有，而观念只能从思想来论定。思想的特性乃是：为着某个目的，照此或照彼而行。你们且考察一下，蜘蛛极其巧妙地织网时，是否在它小小的头脑中思想说：‘我要按这个次序拉出丝线，并用横线把它们系牢，免得我的网因空气震动袭来而散乱；又要在线的最初端点，即构成中央之处，为自己预备一个座位；我在那里可以觉察凡落入网中的东西，好立刻奔赴其处；倘若苍蝇飞入，便会被网缠住，我就迅速扑上去，将它缠绕起来，它便成为我的食物。’
再者，蜜蜂是否在它小小的头脑中思想说：‘我要飞出去；我知道哪里有开花的田野；在那里，我要从这些花中吸取蜡，从那些花中吸取蜜；我要用蜡建造彼此相连、排列有序的小室，使我和同伴们能如同行于街道一般自由出入；以后，我们要在其中贮藏丰富的蜜，使其足够将来的冬季，不致死亡。’此外，蜜蜂还有许多奇妙之事，不但仿佛效法人类政治与家政的审慎，在某些方面甚至超过人类；此事可参见前文第11节。
【4】再者，大黄蜂是否在它小小的头脑中思想说：‘我和同伴们要用薄纸般的材料筑造一所小屋，其内壁环绕成迷宫之状，并在最深处预备一个类似广场的地方，有入口也有出口；我们要以如此巧妙的方式建造，使除出自我们族类的生命以外，没有别的活物能找到通往最深处，即我们聚集之所的道路。’
又如蚕，当它还是虫时，是否在它小小的头脑中思想说：‘现在是我预备吐丝的时候了；其目的在于，待丝吐完之后，我便飞出，在此前不能努力飞入的空气中，与同类嬉戏，并为自己预备后裔。’其他虫类也是如此，当它们沿墙爬行，后来变成蛹、金蛹、蝶蛹，最终成为蝴蝶时，难道也是如此思想吗？苍蝇与另一只苍蝇相合时，难道有某种观念，认为应在这里，而不在那里吗？
【5】较大身体的动物，与这些小动物情形相同；各种飞鸟与有翅之物也是如此：它们相合，筑巢，在巢中产卵，伏卵，孵出雏鸟，给雏鸟喂食，养育它们直到能飞，然后又把它们从巢中驱走，仿佛它们并非自己的后代；此外尚有无数类似之事。地上的兽类、蛇类、鱼类也是如此。你们当中有谁不能从上述之事看出，它们自发的行为并非出于任何思想，而唯有从思想才可论及观念？以为兽类有观念的错误，乃是从一种信念而来，即相信它们和人一样思想，只是言语造成区别而已。”
【6】此后，那位天使灵环顾四周；因为他看见他们对于兽类是否有思想仍然迟疑，便继续说道：“我察觉到，你们因野兽之行为与人类行为相似，心中仍残留着关于其思想的幻象观念；因此，我要说明这些行为从何而来。也就是说，每一种兽、每一种飞鸟、每一种鱼、爬行动物和昆虫，都有其自身的自然之爱、感官之爱与身体之爱；这些爱的居所乃在它们的头部，并在其中的脑内。灵界通过这些脑，直接流入它们身体的感官，并藉这些感官规定它们的行为。这就是为什么它们身体的感官远比人的感官精细。来自灵界的这种流入，称为本能；它之所以称为本能，是因为它不经由思想作为中介而存在。此外，也有因习惯而附加于本能之物。然而，它们的爱，亦即灵界藉以规定其行为的爱，只是为了营养与繁殖，并非为了任何知识、聪明与智慧；在人那里，爱却是藉知识、聪明与智慧而逐渐形成的。”
【7】人也没有任何先天观念，这一点可由以下事实清楚看出：人并没有任何先天思想；没有思想之处，也就没有观念，因为二者彼此相属。此事可由新生婴儿推知：他们除了吃奶和呼吸以外，什么也不能做。他们之所以能吃奶，并非由于某种先天观念，而是由于在母腹中持续吸吮；他们之所以能呼吸，是因为他们活着，而呼吸乃生命之普遍功能。他们身体的感官本身处在极大昏暗之中，并由此藉对象逐渐挣出；他们的动作也同样藉习惯而逐渐形成。随着他们渐渐学会含混发声，并最初毫无观念地发出声音，某种模糊的幻想便开始兴起；当这幻想逐渐明晰时，便产生模糊的想象，由此再产生思想。随此状态之形成，观念遂出现；而观念，如前所说，与思想构成一体；思想则由无到有，藉教导而增长。因此，人确有观念，但不是先天的，而是形成的；人的言语与行为即由这些观念流出。至于人所天赋的，并非别的，而只是认识、理解与成智的能力，以及不仅爱这些事物，并且爱邻舍与爱上帝的倾向；此事可参见上文第48节中的灵界见闻，并亦可见后文中的灵界见闻。
这些话说完以后，我环顾四周，看见莱布尼茨与沃尔夫站在近旁，他们正专注于天使灵所提出的理由；于是莱布尼茨走近，并表示赞同；沃尔夫却离开了，既否定又肯定，因为他没有莱布尼茨那样的内在判断力。
335# 记事四：
有一次，黎明时分，我从睡梦中醒来，看到各种形状的幽灵在我眼前漂浮。后来天亮了，我看到了不同形式的假光。有的像写满字的纸，一次又一次地折叠，最终看似流星坠入空中消失了。有的像打开的书，其中一些书像小月亮一样闪闪发光，一些书像蜡烛一样燃烧。在这些书当中，有些书飘到很高的地方，在那里毁灭了，而有些书则掉到地上，在那里化为尘土。根据这些表象，我猜想，站在这些流星下面的，是那些争论想象问题的人，而他们认为这些问题非常重要。因为在灵界，这类现象出现在大气中，是由站在下面的人推理引起的。很快，我灵的视觉被打开了，我看到许多灵人头戴月桂花环、身穿花袍；这表明他们是那些在自然界曾以学问而闻名的灵人。我因在灵里，于是走近并加入集会。然后，我听见他们正在苦苦而激烈地争论先天观念，也就是说，这样的观念是不是人与生俱来的，像动物一样。那些持否定态度的人和那些持肯定态度的人分道扬镳，最后分成了两个不同的阵营，就像两支即将兵刃相见的军队；但他们没有剑，所以就用犀利的言辞作战。
突然，一个天使灵站在他们中间，大声说话，说：“我从不远处听到你们在热烈争论先天观念，争论这样的观念是不是人与生俱来的，像动物一样。但我告诉你们，人类没有任何先天观念，而动物根本就没有观念。因此，你们在争论一个子虚乌有的话题，或如俗话说的，争论山羊毛或时代的胡子（译注：或新生代的胡子、刮净胡子时代的胡子，形容不存在的东西）。”听到这些话，他们都勃然大怒，喊着说：“把他赶出去；他说的话违背常识。”但当他们试图把他赶出去时，他们看到他被天堂之光包围，他们无法突破这光，因为他是一个天使灵。因此，他们后退了一步，与他保持了很短的距离。当这光被收回时，这位天使对他们说：“你们为什么勃然大怒呢？请先听我说，考虑一下我所提出的理由，然后从中得出你们自己的结论。我预见你们中间那些具有良好判断力的人会赞成，并会平息你们头脑里出现的风暴。”对此，他们虽语气愤慨，但仍回答说：“好吧，继续说，我们会听的。”
