CAUSATION 



chapter, we are compelled to formulate our con- 

 ception of the Power which is manifested in 

 the sequence of external phenomena, in terms 

 of that Power which is alone directly known 

 to us in consciousness. Hence, when we see 

 one object moved by another, we conceive the 

 impelling object as putting forth effort and 

 overcoming the inertia of the impelled object. 

 Though we no longer, like some children and 

 all savages, regard this as a conscious effort, at- 

 tended by volition, we still conceive it as an 

 effort attended by resistance. And from this 

 anthropomorphism of thought are derived two 

 closely related, though apparently incompatible, 

 metaphysical theories ; the theory that matter, 

 regarded as a cause, is endowed with an occulta 

 vis ; and the theory that matter, regarded as an 

 effect, can move only under constraint from 

 without. 



Such is the origin of our conception of power 

 in causation. Yet that the conception, as thus 

 formulated, cannot correspond to the external 

 reality, is a truth so obvious, at the present stage 

 of our discussion, as hardly to need pointing 

 out. It is enough to remark that since effort, 

 as known to us, is only an affection of our con- 

 sciousness, we cannot conceive the wind which 

 overturns a tree as exerting effort, unless we 

 mentally endow the wind with consciousness. 

 The primitive man did not scruple at this ; to 

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