책소개

<미리 보기>
Concerning the Thoughts of man, I will consider them first Singly, and afterwards in Trayne, or dependance upon one another. Singly, they are every one a Representation or Apparence, of some quality, or other Accident of a body without us; which is commonly called an Object. Which Object worketh on the Eyes, Eares, and other parts of mans body; and by diversity of working, produceth diversity of Apparences.
The Originall of them all, is that which we call Sense; (For there is no conception in a mans mind, which hath not at first, totally, or by parts, been begotten upon the organs of Sense.) The rest are derived from that originall.
To know the naturall cause of Sense, is not very necessary to the business now in hand; and I have els-where written of the same at large. Nevertheless, to fill each part of my present method, I will briefly deliver the same in this place.
The cause of Sense, is the Externall Body, or Object, which presseth the organ proper to each Sense, either immediatly, as in the Tast and Touch; or mediately, as in Seeing, Hearing, and Smelling: which pressure, by the mediation of Nerves, and other strings, and membranes of the body, continued inwards to the Brain, and Heart, causeth there a resistance, or counter-pressure, or endeavour of the heart, to deliver it self: which endeavour because Outward, seemeth to be some matter without. And this Seeming, or Fancy, is that which men call sense; and consisteth, as to the Eye, in a Light, or Colour Figured; To the Eare, in a Sound; To the Nostrill, in an Odour; To the Tongue and Palat, in a Savour; and to the rest of the body, in Heat, Cold, Hardnesse, Softnesse, and such other qualities, as we discern by Feeling. All which qualities called Sensible, are in the object that causeth them, but so many several motions of the matter, by which it presseth our organs diversly. Neither in us that are pressed, are they anything els, but divers motions; (for motion, produceth nothing but motion.) But their apparence to us is Fancy, the same waking, that dreaming. And as pressing, rubbing, or striking the Eye, makes us fancy a light; and pressing the Eare, produceth a dinne; so do the bodies also we see, or hear, produce the same by their strong, though unobserved action, For if those Colours, and Sounds, were in the Bodies, or Objects that cause them, they could not bee severed from them, as by glasses, and in Ecchoes by reflection, wee see they are; where we know the thing we see, is in one place; the apparence, in another. And though at some certain distance, the reall, and very object seem invested with the fancy it begets in us; Yet still the object is one thing, the image or fancy is another. So that Sense in all cases, is nothing els but originall fancy, caused (as I have said) by the pressure, that is, by the motion, of externall things upon our Eyes, Eares, and other organs thereunto ordained.
But the Philosophy-schooles, through all the Universities of Christendome, grounded upon certain Texts of Aristotle, teach another doctrine; and say, For the cause of Vision, that the thing seen, sendeth forth on every side a Visible Species(in English) a Visible Shew, Apparition, or Aspect, or a Being Seen; the receiving whereof into the Eye, is Seeing. And for the cause of Hearing, that the thing heard, sendeth forth an Audible Species, that is, an Audible Aspect, or Audible Being Seen; which entring at the Eare, maketh Hearing. Nay for the cause of Understanding also, they say the thing Understood sendeth forth Intelligible Species, that is, an Intelligible Being Seen; which comming into the Understanding, makes us Understand. I say not this, as disapproving the use of Universities: but because I am to speak hereafter of their office in a Common-wealth, I must let you see on all occasions by the way, what things would be amended in them; amongst which the frequency of insignificant Speech is one.

저자소개

1588년 4월 5일 맘즈베리 근처의 웨스트포트에서 목사 토머스 홉스의 아들로 태어났다. 홉스는 가난한 집안의 칠삭둥이였지만, 부유한 삼촌의 도움으로 학업에 전념할 수 있었다. 그는 열네 살의 나이에 옥스퍼드의 매그덜린 홀(Magdalen Hall)에서 5년간 공부하며 학사학위를 받았다.

홉스는 캐번디시 가의 가정교사로 지내면서 그 집안의 후원으로 유럽 여행을 하며 폭넓은 학문 활동을 계속할 수 있었다. 그는 1629년부터 1631년 사이에 프랑스를 여행하면서 유클리드의 기하학을 알게 되었고, 여기서 기하학의 논증적 방법을 자기 학문의 주요 방법으로 받아들였다. 그는 1608년부터 1610년 사이에 프랑스와 이탈리아를 여행하면서 프랜시스 베이컨과 교류할 기회를 가졌다.

그는 심신 이원론을 주장한 데카르트와 갈등을 빚었고, 보일의 실험주의를 비판했다. 또 보일의 진공 실험을 비난하며 진공의 존재를 인정하지 않으려고 안간힘을 쏟기도 했는데, 이 일로 결국 영국 왕립학회 회원이 될 수 없었다. 또한 절대군주제의 열렬한 지지자였던 그는 당시 영국에서 장기의회가 결성되자, 프랑스로 도피 생활을 떠나기도 했다. 그는 90세의 나이에도 저서를 출판할 만큼 만년에도 왕성한 학문 활동을 했다. 1679년 12월 초순, 그는 대학을 졸업한 후 망명기를 제외하고는 평생 동안 의지했던 캐번디시 가의 한 저택에서 91세를 일기로 생을 마감했다.

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