于是这位天使开始说：“你们相信动物有先天观念；你们是从以下事实推断出这一点的：它们的行为似乎是从思维发出的；然而，它们根本没有任何思维，而观念只论及思维，或说如果它们没有思维，就不能说它们有观念。此外，思维的特征是，为了明确的原因或出于某种原因而以某种方式行事。因此，请考虑一下，以最完美的艺术织网的蜘蛛，是否会以它的小脑袋想：‘我要按顺序拉丝，并用十字线把它们连接起来，以免我的网被猛烈的气流或连续的阵风吹破。在形成网中心的线的末端，我要为自己预备一个座位，从那里观察所发生的一切；无论有什么东西撞到我的网上，我在那里都能感觉得到，并立刻跑过去；因此，如果一只苍蝇飞进来，它必被缠住，我会迅速扑向它，把它紧紧捆住，它将成为我的食物。’又或者，一只蜜蜂会以它的小脑袋想：‘我要飞到户外；我知道哪里有开花的田野；我要在那里从花朵中采集蜂蜡、吸吮花蜜。我会用蜂蜡建造有序排列、彼此挨着的一排小蜂室，这样我和我的同伴就可以像沿着街道一样轻松进出了。然后，我会在蜂室中储存足够过冬的大量蜂蜜，这样我们就不会灭亡？’更不用说其它奇妙的事了，它们在这些事上不仅模仿人类的政治和经济谨慎，甚至在某些方面超过人类（参看TCR 12节）。
“此外，难道大黄蜂会以它的小脑袋想：‘我和我的同伴会用薄薄的纸状物质为自己建造一个小房子，我们会在里面把它的墙建得像一座迷宫。在最深处，我们会预备一种聚会的场所，它应该有一条进出的道路，并设计得如此巧妙，以至于除了属于我们家族的外，没有任何生物可以找到通向我们聚集的最深处的道路？’再者，难道蚕还是一只幼虫时，就会以它的小脑袋想：‘现在是时候预备吐丝了；吐完丝，我就可以飞出去，飞到空中，一个我以前从未到达的地方；我要与我的同伴玩耍，并为自己提供后代？’或当其它幼虫沿着墙壁爬行，变成若虫、蛹、成虫，最后变成蝴蝶时，它们也会这样想？难道一只苍蝇会想到在这个地方，而不是在那个地方与另一只苍蝇见面吗？
“大型动物和这些小生物都是一样的；如鸟类和各种有羽毛的生物，它们知道何时配对，何时筑巢、产卵、坐在上面孵化幼雏、为它们提供食物、照料它们，直到它们能够飞翔，然后把它们赶出鸟巢，就好像它们不是自己的后代一样；除此之外还有其它无数例子。地上的野兽、蛇和鱼也是如此。从刚才所说的话中，你们谁看不到这些生物的自发行为不是从任何思维中流出的？而观念只在有思维的地方才开始起作用，或说我们只有在思维的背景下才能谈论观念。动物拥有观念的错误只源于一种说服，即：它们和人类一样思考，言语是动物与人类之间的唯一区别。”
此后，这位天使灵环顾四周；当他看到他们还在犹豫是否相信动物有没有思维时，他继续讲述，说：“我感觉你们仍受困于基于表象的观念，即动物拥有思维，因为它们的行为与人类的行为相似。因此，我将向你们解释动物行为的源头。一切野兽、鸟、鱼、爬行动物和昆虫都有自己的属世、感官和肉体之爱，这爱的住所就在其头部和那里的脑中。灵界通过它们的脑直接流入它们的身体感官，并通过这些感官决定它们的行为。这就是为何它们的身体感官远比人类的身体感官敏锐得多。来自灵界的这种流注被称为本能；它之所以被称为本能，是因为它是在没有思维中介的情况下存在的，或说是在没有思维帮助的情况下产生的。还有一些本能的附属物是由习惯产生的。动物所拥有的爱只是一种对营养和繁殖的爱；行动的决定通过这爱来自灵界；它们没有对知识、聪明或智慧的爱，而人类的爱是通过知识、聪明或智慧逐渐发展的，或说它们是发展人类更高层次的爱的手段。
“人没有任何先天观念，这一点从以下事实很明显地看出来：人没有先天思维；而没有思维，就没有观念，因为思维和观念互相属于彼此，或说是齐头并进的。这个结论从新生儿可以推断出来，因为婴儿除了吃奶和呼吸外，什么都做不了。它们能吃奶不是由于任何先天的东西，而是由于在母亲子宫里不断吸吮。它们能呼吸，是因为它们是活着的，而呼吸是生命的普遍性。它们的肉体感官处于极度的黑暗；它们通过（遇到外部）物体一点一点地从这种黑暗中爬出来。同样，它们的运动能力是通过习惯性运动来发展的。当他们逐渐学会说话并发音时，起初没有任何观念，有一种模糊的想象元素或可视化形式逐渐出现。随着这声音变得更加清晰，一种模糊的想象元素或形式生出来了，一种模糊的思维元素或形式由此也生出来了。随着这种状态逐渐形成和发展，观念也产生和发展了；如前所述，这些观念和思维构成一体。思维是通过教导从没有思维中发展或产生的。因此，人们是有观念的，但这些观念不是先天的，而是形成的；他们的言行是从这些观念中流出的。”除了获得知识、理解或聪明和智慧的能力，以及爱的倾向，不仅爱这些东西，还爱邻舍和神的倾向外，人里面没有任何东西是先天的，这一点可见于前面的一篇叙述（TCR 48节）和后面的一篇叙述（TCR 692节）。此后，我环顾四周，看见莱布尼茨和沃尔夫就在附近；他们都对这位天使灵提出的论点非常感兴趣。然后，莱布尼茨走近并表示赞同；而沃尔夫既否定又肯定地离开了，因为他没有莱布尼茨那样强大的内在判断力。
335. The fourth memorable occurrence. Once when I woke up in the early light before dawn, I saw ghostly shapes of various kinds before my eyes. Later on, when it was morning, I saw a faint, deceptive light taking various forms [in the sky]. Some of the forms were like sheets of parchment covered in writing that kept folding in on themselves until they looked like shooting stars falling through the air and disappearing. Others were like open books, some of which shone like little moons, while others burned like candles. Some of the books went higher and higher until they passed out of sight, while others fell down to the earth and smashed into powder. On the basis of these visions, I conjectured that there were people standing below these aerial phenomena and that the people were having a dispute over things that were figments of their imagination, but that they nevertheless thought were very important. In the spiritual world, phenomena like this appear in the atmospheres because of the false reasoning of the people standing below them.
