Philosophical Letters: or, modest Reflections upon some Opinions in Natural PhilosophyNewcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of
Philosophy
Philosophical Letters: or, modest Reflections upon some Opinions in Natural Philosophy
Newcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of
Newcastle, William Cavendish, Duke of, 1592-1676; Philosophy
moves as well as the animate, although not in the same manner; for the
animate moves of it self, and the inanimate moves by the help of the
animate, and thus the animate is moving and the inanimate moved; not
that the animate matter transfers, infuses, or communicates its own
motion to the inanimate; for this is impossible, by reason it cannot
part with its own nature, nor alter the nature of inanimate matter,
but each retains its own nature; for the inanimate matter remains
inanimate, that is, without self-motion, and the animate loses nothing
of its self-motion, which otherwise it would, if it should impart or
transferr its motion into the inanimate matter; but onely as I said
heretofore, the inanimate works or moves with the animate, because of
their close union and commixture; for the animate forces or causes
the inanimate matter to work with her; and thus one is moving, the
other moved, and consequently there is life and knowledg in all parts
of nature, by reason in all parts of nature there is a commixture of
animate and inanimate matter: and this Life and Knowledg is sense and
reason, or sensitive and rational corporeal motions, which are all one
thing with animate matter without any distinction or abstraction, and
can no more quit matter, then matter can quit motion. Wherefore every
creature being composed of this commixture of animate and inanimate
matter, has also selfe-motion, that is life and knowledg, sense and
reason, so that no part hath need to give or receive motion to or from
another part; although it may be an occasion of such a manner of motion
to another part, and cause it to move thus or thus: as for example,
A Watch-maker doth not give the watch its motion, but he is onely the
occasion, that the watch moves after that manner, for the motion of the
watch is the watches own motion, inherent in those parts ever since
that matter was, and if the watch ceases to move after such a manner or
way, that manner or way of motion is never the less in those parts of
matter, the watch is made of, and if several other figures should be
made of that matter, the power of moving in the said manner or mode,
would yet still remain in all those parts of matter as long as they are
body, and have motion in them. Wherefore one body may occasion another
body to move so or so, but not give it any motion, but every body
(though occasioned by another, to move in such a way) moves by its own
natural motion; for self-motion is the very nature of animate matter,
and is as much in hard, as in fluid bodies, although your _Author_
denies it, saying,[3] _The nature of fluid bodies consists in the
motion of those little insensible parts into which they are divided,
and the nature of hard bodies, when those little particles joyned
closely together, do rest_; for there is no rest in nature; wherefore
if there were a World of Gold, and a World of Air, I do verily believe,
that the World of Gold would be as much interiously active, as the
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