A Treatise of Human Nature

(Jeff_L) #1

BOOK II PART II


objects, descend with greater facility than they
ascend.


That we may comprehend, wherein consists
the difficulty of explaining this phaenomenon,
we must consider, that the very same reason,
which determines the imagination to pass from
remote to contiguous objects, with more facil-
ity than from contiguous to remote, causes it
likewise to change with more ease, the less for
the greater, than the greater for the less. What-
ever has the greatest influence is most taken
notice of; and whatever is most taken notice
of, presents itself most readily to the imagina-
tion. We are more apt to over-look in any sub-
ject, what is trivial, than what appears of con-
siderable moment; but especially if the latter
takes the precedence, and first engages our at-
tention. Thus if any accident makes us consider

Free download pdf