64 NOVUM ORGANUM. 



LXXVII. 



Quod vero ])iitant homines, in philosophia Aristotclis 

 magnum utique consensuin esse ; cum post illam edi- 

 tani, antiqiiorum philosophise cessaverint et exoleve- 

 rint ; ast aptid tempora, qua 1 seqtiuta stint, nil inelius 

 inventum t uerit ; adeo ut ilia tain bene posita et fun- 

 data videatur, tit utrumqtie tempus ad so traxcrit : 

 primo, quod de ce^satione antiquarum philosophiarum 

 post Aristotelis opera edita homines cogitant, id falsum 

 est ; din enim postea, usque ad tempora Ciceronis, et 

 secula sequentia, manserunt opera vcterum philosopho- 

 rnnr 1 . Sed temporibus insequentibus, ex inundatione 

 Barbarorum in imperium Uomannni, post(}uam doc- 

 triua liumana velut naufragiuin perpessa esset ; turn 

 demum philosophia- Aristotelis et Platonis, tanquam 

 tabula- ex materia leviore et minus solida, )&amp;gt;er Huctus 

 temporum scrvata 1 sunL&quot;. Illud etiam de eonsensu 

 t allit homines, si acutius rein introspiciant. \ erus 

 enim consensus is est )S , (jui ex libertate j udicii (re 

 l&amp;gt;rius ex])lorata) in idem conveniente consistit. At 



:&amp;gt;r And not only the works of studied the subject in question. All 



Bacon s favourites, the older (Ireek men must jud^e of some rudimen- 



Philosophers, hut the Stoic and tary points of moral and social life : 



Epicurean Schools existed, as did for all have to do with them : but it 



also the Neo-I latonist-. is only the -yrw/n/xoi whose judg- 



67 Cf. supr. I. 71. ment is worth any thin^ as to sub- 



Vs The true rule of consent then jects beyond vulgar apprehension, 



will be, if men agree after (i)care- Thus the universal consent of five 



ful investigation ; (2) free judg- thousand years and more in the 



ment: free, i.e. from trammels of sun s revolving round the earth, 



authority, prejudice, suspicion, &c. has now no weight at all. Aristotle 



Aristotle himself gives a rule for was quite aware too of the risk aris- 



consent which is extremely judi- ing to truth from custom : see Me- 



CIOUS, T(J TTUCTIV f) To tS TfXdcfTOlS 1] taj)ll. A. TO (\(ITTOV, C\\. 3. HXlKTjV 



rols /idXtora yi&amp;gt;u&amp;gt;pifjiois SoKovvra, Ar. 8( tcr^vv *x fL r ^ o vfTjdfs, ol vop.oi 8rj- 



Topic. I. i. 7. shewing that there is Xovtrtv, tv ols ru fj.v6&amp;lt;ji8rj KUI 



a strong }&amp;gt;resumption in favour of ptd&amp;gt;8rj nt i^ov lcr\v(i TOV yi 



whatever is believed by everybody; Trepi avTw 8ia TO edos. 

 or by those who have particularly 



