BOOK I PART IV
As to the second part of the proposition, that
the philosophical system acquires all its influ-
ence on the imagination from the vulgar one;
we may observe, that this is a natural and un-
avoidable consequence of the foregoing con-
clusion, that it has no primary recommenda-
tion to reason or the imagination. For as the
philosophical system is found by experience to
take hold of many minds, and in particular of
all those, who reflect ever so little on this sub-
ject, it must derive all its authority from the
vulgar system; since it has no original authority
of its own. The manner, in which these two sys-
tems, though directly contrary, are connected
together, may be explains, as follows.
The imagination naturally runs on in this
train of thinking. Our perceptions are our only
objects: Resembling perceptions are the same,