Soon the sight of my spirit was opened and I noticed a number of spirits whose heads were ringed with laurel leaves and who were wearing togas with a floral pattern - signs that they were spirits who had been famous scholars in our world. Because I was in the spirit, I went over and mingled with the group. I could hear then that they were having a sharp and ardent dispute about innate ideas. At issue was whether people are born with innate ideas the way animals are. The spirits who thought that people are not born with innate ideas were turning away from the spirits who thought that people are. Eventually the two groups were squared off against each other like the ranks of two armies about to battle with swords, except that since they had no swords they were battling with sharply pointed words.
[2] At that point an angelic spirit suddenly stood among them and spoke out in a loud voice, saying, "From not too far away I could hear that you are having a blazing dispute with one another about innate ideas and whether people have them the way animals do; but I say to you, People have no innate ideas, and animals have no ideas at all. This means that what you are fighting about is actually nothing or, as the saying goes, goats wool or beards in a clean-shaven age. "
When the spirits heard this, they were all outraged and shouted, "Throw him out! What he is saying goes against common sense. "
When they tried to throw the angelic spirit out, however, they saw him surrounded with a heavenly light. Because he was an angelic spirit, they could not break through the light. They backed up and moved a little farther away from him.
After the light drew back, he said to them, "Why did you get angry? Hear me out first. Put together the reasons I am about to give; then you yourselves draw a conclusion based on them. I foresee that those of you who have outstanding judgment will accede, and the storms that have arisen in your minds will grow calm. "
In response, although the spirits still sounded annoyed, they said, "Speak then, and we will hear you out. "
[3] Then the angelic spirit rose to speak and said, "You believe that animals have innate ideas. You have drawn this conclusion from the fact that their actions seem to be based on thought. Yet they have no thought at all; and if they have no thought, they cannot be said to have ideas. A sign that thought processes are active is that people behave in one way or another for one reason or another.
"Ponder, then, whether a spider that is weaving a web with the utmost skill is thinking in its tiny head, 'I am going to lay out threads in this sequence and then stabilize them with perpendicular threads so that my web doesn't fall apart when the air shakes it violently. At the outermost ends of threads that run in to the center I will fashion a seat for myself. There I will sense if anything comes in and will hurry to the center. For example, if a fly flies in and gets caught, I will quickly go in and wrap it up and it will become my food. '
"Does a bee think in its tiny head, 'I am going to fly away. I know where the fields are that have flowers in them. There I will extract wax from some flowers and honey from others. With the wax I will build adjacent cells one after the other, laid out in such a way that my colleagues and I can easily get in and out on passageways. Later we will put lots of honey away in the cells so that there will be enough to prevent our death over the coming winter?' Not to mention other miraculous behaviors that not only emulate human political and economic prudence but even outdo it in some respects [see above].
[4] "Again, does a hornet think in its tiny head, 'My colleagues and I will build a little home out of thin paper. We will curve its inside walls into a labyrinth and fashion the heart of it into a gathering place with a way in and a way out so cleverly designed that no other living thing that is not part of our clan will be able to find the way to the center where we are gathered?'
"Again, is a silkworm during its caterpillar phase thinking in its tiny head, 'Now is the time for me to get ready to spin silk. My goal is that when I have finished spinning silk I will fly off, and in the air - a place I have never been able to reach before - I will play with my friends and ensure that I will have offspring?' The same with other caterpillars that crawl along walls and then become chrysalises, pupas, nymphs, and finally butterflies. Does a fly ever have an idea about breeding with another fly, that the breeding should take place here and not over there?
[5] "It is the same for creatures with larger bodies as it is for these insects - for example, when birds and winged creatures of all kinds mate, build nests, lay eggs in them, incubate the eggs, hatch young, give them food, raise them until they fly away, and then drive them from the birds' nests as if they weren't the birds' own offspring, not to mention countless other phenomena. It is the same for animals, snakes, and fish.
"From what I have said, you can all see that the spontaneous actions of living creatures do not flow from any thought, and that ideas come into play only where there is thought. The mistaken concept that animals have ideas comes solely from the false belief that animals think just as people do and only verbalization differentiates them. "
[6] After that the angelic spirit looked around. Since he saw that the spirits were still undecided on the issue of whether animals think or not, he continued his speech and said, "I sense that you are still stuck with an imaginary idea about brute animals thinking, since they have actions that are similar to human actions. I will tell you then where animals' actions come from.
"Every animal, every bird, every fish, reptile, and insect has its own earthly, sensory, and physical love. These loves dwell in the brains inside their heads. The spiritual world flows directly through their brains into their physical senses and uses those senses to determine their actions. This is why their bodily senses are far more refined than human senses. This inflow from the spiritual world is what is known as instinct. It is called instinct because it comes about without the help of thought. Instinct is also supplemented by the development of habits.
