2932. By a tacit speech as well it was also granted me to tell them that there is nothing at all that a human being knows, for example, not even how the muscles produce actions, when yet in this as about everything else that pertains only to the body, there are countless things we do not know, and that in the body alone there are the deepest secrets of all the sciences, yet they know not even the least of them. And nevertheless they think that unless they know and then grasp, or as they say, perceive by sense, how there are spiritual things, which are inside of that realm (where there are still more countless numbers of things we know nothing about), [they cannot believe]. What then will come of this but denial of everything, and thus something foggy containing nothing?-into which they were transformed, so to speak, because it was congruent with their fantasized mental images? 1748, 26 Aug.
2932. It was also granted to tell them, by tacit speech, that there is never anything which man knows, for instance, how the muscles operate actions: when yet therein [ibi], as about everything else that pertains only to the body, there are indefinite things which we do not know; and that in the body alone are the most recondite things, pertaining to all the sciences, and yet they do not know their least, and nevertheless suppose unless they know, and so apprehend, or as they say, understand by the senses, how there are spiritual things, which [are] within that sphere, and where [there are] indefinites still, whereof we know nothing at all, [that there is no such spiritual principle]. What then could exist thence, but denial of all things, and thus a sort of cloudy principle [nebulosum] wherein was nothing into which they are as it were transformed, because they agreed with their ideas or phantasies. - 1748, August 26.
2932. Iis quoque per loquelam tacitam dicere quoque dabatur, quod nihil usquam sit quod homo novit, sicut, quod ne quomodo musculi operantur actiones, cum tamen ibi, ut circa reliqua omnia, solum quae corporis sunt, indefinita sunt quae nescimus, et quod sint arcanissima omnium scientiarum, quae in corpore solum, cum tamen ne minimum eorum sciant; et tamen putant, nisi scirent et sic caperent, seu ut dicunt, intelligerent sensu quomodo sint spiritualia, quae intra eam sphaeram--et 1
ubi adhuc indefinitates, de quibus ne hilum novimus--[quod non credere possent]; quid 2
tunc inde existeret, nisi omnium negatio, et sic quoddam tale nebulosum, cui nihil inesset, in quod transformati quasi sunt, quia congruebat 3
ideis seu phantasiis eorum? 1748 4
, 26 5
Aug.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has sphaeram, et
2. The Manuscript has novimus; quid
3. The Manuscript has congruebant
4. The Manuscript has eorum. 1748
5. In the Manuscript 25 in 26 emendatum