Page:An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding - Hume (1748).djvu/68

 rance a little longer: As perhaps the most perfect Philosophy of the moral or metaphysical Kind serves only to discover larger Portions of our Ignorance. Thus the Observation of human Ignorance and Weakness is the Result of all our Philosophy, and meets us, at every Turn, in spite of our Endeavours to conquer, or avoid it.

is Geometry, when taken into the Assistance of natural Philosophy, ever able to remedy this Defect, or lead us into the Knowledge of ultimate Causes, by all that Accuracy of Reasoning, for which it is so justly celebrated. Every Part of mix'd Mathematics still upon the Supposition, that certain Laws are establish'd by Nature in her Operations; and abstract Reasonings are employ'd, either to assist Experience in the Discovery of these Laws, or to determine their Influence in particular Instances, where it depends upon any precise Degrees of Distance and Quantity. Thus 'tis a Law of Motion, discover'd by Experience, that the Moment or Force of any Body in Motion is in the compound Ratio or Proportion of its solid Contents and its Velocity; and consequently, that a small Force may remove or raise the greatest Weight, if by any Contrivance or Machinery we can encrease the Velocity of that Force, so as to make it an Overmatch for its Antagonist. Geometry assists us in the Application of this Law, by