"The force of which Argument lies thus, Cogitation in the Soul answering to Motion in Body, as the same Motion cannot be restor'd, but a new Motion may be produc'd; so the same Cogitations cannot be restor'd, but new Cogitations must be produc'd."
— Trotter, Catherine, later Cockburn, (1674?-1749)
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for Will Turner and John Nutt
Date
1702
Metaphor
"The force of which Argument lies thus, Cogitation in the Soul answering to Motion in Body, as the same Motion cannot be restor'd, but a new Motion may be produc'd; so the same Cogitations cannot be restor'd, but new Cogitations must be produc'd."
Metaphor in Context
But upon this Supposition (says the Remarker) that all our Thoughts perish in sound Sleep, we seem to have a new Soul every Morning. That's a pretty Conceit indeed, but how does this seem? Thus as he explains himself; If a Body cease to move, and come to a perfect Rest, the motion it had cannot be restored, but a new Motion may be produc'd. If all Cogitation be extinct, all our Ideas are extinct, so far as they are Cogitations, and seated in the Soul. So we must have them new imprest, we are, as it were, new Born, and begin the World again. The force of which Argument lies thus, Cogitation in the Soul answering to Motion in Body, as the same Motion cannot be restor'd, but a new Motion may be produc'd; so the same Cogitations cannot be restor'd, but new Cogitations must be produc'd. Ergo, we seem to have a new Soul every Morning. This may be a good Consequence, when the Remarker has proved that every new Motion makes, or seems to make a new Body: In the mean time, all I can infer from this Parallel, is, That my Thoughts to Day, are not the same numerical Thoughts I had Yesterday, which, I believe, no body supposes they are, tho' they did not suspect they had a new Soul with every new Thought.
(p. 32)
(p. 32)
Categories
Provenance
Reading Trotter in ECCO
Citation
Only 1 entry in ESTC (1702).
Text transcribed from Catharine Trotter, A Defence of the Essay of Human Understanding, Written by Mr. Lock. Wherein Its Principles With Reference to Morality, Reveal'd Religion, and the Immortality of the Soul, [Sic] Are Consider'd and Justify'd: In Answer to Some Remarks on That Essay. (London: Printed for Will Turner and John Nutt, 1702. <Link to ESTC>
Text transcribed from Catharine Trotter, A Defence of the Essay of Human Understanding, Written by Mr. Lock. Wherein Its Principles With Reference to Morality, Reveal'd Religion, and the Immortality of the Soul, [Sic] Are Consider'd and Justify'd: In Answer to Some Remarks on That Essay. (London: Printed for Will Turner and John Nutt, 1702. <Link to ESTC>
Date of Entry
03/23/2005
