BOOK I PART III
SECTIONXII. OF THEPROBABILITY OF
CAUSES
What I have said concerning the probabil-
ity of chances can serve to no other purpose,
than to assist us in explaining the probabil-
ity of causes; since it is commonly allowed by
philosophers, that what the vulgar call chance
is nothing but a secret and concealed cause.
That species of probability, therefore, is what
we must chiefly examine.
The probabilities of causes are of several
kinds; but are all derived from the same ori-
gin, viz.the association of ideas to a present im-
pression. As the habit, which produces the as-
sociation, arises from the frequent conjunction
of objects, it must arrive at its perfection by de-
grees, and must acquire new force from each