"The love animals have is a love solely for nutrition and propagation. A determination to act comes from the spiritual world through that love. They have no love for knowledge, intelligence, or wisdom, which are the means of developing higher levels of love in human beings.
[7] "As for people having no innate ideas, this is obvious from the fact that people have no innate thinking. Where there is no thinking, there are no ideas, for thinking and ideas go hand in hand. This conclusion can be reached by studying newborn babies. They are unable to do anything except nurse and breathe. They are able to nurse not from anything innate but from continually sucking while they are in their mother's womb. They are able to breathe because they are alive - breathing is universal to life. Their physical senses are in extreme darkness; by [encountering external] objects they climb out of that obscurity bit by bit. Similarly, their ability to move develops through habitual movement. As they learn to babble words and sound them out, at first without any idea, a dim form of visualization gradually arises. As this becomes clearer, a dim form of imagination develops, and this leads to a dim form of thought. As this state gradually develops, ideas develop, which as I said go hand in hand with thought. Thought grows out of no thought as a result of education. This is how people have ideas. Ideas are formed; they are not innate. From these ideas flow people's words and actions. "
On the point that people have nothing else innate except a faculty for knowing, understanding, and becoming wise, as well as a tendency to love not only knowledge, understanding, and wisdom but also their neighbor and their God, see above in the memorable occurrence at 48, and also a memorable occurrence below [692].
After that I looked around and saw Leibniz and Wolff nearby. They were paying close attention to the reasoning put forward by the angelic spirit. Leibniz then acceded and expressed his agreement, but Wolff went away both denying it and affirming it. Wolff's inner judgment was not as well developed as Leibniz's.
335. The fourth experience.
I woke from sleep one morning while it was still twilight, and saw as it were apparitions of various sorts before my eyes. Then when it was full morning, I saw mirages of different types. Some were like sheets of paper covered with writing, which were folded over so many times that at last they looked like shooting stars, failing into the air and vanishing. Some looked like open books, some of which glittered like small moons, others burnt like candles. Among them were books which soared aloft, and high in the air disappeared; others fell to the ground and there were reduced to dust. On seeing these things I guessed that beneath these appearances in the air stood people arguing about imaginary matters, which they regarded as of great importance. For in the spiritual world such phenomena in the atmospheres are to be seen arising from the reasoning of those beneath.
A little later the sight of my spirit was opened, and I observed a number of spirits with their heads wreathed in laurel leaves, and their bodies dressed in flowery robes. This was a sign that they were spirits who in the natural world had been famous for their learning. Being in the spirit, I approached and joined the gathering. Then I heard that they were engaged in a bitter and intense debate about connate ideas, that is to say, whether human beings have any ideas directly from birth, as animals do.
Those who denied this were withdrawing from those who asserted it, and finally they stood divided into two parties, like the lines of two armies about to fight with swords. But lacking swords they were fighting with verbal thrusts.
[2] Suddenly an angelic spirit took his stand in their midst, and cried in a loud voice: 'I have heard from a distance, but not too far from you, that on both sides you are engaged in fierce debate, whether human beings have any connate ideas, as animals do. I tell you that human beings do not have any connate ideas, and that animals do not have any ideas at all. So your quarrel is about nothing, or, as the saying goes, about goats' wool or the beard of this age 1 .'
On hearing this they all flew into a rage and yelled: 'Throw him out, what he says is contrary to common sense.' But when they attempted to throw him out, they saw that he was surrounded by light from heaven, through which they could not break, for he was an angelic spirit. So they retreated and kept a short distance from him. When the light was re-absorbed, he said to them: 'Why do you fly into a rage? Listen first and take in the arguments I shall use, and then reach your own conclusion from them, I foresee that those who have good powers of judgment will agree and will calm the storms which have arisen in your minds.' In reply to this they said, though with indignation in their voices; 'Speak then, and we will listen.'
[3] Then he began speaking and said: 'You believe that animals have connate ideas, and you have deduced this from the fact that their actions seem to spring from thought. Yet they do not have the slightest capacity for thought, and it is only resulting from thought that we may speak of ideas. It is the mark of thought that one acts in such and such a way for this or that reason. Consider then whether the spider weaving its so skillfully designed web thinks in its tiny head: "I will stretch threads out in this order, and join them together with cross threads, so that my web will stand up to the air pressure it will encounter. And where the inside ends of the threads meet to make the centre, I will make myself a place to sit, so that I can detect anything falling into the web and run to it. So if a fly flies into it, it will be ensnared, and I shall quickly attack and wrap it up, so that it will be food for me." Again, does the bee think in its tiny head: "I will fly off. I know where there are meadows in flower, and there I shall suck up wax from some flowers and honey from others; and from the wax I shall build a series of adjoining cells, leaving as it were streets so that I and my companions may freely enter and go out again. Then we shall store large amounts of honey in the cells, to last through the coming winter, so that we do not die." There are many other wonderful details in which bees not only rival the social and economic provisions of men, but in some actually surpass them. (see above 12).
[4] 'Again, does the hornet think in its tiny head: "My companions and I will construct a dwelling of thin paper, with the walls inside curving around to make a labyrinth; and in the middle we shall make a kind of square, equipped with a way in and a way out, but so artfully contrived that no other creature than our own species will find its way to the middle where we hold our meetings." Or does the silk-worm, while still in the grub stage, think in its tiny head: "Now is the time for me to prepare to spin silk, so that, when it is spun, I can fly out, and in the air, an element previously beyond my reach, play with my mates and provide myself with offspring"? And likewise the other grubs, when they crawl through walls, and turn into nymphs, pupas, chrysallises, and finally butterflies? Does any fly have an idea about meeting another fly in one place and not another?
[5] 'It is much the same with larger animals as it is with these insects; as for instance birds and winged creatures of every kind, which know when to meet, when to prepare nests, lay eggs in them, sit on them and hatch their young, offer them food, bring them up until they fly away, and afterwards drive them from their nests as if they were not their own offspring, and countless things besides. It is much the same with land animals, snakes and fish. Is there any among you who cannot see from what I have said that their spontaneous actions do not result from any process of thought, the only context in which we can speak of ideas? The erroneous belief that animals have ideas has arisen solely from the false idea that animals think just as much as human beings, and the power of speech is the only difference.'
