Chap. IX. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 149 



or impreflions of bodies upon our organs of fenfe; from which arife 

 the perceptions of thofe bodies: And this is the firft operation of our 

 minds in this life. The next operation is, the Confcioufnefs of thefe 

 perceptions. From thefe two fources, as I have faid, is derived 

 all our knowledge in this life, even the knowledge of our own 

 exiftence. It is by this faculty of confcioufnefs, as I have faid in 

 the paflage above quoted*, that we are diftinguiflied effentially from 

 the brute: Tor the brute, though he have perceptions of fcnfe as well 

 as we, has not the confcioufnefs of thefe perceptions ; and therefore 

 he has no knowledge, not even the knowledge of his own exiftence. 

 It is from the confcioufnefs which we have of the perceptions of fenfe 

 that we form our ideas ; and from our ideas, it is well known that 

 all arts and fciences are derived. But of ideas, though I have faid 

 a good deal elfewhere, I will fay fomething more in a fubfequent 

 chapter. 



Having prcmifed thus much concerning what is nccefTary to pre- 

 pare man for his improvement in civil fociety, I come now to in- 

 quire how civil fociety began, and in what ftate men were before 

 they formed that connexion with one another which civil fociety pro- 

 duces. And I fay that they muft have been in the herding ftate: For 

 we cannot fuppofe that men, difperfed in a country, (hould have all 

 at once met and aftembled together to form fuch an union as that of 

 civil fociety; but it was moft natural, and, indeed, I think, necef- 

 fary, that they fhould firft be aflembled in herds, and, having thus 

 become acquainted with one another, Ihould agree to form a clofler 

 union ; I mean that of civil fociety. A fociety thus conftituted 

 may have been at firft pretty numerous, if we fuppofe that the 

 whole herd at once agreed to form a fociety. But we may fuppofe 

 that only lome of them agreed to that; and that only one man with 

 a female or two, and fome children, may have feparated from the 

 reft, and formed a fmall fcciety by themlelvea. And in this way I 



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