A Treatise of Human Nature

(Jeff_L) #1

BOOK I PART III


SECTIONXV. RULES BY WHICH TOJUDGE


OFCAUSES ANDEFFECTS


According to the precedent doctrine, there
are no objects which by the mere survey, with-
out consulting experience, we can determine
to be the causes of any other; and no objects,
which we can certainly determine in the same
manner not to be the causes. Any thing may
produce any thing. Creation, annihilation, mo-
tion, reason, volition; all these may arise from
one another, or from any other object we can
imagine. Nor will this appear strange, if we
compare two principles explained above,that
the constant conjunction of objects determines their
causation, and (Part I, Sect. 5) that, properly speak-
ing, no objects are contrary to each other but exis-
tence and non-existence. Where objects are not
contrary, nothing hinders them from having

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