[6] After this speech the angelic spirit looked around, and since he saw that they were still wavering about whether animals have thought-processes or not, he went on speaking and said: 'I perceive that the similarity of the actions of animals to those of men has left you still dreaming about their thought-processes. So I will tell you the source of their actions. Every animal, every bird, fish, creeping thing and insect has its own natural, sensual and bodily love; these reside in their heads, and in the brains in them. By this route the spiritual world acts directly upon their bodily senses, and by these it directs their actions. This is why their bodily senses are much more sensitive than those of human beings. This impulse from the spiritual world is what is called instinct, and it is given this name because it arises without the mediation of thought. There are also secondary instincts arising from habit. But their love, by which the impulse from the spiritual world directs their actions, is concerned only with feeding and the propagation of the species, not with any knowledge, intelligence and wisdom, the means by which love develops successively in human beings.
[7] 'Nor does man have any connate ideas, as can be clearly established from the fact that he has no connate thought-process, and in the absence of thought-processes no idea can exist, for the one is dependent upon the other. This can be deduced from newly born babies, who are unable to do anything but take milk and breathe. Their ability to take milk is not the result of being born with it, but of having continually been sucking in the mother's womb. Their ability to breathe is the result of being alive, for this is something which is universal among living creatures. Even their bodily senses are extremely feeble; and little by little they work away from this state by contact with objects, likewise they learn by practice to move. Little by little too they as it were learn to make babbling sounds, at first uttered without any idea, but something dim arises in their mental imagery; and as this becomes clearer, a dim kind of imagination arises, and from this the same kind of thought. In proportion to the formation of this state ideas arise, which, as was said before, are inseparable from thought, and thinking develops from nothing by instruction. This is how human beings come to have ideas; they are not connate, but formed, and from them their speech and actions are derived.'
For man having nothing by birth other than a faculty for knowing, understanding and being wise, and an inclination to love not only these faculties but also his neighbour and God, see the experience recorded above (48); and in one of those to follow.
After this I looked round and saw close by Leibnitz and Wolff 2 , who were listening intently to the arguments put forward by the angelic spirit. Then Leibnitz approached and signified his approval and assent; but Wolff went away both assenting and dissenting, since he lacked the inner powers of judgment which Leibnitz had.
Footnotes:
1. Proverbial expressions for what does not exist.
2. Leibnitz (1646-1716) and Wolff (1679-1754), both famous German philosophers.
335. Fourth Memorable Relation:
Once when I awakened from sleep in the morning twilight, I saw as it were specters before my eyes in various shapes; and afterward when it was daylight I saw fatuous lights of different forms; some like sheets of paper filled with writing and folded again and again, so that they looked like falling stars which in their descent vanished in the air; and some like open books, some of which shone like little moons, and some burned like candles; among these were some books that ascended to a great height and there perished, and others that fell down to the earth and there crumbled to dust. From these appearances I conjectured that there were those standing below these meteors who dispute about imaginary matters, which they deem of great importance; for in the spiritual world such phenomena appear in the atmospheres from the reasonings of those standing below.
And presently the sight of my spirit was opened, and I saw a number of spirits whose heads were wreathed with leaves of laurel, and their bodies clothed with flowered gowns, which signified that they were spirits who in the natural world had been famed for erudition. As I was in the spirit, I approached and mingled with the assembly. I then heard that they were bitterly and hotly disputing about connate ideas, whether any such were inherent in man from birth, as in beasts.
Those who were in the negative turned away from those in the affirmative, and at length they stood apart from each other like the ranks of two armies ready to fight sword in hand; but as they had no swords, they fought with the points of words.
[2] But suddenly an angelic spirit stood in their midst, and speaking with a loud voice said, "At a short distance from you I heard that you were engaged in hot dispute about connate ideas, whether they are inherent in men as in beasts; but I tell you, that men have no connate ideas, and that beasts have no ideas at all. You are therefore quarreling about nothing, or as the saying is, about goats' wool, or the beard of Time."
Hearing this, they were all enraged and shouted, "Put him out; he talks contrary to common sense."
But when they tried to put him out they saw that he was encompassed with heavenly light which they could not break through; for he was an angelic spirit. They therefore drew back and moved a little way from him; and when the light had been indrawn, the angel said to them, "Why are you angry? First listen, and put together the reasons I shall offer, and form a conclusion from them yourselves. I foresee that those among you who excel in judgment will accede, and will calm the tempests that have arisen in your minds."
At these remarks they said, though still in an indignant tone, "Speak then, and we will listen."
[3] So the angel began and said, "You believe that beasts have connate ideas; and this you have inferred from the fact that their actions seem to proceed from thought; and yet they have no thought whatever, and ideas are only predicable of thought. Furthermore, it is a characteristic of thought that those who think act in this or that manner for this or that purpose. Consider therefore, whether the spider which weaves its web with such perfect art thinks in its little head, I will stretch out my threads in this way, and bind them together with cross-threads, so that my web may not be blown asunder by a violent rush of air; at the inner ends of the threads, which shall form the center of the web, I will prepare a seat for myself, where I shall feel whatever touches my web, and run at once to the spot; so that if a fly gets in, he shall be entangled, and I will rush upon him instantly and bind him fast, and he shall serve me for food. Or again, does a bee think in his little head, I will fly abroad; I know where there are fields in bloom; and there I will get wax from the flowers, and will suck honey from them; and with the wax I will build compact rows of little cells in such a way that I and my companions can go in and out easily, as if by streets; then I will store in them abundance of honey, enough even for the coming winter, so that we may not die - and other marvelous things, in which they not only vie with the political and economical prudence of man, but even surpass it (see above, n. 12)?
[4] Again, does the hornet think in his little head, I and my companions will build for ourselves a little house of thin paper, the walls of which we will make within like a labyrinth; and in the inmost we will prepare a kind of forum to which there shall be a way of ingress and of egress, contrived with such art that no living creature except those belonging to our own family, shall find the way to the inmost place where we are assembled? Again, does the silkworm, while it is a grub, think in its little head, Now is the time for me to prepare to spin silk, so that when it is spun, I may fly forth, and in the air, into which I could not ascend before, may sport with my equals and provide myself a posterity? Or do other worms so think, when they creep about the walls, and become nymphs, aureliae, chrysalides, and finally butterflies? Has a fly any idea about having congress with another in some one place and not another?
