Greene, Robert (c. 1678-1730)

The principles of the philosophy of the expansive and contractive forces. Or an inquiry into the principles of the modern philosophy, that is, into the several chief rational sciences, which are extant. In seven books

Cambridge

Printed at the University-Press, by Cornelius Crownfield, and are to be sold by him, E. Jefferys, and W. Thurlbourne booksellers in Cambridge, and by J. Knapton, R. Knaplock, W. and J. Innys, and B. Motte, London

1727

"The first Attempt in this Philosophy is, to Clear the Mind of any Innate Ideas or Principles, and to make it a Rasa Tabula, or to Resemble a Piece of Blank Paper, without any Original Characters, or Inscriptions, Engraved upon it;"

The first Attempt in this Philosophy is, to Clear the Mind of any Innate Ideas or Principles, and to make it a Rasa Tabula, or to Resemble a Piece of Blank Paper, without any Original Characters, or Inscriptions, Engraved upon it; Whereas it is Impossible for it to Prove this, whilst it Professes it's self Ignorant of the Nature and Constitution of the Mind; For if it is a Being Independent of the Body, and had an Existence of it's own before it's Union with it, it is not certain, but it might have Ideas Peculiar to it's self, Previous to any Received from Sensation; This Philosophy will not Disown, that there are Spirits and Intelligences, which Exist in that Manner; How then can it be Evidenced, that Human Minds may not have, not only Powers and Faculties, but Ideas also, Derived from those Powers, which were not owing to any External Impressions? How can it Demonstrate, that our Souls did not Pre-Exist to their Union with our Bodies? All which is to be done, before it can Affirm, that the Mind has no innate Ideas, no Proper Notions, belonging to it, which are the Immediate Result and Consequence of it's own Immaterial Nature.
(V.ii.1, p. 602)

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Greene, Robert. The principles of the philosophy of the expansive and contractive forces. Or an inquiry into the principles of the modern philosophy, that is, into the several chief rational sciences, which are extant. In seven books. By Robert Greene, ... Cambridge, 1727. Based on information from English Short Title Catalogue. Eighteenth Century Collections Online. Gale Group. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/ECCO

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10/08/2006