Chap. IV. A N T I E N T M E T A P H Y S I G S. 337 



intelligence from the univerfe, to make us believe that there is no- 

 thing exifting but the material world, and this framed without that 

 archetype, which we call the intelledual world j that is, in other 

 words, without counfel or defign. 



There are others who, though they admit generals^ wnll not fo rea- 

 dily allow that there is any reality in uniuerfals, fuch as the cate- 

 gories. We admit, fay they, that there is the fpecies, man^ diftindi 

 from the Individuals of that fpecies ; but we do not know what to 

 make of the genus, as you call it, animal. It is the misfortune, as I 

 obferved before, of many philofophers now a-days, that they have not 

 learned logic ; for, if they had, they would know, that what is genus 

 with rcfped to one fpecies, is fpecies with refpe6l: to another genus. 

 Thus, for example, animal is the genus with refped to Jiian^ but it is 

 the fpecies with refpe£l to animated fubftance. Ir is therefore impof- 

 fible to make any difference in this matter, betwixt genus and fpecies. 

 Nor, indeed, can it be conceived how we fliould generalize {o far as to 

 form the idea of a man, and why we fhould not generalize fo much 

 farther, as to form the idea of an animal ; for, if we can make fuch a 

 colledion of qualities as belong to man, and to man only, diftinguiih- 

 ing him from every other animal. Why fliould not we make likewife 

 fuch another coUedion, agreeing to all animals, and to animals only, 

 and diftinguifhing them from every other animated fubftance ? 



That men, who have no fcience, fliould not readily conceive the na- 

 ture o^ generals, nor be able to diftinguifli betwixt Peter, James, or 

 John, and the idea of the fpecies, I do not fo much wonder ; but, I 

 confefs, I have often wondered to hear mathematicians deny the ex- 

 iftence o': generals ; becaufe this appeared to me to be giving up their 

 fcience ; for, if they fay that they demonflrate nothing but of the par- 

 ticular triangle upon the paper, they muft confefs that the truths of 

 their fcience are not univerfal truths, nor demonjlrative truths ; as 



^ ^ notliinir 