[5] It is the same with larger animals as it is with these smaller ones; with birds and feathered creatures of all kinds when they pair, build their nests, lay their eggs therein, sit on them, hatch their young, provide food for them, care for them until they can fly, and then drive them from the nests as if they were not their own offspring; besides many other things. It is the same also with the beasts of the earth, with serpents and with fishes. Who among you cannot see from the above statements that the spontaneous acts of these creatures do not flow from any thought, of which alone ideas can be predicated? The error that beasts have ideas has come from no other source than a persuasion that they think equally with men, and that speech alone makes the difference between them."
[6] After this, the angelic spirit looked around, and as he saw them still hesitating whether or not beasts have thought, he continued his discourse, and said, "I perceive that from those actions of brute animals that are similar to human actions, there still clings to you the fanciful idea that they possess thought. I will tell you, therefore, the source of those actions. Every beast, every bird, every fish, reptile, and insect has its own natural, sensual, and corporeal love, the abode of which is its head and the brains there; through their brains the spiritual world flows into their bodily senses immediately, and through them determines their actions; this is the reason why their bodily senses are much more exquisite than those of men. That influx from the spiritual world is what is called instinct; and it is called instinct because it exists without the mediation of thought. There are also things accessory to instinct that arise from habit. But their love, through which comes from the spiritual world their determination to action, is a love solely for nutrition and propagation, not for any knowledge, intelligence, or wisdom, by means of which the love in men is gradually developed."
[7] That man has no connate ideas, is manifestly evident from the fact that he has no connate thought; and where there is no thought there are no ideas; for they belong mutually to each other. This may be inferred from new-born infants, in that they can do nothing but suck and breathe. Their being able to suck is not from anything connate, but from a continual sucking in the mother's womb; and they are able to breathe because they are alive, for this is a universal of life. Even their bodily senses are in the utmost obscurity, and from this they gradually work their way out by means of objects; and in like manner their powers of motion by habitual exercise. And as they gradually learn to utter words and pronounce them at first without any idea, there springs up in them some obscure element of fancy; and as this grows clearer an obscure element of imagination is born, and from that, of thought. Along with the forming of this state ideas spring forth, which, as before said, make one with thought; and from no thought, thought is developed by instruction. While, therefore, men have ideas, they are not connate, but are formed, and from them flow their speech and actions.
That nothing is connate with man except a capacity to know, to understand, and to be wise, as also an inclination to love not only these things but also the neighbor and God, may be seen in the Memorable Relation above (n. 48), and also in some Memorable Relations further on.
After this I looked around and saw Leibnitz and Wolff near at hand, who were attending closely to the reasoning advanced by the angelic spirit. Leibnitz then drew near and expressed his concurrence; but Wolff went away both denying and affirming, for he did not excel in interior judgment as Leibnitz did.
335. The fourth experience. Once at early dawn I awoke from sleep and saw variously shaped apparitions floating before my eyes. Later, when it was morning, I saw a varied display of false lights. Some were like sheets of paper covered with writing; and these, being folded again and again, finally appeared like falling stars, which vanished as they descended in the air. Others again were like open books, some of which shone like little moons, and some glowed like candles. Amongst these were books which were wafted on high, and were totally destroyed when they reached a great height, while others fell to the ground, where they were reduced to dust. From what I saw I conjectured that beneath those meteors were some spirits disputing about purely speculative matters, which they deemed of great importance; for in the spiritual world such phenomena appear in the atmospheres, arising from the reasonings of those below. Presently my spiritual sight was opened and I saw a number of spirits with laurel wreaths on their heads, and wearing flowered gowns. This indicated that they were spirits who in the natural world had been distinguished for their learning: and as I was in the spirit, I approached and joined their company.
I then heard that they were disputing sharply and warmly with one another about connate ideas, as to whether any such were in men from birth, as is, they asserted, the case with beasts. Those who maintained the negative side of the question turned away from those who maintained the affirmative; and at length they separated into two distinct parties, like two armies in array about to engage with drawn swords; but as they had no swords, they waged the contests with keen-edged words.
[2] Then suddenly an angelic spirit stood in their midst and, speaking in a loud voice, said, "Some little distance away I heard you warmly disputing about connate ideas, as to whether any such were in men, as in beasts; but I tell you, that men have no connate ideas, and that beasts have no ideas at all. You are, therefore, wrangling about nothing, or, as the saying goes, about goats' wool, or about the beard on the new-born generation." When they heard this they were all infuriated, and shouted, "Turn him out; he is contradicting common sense." But as they essayed to put him out, they perceived that he was encompassed with heavenly light, which they could not break through; for he was an angelic spirit. They therefore drew back, and retired some distance from him. Thereupon the light was withdrawn, and he said to them, "Why are you angry? First hear me, and consider the reasons I bring forward, and then form your own conclusion from them. I foresee that those of better judgment will approve of this, and will calm the storm that has risen in your minds." To this they replied, though still in an indignant tone, "Well, speak on, and we will listen."
[3] Then he began as follows: "You believe that beasts have connate ideas, and this you conclude because their actions seem to proceed from thought; and yet they have no thought at all. Now ideas are only predicable of thought, and it is characteristic of thought to act in a certain way for a definite reason. Consider, therefore, whether the spider, which weaves its web with the most perfect art, thinks in its little head: 'I will extend my threads in this order, and connect them with cross threads, lest my web should be torn asunder by successive gusts of wind. Where the ends of the threads meet to form the centre I will prepare a place for myself, from which I will observe whatever happens; so that I may run to the spot if a fly gets entangled, quickly fall upon him, and bind him fast; and he shall serve me for food.' Again, does the bee think in its little head: 'I will fly abroad where I know there are fields of flowers, and from them I will gather wax and honey. Of the wax I will build little cells touching one another in orderly arrangement, so that my companions and I may go in and out easily as if along streets. Then we will store them with honey in abundance, sufficient for the coming winter, that we may not perish?' not to mention other wonderful things in which they show political and economic prudence not only equal to, but even in cases surpassing that of men. (See above, 12.)
