1825.] 
philosophers of ancient time, and even 
of the middle ages, there are no two 
who precisely agreé in their ideas”’on 
these points,’ Tt’ must then be’ accorded, 
that it is to the astonishing march of 
reason and ‘of civilization, and, may we 
not also Say, to the influence of revealed 
pi ee a agreement of sages, 
on subjects so vast and so profound, is 
to be attributed: the mere attainments 
of every-day intelligence could never 
effect it. Is it not, then, necessary to 
range them as positive facts, on the 
sidé of universal consciousness of 
thought 2 Seat 
This first step once taken, it is easy to 
conclude that Descartes would unhesi- 
tatingly pursue the course. To have 
forced him patiently and methodically 
to analyze those abstract ideas by 
which he was to discover the laws of 
their formation, would have been to 
freeze the enthusiasm—to clip the wings 
of his towering mind! Was it not more 
agreeable to such a character to consider 
them as principally irnale? This more 
expeditious method, which hesitates not 
fo advance hypothetically the conclu- 
sion of which demonstration is sought, 
offered no doubtful hopes of success: 
it is more poetic than calculating; but 
it is well known that reason is soon 
silenced, when imagination is taken cap- 
tive. Always, then, hastening to the 
investigation of determinate causes, 
while he disdained the examination of 
those known facts which lead to them; 
is it wonderful that Descartes should, 
at last, meet with vortices, and strive 
from such to organize the heavens, the 
earth, and all the created forms of na- 
ture? Where then is that excelling 
system, which, having afforded him such 
a luminous and well-determined start- 
ing-post, appeared to promise results so 
favourable to the advancement of the 
cause of intellect ? 
And yet, how strange ! —itis in these 
very ramblings that certain schools seek 
a title to rank this great man among 
their leaders, But let us be just, and 
impartially ascribe to each his own 
peculiar share. From what has here- 
fore been ‘said, it will appear that, in 
the philosophical life of Descartes, there 
were two grand: epochs to be noticed: 
when ‘he, with unwonted. profundity, 
regarded the uncertainty of human 
knowledge,—conceived the vast and 
bold design of overthrowing every pre- 
vious dogma, that he, with greater order 
Be “precision, might. re-construct the 
mn own x Mac. No. 414, Sate! 
Philosophy of Descartes. 
105 
whole system,--enyeloped himself in. 
the abyss of universal doubt, that, in” 
the’ midst of prejudice and unesttaiahy 
he might discover truth ;—seized upon, 
the simple and fundamental law, which" 
would constitute the first link of his re-” 
formed chain, and crying I think, then’ 
Lam / as a trrumphant general, entered* 
that very universe he had before 80° 
determinately abandoned; and fixed his’ 
foot, sure and unerring, upon the elit-" 
tering threshold of true science. In the” 
other, when, almost at the moment he’ 
seemed to have won the wreath he’ 
sought for, his scarce-formed system’ 
was forgotten; spontaneously he aban 
doned the path he seemed so happily to’ 
have taken ; resumed, unbesitatingly,” 
the very prejudices which, with so rarée* 
a courage, he had emerged from; per=" 
tmaciously sought the hidden principles’ 
of being, instead of confining himself’ ta’ 
the beneficial observance of those phe=* 
nomena derivable from them, and wan-=" 
dered anew in a perplexed maze of diffi-’ 
culty and doubt. ot 
Here we see Descartes as: himself’ 
and by considering him in this double’ 
point of view alone, must we—can Wwe," 
determine to what school his illustrious’ 
name should be attached ? TESTS 
Certainly, when he expounds a posi-: 
tive fact, which is true, because it comes 
home to every man’s consciousness and, 
which is primitive, because no other 
precedes or explains it, he is an Ex- 
PERIMENTAL PHILOSOPHER, in the most 
enlarged application of the term. Where-. 
fore, should any regard him as a Rat10- 
CINATIVE PuiLosoPuER, this can onlybe 
when he hazards hypotheses that must 
be doubtful. Upon this question, issue 
is joined; and the dilemma seems to be 
— either to abjure Descartes, or to allow 
the distinction. In this lattercase, a) 
devotion almost superstitious is requir, 
ed, so that the limitations of the dis-, 
tinction be well marked. Then let the’; 
school of rational philosophy take Dés-: 
cartes, in the slumber of his reason, in: 
the forgetfulness of his own method, in 
the intemperateness of his conceptions ; 
and let it, if it will, erect a statue—an 
honourable trophy of his’ deviations. : 
The experimental school will ‘ever be 
proud to acknowledge him’as its most- 
ulustrious founder, considering him in. 
all the essence of his genius, in all the 
majesty of intelligence, in the absence 
of all those prejudices which at first he. 
had had the boldness to-discard.: 3.5), 
5 L AMS toy Fans 
