o8 French National Injiitute. 



On the fuggeftions, however, of fome men of genius, it 

 has been found necefiary to abandon enquiries into the firft 

 caufes, and to direct our attention to the means of improv- 

 ing the underftanding. 



But the moft powerful means of the progrefs of the human 

 mind have been obferved in figns. 



The firft philofophers who turned their reflections to the 

 characters of writing, the accents and articulations of the 

 voice, the movements of the vifage, the geftures and different 

 attitudes of the body, faw in all thefe figns only means, 

 either eftablifhed by nature or invented by men, for the com- 

 munication of their thoughts. 



A more profound examination fhewed that figns were not 

 merely deftinedto ferve as a communication between minds. 

 Notwithstanding the authority of fome great men, who con- 

 fidered them as fhackles to the juftnefs and rapidity of our 

 conceptions, thefe philofophers dared to advance that a man 

 feparated from any commerce with his fellows, would ftill 

 fcave occafion for figns to convey the full meaning of his 

 ideas. 



In fhort, fome have imagined that they obferved in figns 

 a much more aftonifhing fervice rendered to reafon •, that is, 

 that the exiftence of the ideas themfelves fuppofed the ex- 

 iftence of figns, and that men would be deprived of all ideas 

 if they were deprived of all figns. 



So that they have judged figns necefiary not only for the 

 communication of ideas, for combining ideas newly acquired, 

 and for forming new ideas, but ftill for having firft ideas — the 

 ideas which proceed more immediately from the fenfations. 



If a certain influence of figns on the formation of ideas is a, 

 thing inconteftable and univerfally acknowledged, the cafe is- 

 not the fame with the degree of this influence. Here opi- 

 nions are divided, and what fome confider as axioms, others* 

 treat as abfurd paradoxes. 



The Inftitute waits to receive memoirs, which by new 

 refearches, and new illuftrations, may difpel the uncertainties 



that^ 