[4] Further, does the great drone wasp think in its little head: 'My companions and I will build ourselves a tiny house of a thin, paper-like substance, whose inside walls we will make in the form of a labyrinth. In its inmost recess we will provide a sort of meeting-place, which shall have a way in and a way out, so skillfully devised that no living creature other than one of our own family may find its way to the retreat where we assemble?' Again, does the silk-worm, while still a caterpillar, think in its little head: 'Now is the time to prepare myself for the spinning of silk, to the end that, when the spinning is finished, I may fly abroad and sport with my companions in the air, into which I could not previously rise, and provide for myself a progeny?' In like manner do other caterpillars think as they creep along walls and become nymphs, aurelias, chrysalises, and finally butterflies? Does a fly form any idea about meeting with another fly, in this place and not in that?
[5] The case is the same with animals of a larger growth as with these little creatures; as with birds and feathered fowl of every kind, when they pair, build their nests, lay their eggs, sit on them, hatch their young, provide them with food, train them till they are able to fly, when they drive them away from the nest, as if they were not their offspring; with innumerable other instances. It is the same also with beasts, serpents, and fishes. Which of you cannot see from what has just been said that the spontaneous acts of these creatures do not flow from thought, of which alone ideas can be predicated? The error that beasts have ideas arises solely from the belief that they think just as men do, and that speech makes the only difference between them."
[6] After this, the angelic spirit looked around; and as he saw they were still hesitating whether to believe that beasts have thought or not, he continued his discourse, and said: "I perceive that, from a similarity in the actions of the brute beasts and men, you still entertain the idea, based upon appearances, that animals think. I will therefore explain to you the source of those actions. Every beast, bird, fish, reptile and insect has its own natural, sensual and corporeal love, which resides in the brain within the head. By means of the brain the spiritual world has immediate influx into their bodily senses, and through these, determines their actions. For this reason their bodily senses are much more keen than those of men. This influx from the spiritual world is called instinct, so called because it exists apart from any connection with thought. There are also some things accessory to instinct derived from habit. But their love, through which determination to action comes from the spiritual world, is solely concerned with feeding and propagation. It is not concerned with knowledge of any kind, intelligence and wisdom, by means of which in that order love is gradually formed in man.
[7] "That man also has no connate ideas may be clearly evident from the fact that he has no connate thought; for where there is no thought, there is no idea, as these exist reciprocally the one from the other. This may be concluded from the case of new-born infants, who can do nothing but suck and breathe. That they can suck is not due to anything connate, but to continual sucking in the mother's womb; and they are able to breathe, because they live, breathing being a universal accompaniment of life. Their bodily senses themselves are in a state of the greatest obscurity, out of which they gradually emerge by means of the objects on which they are exercised, just as their movements are trained by persistent practice. As they gradually learn to utter words, pronouncing them at first with no idea of their meaning, there arises a certain obscure element of fancy. As this becomes clearer, it gives rise to an obscure element of imagination, and thence of thought. With the development of this state of mind, ideas begin to exist; and ideas, as was said above, are one with thought, and thought grows from a state without thought by instruction. Thus men have ideas, not indeed connate, but formed; and from these ideas their speech and actions flow." That nothing is connate in man except the faculty of acquiring knowledge, intelligence and wisdom, and also the inclination to love, not only these, but also the neighbor and God, may be seen above in a Narrative, 48, and also in one later.
Thereupon I looked around and saw not far away Leibnitz 1 and Wolff, 2 both very interested in the arguments advanced by the angelic spirit. Leibnitz then came forward and intimated his agreement with them; but Wolff withdrew, vacillating between denial and agreement, for he had not the same strength of interior judgment as Leibnitz.
Footnotes:
1. Leibnitz, German philosopher, A.D. 1646-1716. He maintained the metaphysical against mechanical causes in the interpretation of the world. He taught the pre-established harmony of the universe, founded upon spiritual agencies, dependent only upon God, which reflected in themselves the whole universe.
2. Wolff, Johann Christian, A.D. 1679-1754, a German philosopher of little originality or depth. His leading ideas are taken from Leibnitz.
335. QUARTUM MEMORABILE.
Quodam diluculo cum evigilatus sum a somno, vidi sicut Larvas in varia effigie ante oculos; et postea, cum erat mane, vidi Luces fatuas in diversis formis, quasdam sicut membranas scripturis plenas, quae iterum et iterum complicatae tandem apparebant sicut Stellae caducae, quae delapsae in aere evanescebant, et quasdam sicut Libros apertos, quarum aliqui micabant sicut lunulae, et aliquae ardebant sicut candelae; inter hos erant libri qui se sustulerunt in altum, et in altitudine peribant, et alii qui deciderunt in terram, et in pulverem ibi dissolvebantur. Ex his visis augurabar, quod infra Meteora illa starent, qui de rebus imaginariis, quas reputabant magni momenti, litigarent; nam in Mundo spirituali talia Phaenomena in athmosphaeris ex ratiociniis infra stantium apparent; et mox apertus est mihi visus spiritus mei, et animadverti numerum Spirituum, quorum Capita cincta erant foliis ex lauru, et corpore induti togis florificatis, quae signabant, quod essent spiritus, qui in Mundo naturali fama eruditionis incluti fuerunt; et quia eram in spiritu, accessi, et Caetui me immiscui; et tunc audivi, quod inter se acriter et ardenter disceptarent de IDEIS CONNATIS, num aliquae hominibus a nativitate inessent, ut Bestiis; illi qui negabant, se avertebant ab illis qui affirmabant, et tandem segregati steterunt vicissim, sicut phalanges duorum Exercituum mox pugnaturi ensibus, sed quia non erant illis enses, acuminibus verborum pugnabant.
