...possibly shall never be able to know, whether any mere material being thinks, or no; it being impossible for us, by the contemplation of our own ideas, without revelation, to discover, whether- omnipptency has not given to some systems of matter fitly disposed a power to perceive...

...Essay " discovers an unmistakable leaning in that direction ; as where the author supposes, " We shall never be able to know whether any mere material being thinks or no ; it being impossible for us, by the contemplation 01 our own ideas, without revelation, to discover whether Onmipotency...

...square, and certainly know that it is so. We have the ideas of matter and thinking, but possibly shall never be able to know whether any mere material being thinks or no ... for I see no contradiction in it that the first eternal thinking Being should, if he pleased, give...

...grouped with Collins's open radicalism to supply fuel for French deists. 4 ". . . possibly [ we ] shall never be able to know whether any mere material being thinks or no," Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Book IV, chapter 3. This sentence had caused some controversy...

...knowing this, despite the fact that we have the ideas of matter and thinking, because it is impossible for us, by the contemplation of our own ideas, without revelation, to discover whether Omnipotence has not given to some suitably disposed systems of matter a power to perceive...

...this possibility in the following way: We have the Ideas of Matter and Thinking, but possibly shall never be able to know, whether any mere material Being thinks, or no; it being impossible for us, by the contemplation of our own Ideas, without revelation, to discover, whether...

...Think. For it is faid, That we have the iiamam Ideas of Matter and Thinking, but pn/ibly l^'derfl/hall never be able to know, whether any mere material Being thinks or not ; it bei>;g sett.6. id. impoffible for us by the Contemplation of our E'i 1 3 ' •'• own Ideas,...

...that the cited remark is the first sign of his later suggestion according to which it is "impossible for us, by the contemplation of our own ideas without revelation, to discover whether Omnipotency has not given to some systems of matter, fitly disposed, a power to perceive...

...thought. In a famous passage Locke writes: We have the Ideas of Matter and Thinking, but possibly shall never be able to know, whether any mere material Being thinks, or no; it being impossible for us, by the contemplation of our own Ideas, without revelation, to discover, whether...

...VI, 21). Voici le passage incriminé : We have the Ideas of Matter and Thinking, but possibly shall never be able to know, whether any mere material Being thinks, or no; it being impossible for us, by the contemplation of our own Ideas, without revelation, to discover, whether...