OF THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE ARTS AND SCIENCES
Nothing requires greater nicety,° in our enquiries concerning human affairs, than to distinguish
exactly what is owing to chance, and what proceeds from causes; nor is there any subject, in
which an author is more liable to deceive himself by false subtilties and refinements. To say, that
any event is derived from chance, cuts short all farther enquiry concerning it, and leaves the
writer in the same state of ignorance with the rest of mankind. But when the event is supposed to
proceed from certain and stable causes, he may then display his ingenuity, in assigning these
causes; and as a man of any subtilty can never be at a loss in this particular, he has thereby an
opportunity of swelling his volumes, and discovering his profound knowledge, in observing what
escapes the vulgar and ignorant.
OF THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE ARTS AND SCIENCESNothing requires greater nicety,° in our enquiries concerning human affairs, than to distinguishexactly what is owing to chance, and what proceeds from causes; nor is there any subject, inwhich an author is more liable to deceive himself by false subtilties and refinements. To say, thatany event is derived from chance, cuts short all farther enquiry concerning it, and leaves thewriter in the same state of ignorance with the rest of mankind. But when the event is supposed toproceed from certain and stable causes, he may then display his ingenuity, in assigning thesecauses; and as a man of any subtilty can never be at a loss in this particular, he has thereby anopportunity of swelling his volumes, and discovering his profound knowledge, in observing whatescapes the vulgar and ignorant.
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