[2] At subito tunc Spiritus quidam Angelicus in medio eorum constitit, et alta voce loquens dixit, audivi e distantia non procul a vobis, quod utrinque ardeatis in lite de Ideis connatis, num aliquae essent hominibus ut bestiis, ego vero dico vobis, QUOD NON SINT ULLAE IDEAE CONNATAE HOMINIBUS, ET QUOD NEC SINT ULLAE IDEAE BESTIIS, quare rixamini de nihilo, aut sicut dicitur, de lana caprina, aut de barba hujus saeculi. His auditis excanduerunt omnes, et vociferabantur, ejicite hunc, loquitur contra Sensum communem; at cum in conatu ejiciendi erant, viderunt illum cinctum Luce coelesti, per quam non potuerunt irrumpere, erat enim Spiritus Angelicus, quare recedebant, et parum se removebant ab illo; et postquam lux illa intracta est, dixit illis, cur excandescitis; audite primum, et colligite rationes quas afferam, et vos ipsi ex illis conclusum facite; et praevideo, quod illi, qui judicio pollent, accessuri sint, et tempestates in mentibus vestris obortas sedaturi: ad haec dicta, sono tamen indignante, dicebant, Loquere itaque, et audiemus;
[3] et tunc exorsus loqui dixit; vos creditis quod Bestiis ideae connatae sint, et hoc conclusistis ex eo, quod actus illarum appareant sicut ex cogitatione, et tamen illis ne hilum cogitationis est, ac ideae non praedicabiles sunt nisi inde, et cogitationis character est, ut faciant propter hoc aut illud ita vel ita: expendite itaque, num Aranea, quae artificiosissime texit telam, in suo pusillo capite cogitet, in hoc ordine fila extendam, et illa transversis filis colligabo, ne tela mea ingruente aeris vibratione diffluat; ac in terminis primis filorum, qui facient meditullium, parabo mihi sedem, in qua percipiam quodcunque incidit, ut illuc accurram, ut si musca involat, irretiatur illa, ac cito invadam et circumligabo illam, et cedet mihi in escam. Porro num Apis in pusillo suo capite cogitat, evolabo; scio ubi campi florescentes sunt, et ibi ex his floribus ceram, et ex illis mel exsugam, et ex cera exstruam cellulas contiguas in serie, illo modo, ut ego cum sociis, sicut per plateas libere intremus et exeamus, et postea in illis reponemus mel abundanter, ut satis sit etiam pro ventura hyeme, ne moriamur; praeter alia mirabilia, in quibus prudentiam politicam et oeconomicam humanam non modo aemulantur, sed in quibusdam excedunt, (videatur supra, 12[7]).
[4] Adhuc, num Fucus major in pusillo suo capite cogitat, ego cum sociis meis fabricabimus domunculam ex tenui papyro, cujus parietes intus circumducemus in formam labyrintheam, ac intime parabimus sicut forum, in quod erit ingressus et a quo egressus, et hoc eo artificio, ut non aliud vivum, quam quod ex nostra prosapia est, reperiat viam ad intimum, ubi congregamur. Iterum, num bombyx, dum vermis, in pusillo suo capite cogitat, nunc tempus est ut praeparem me ad nendum sericum, et propter finem, ut quando netum est, evolem, et in aere, in quem non prius eniti potui, ludam cum comparibus, et prospiciam mihi progeniem. Similiter reliqui vermes, dum subrepunt per parietes, et fiunt nymphae, aureliae, chrysallides, et demum papiliones. Numeri musca aliquam ideam de congressu cum alia musca habet, quod hic et non ibi.
[5] Simile est cum animalibus grandioris corporis, sicut est cum illis animalculis, ut cum avibus et pennatis omnis generis, quando congrediuntur, tum quando parant nidos, ponunt inibi ova, incubant illis, excludunt pullos, his porrigunt escas, educant usque dum evolant, et postea abigunt a nidis sicut prolem non suam, praeter innumera alia: simile 1 etiam est cum bestiis terrae, cum serpentibus, et cum piscibus; quis vestrum non potest ex supradictis videre, quod actus illarum spontanei non profluant ex aliqua cogitatione, de qua unice praedicabilis est idea: error, quod bestiis sint ideae, non aliunde profluxit, quam ex persuasione, quod illae aeque ac homines cogitent, et quod modo loquela faciat discrimen.
[6] Post haec, Spiritus angelicus circumspexit, et quia vidit illos adhuc haesitantes, num bestiis sit cogitatio vel non, continuavit sermonem, et dixit; percipio quod ex actibus animalium brutorum similaribus cum humanis, adhuc vobis inhaereat idea visionaria de cogitatione illorum; quare dicam, unde illi actus; videlicet, est cuivis bestiae, cuivis volucri, cuivis pisci, reptili, et insecto, suus amor naturalis, sensualis 2 ac corporeus, cujus habitacula sunt illorum capita, et in his cerebra; per haec influit Mundus spiritualis in Sensus corporis eorum immediate, et per hos determinat actus, quae causa est, quod Sensus corporis illorum prae humanis sint multo exquisitiores. Influxus ille e Mundo spirituali, est qui vocatur Instinctus, ac Instinctus vocatur, quia absque media cogitatione existit: dantur etiam accessoria Instinctus ex assuetudine. At amor illorum, per quem e Mundo Spirituali fit determinatio ad actus, est solum pro Nutritione et Propagatione, non autem pro aliqua scientia, intelligentia et sapientia, per quas successive fit amor apud homines.
[7] Quod nec homini aliquae ideae connatae sint, evidenter constare potest ex eo, quod non aliqua cogitatio ei 3 connata sit, et ubi non cogitatio ibi nec idea, una enim est alterius vicissim; hoc concludi potest ex Infantibus recens natis, quod praeter lactere et respirare nihil possint; quod possint lactere, non est ex connato, sed ex continua suctione in utero matris, et quod possit respirare, est quia vivunt, hoc enim est universale vitae; ipsi Sensus corporis eorum sunt in summa obscuritate, et ab hac successive enituntur per objecta, similiter illorum motus per assuetudines; et successive sicut discunt effutire voces, et sonare illas primum absque idea, exoritur aliquod obscurum phantasiae, quod sicut clarescit, nascitur obscurum imaginationis, et inde cogitationis; secundum hujus status formationem existunt ideae, quae, ut supra dictum est, cum cogitatione unum faciunt, et cogitatio a nulla increscit per instructiones; quare ideae hominibus 4 sunt, verum non connatae, sed formatae, et ex his fluunt loquelae et actus illorum. Quod homini non aliud connascatur quam facultas ad sciendum, intelligendum, et sapiendum, ut et inclinatio ad amandum non modo illas, sed etiam proximum et Deum, videatur supra in MEMORABILI, 48; et quoque infra in quodam MEMORABILI [@@692]. 5 Post haec circumspexi, et vidi in propinquo LEIBNITZIUM et WOLFIUM, qui intendebant rationibus a Spiritu Angelico prolatis; et tunc accessit Leibnitzius, et assensu favit, at Wolfius abivit et negans et affirmans, non enim pollebat interiori judicio quo Leibnitzius.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: simile.
2. Prima editio: naturalis sensualis.
3. Prima editio: 101.
4. Prima editio: honinibus.
5. Sic Rose.