A Treatise of Human Nature

(Jeff_L) #1

BOOK I PART II


motion may be communicated to external ob-
jects. Wherever we have no successive percep-
tions, we have no notion of time, even though
there be a real succession in the objects. From
these phenomena, as well as from many others,
we may conclude, that time cannot make its ap-
pearance to the mind, either alone, or attended
with a steady unchangeable object, but is al-
ways discovered someperceivablesuccession of
changeable objects.


To confirm this we may add the following ar-
gument, which to me seems perfectly decisive
and convincing. It is evident, that time or du-
ration consists of different parts: For otherwise
we coued not conceive a longer or shorter du-
ration. It is also evident, that these parts are not
co-existent: For that quality of the co-existence
of parts belongs to extension, and is what dis-

Free download pdf