The knowledge of ourselves

The knowledge of ourselves deserves more accurate handling.

The ancient oracle directs us to this knowledge. It is the end and term of natural philosophy in the intention of man.

As a general rule:

• all partitions of knowledges is accepted more for lines and veins than for sections and separations
• the continuance and entireness of knowledge is preserved.

The lack of this knowledge has made particular sciences barren, shallow, and erroneous because they were not nourished from the common fountain.

This is why Cicero, the orator, complained that Socrates and his school first separated philosophy and rhetoric.

• This made rhetoric an empty and verbal art.

Copernicus thinks that the rotation of the earth cannot be corrected by astronomy itself, because it is consistent with phenomena.

Yet natural philosophy may correct it [by making the phenomena revolve around the Earth?].

This is why the science of medicine, if it were forsaken by natural philosophy, would not much better than an empirical practice.

Human philosophy or humanity has 2 parts:

1. Simple and particular

This considers man segregate or distributively

2. Conjugate and civil

This considers man as congregate or in society

Humanity particular consisted of the same parts as man consists:

• knowledges which respect the body
• knowledges that respect the mind.

But before we distribute, it is good to constitute.

Generally, human nature should be made a knowledge by itself as the sympathies between the mind and body. These are mixed and cannot be properly assigned to the sciences of either*.

This knowledge of human nature is not to create delightful and elegant discourses about man’s:

• dignity
• miseries
• state and life
• the like adjuncts of his common and undivided nature

This knowledge [of human philosophy] has 2 branches:

1. Discovery – How the one discloses the other

2. Impression – How the one works on the other

All leagues and amities consist of mutual intelligence and mutual offices. Likewise, this league of mind and body has these 2 parts.

1. Discovery

This has led to 2 arts:

• prediction or prenotion; whereof the one is honoured with the inquiry of Aristotle
• the other of Hippocrates.

They have of later time been used to be coupled with superstitions and fantastical arts. Yet being purged and restored to their true state, both of them have:

• a solid ground in Nature
• a profitable use in life.

1. Physiognomy

This discovers the disposition of the mind by the lineaments of the body. This is deficient.

2. The exposition of natural dreams

This discovers the state of the body by the imaginations of the mind.

Aristotle had very ingeniously and diligently handled the factures of the body, but not the gestures of the body, which are no less comprehensible by art, and of greater use and advantage.

The lineaments of the body discloses the disposition and inclination of the mind in general. This is also done by the motions of the countenance and parts of the body, which also disclose the present humour and state of the mind and will.

As your majesty said most aptly:

The eyes of subtle persons dwell on the faces and fashions of men. They know well the advantage of this observation, as being most part of their ability.

2. Impression

Impression has not been collected into art, but has been handled dispersedly.

It has the same relation or antistrophe that the former has.

This is because the consideration is double:

1. How and how far the humours and affects of the body changes the mind

2. How and how far the passions or apprehensions of the mind change the body

This was considered as a part and appendix of medicine, but much more as a part of religion or superstition.

The physician prescribes cures of the mind for the frenzies and melancholy passions. He pretends to:

• exhibit medicines to exhilarate the mind
• control the courage
• clarify the wits
• corroborate the memory, and the like.

But the religions exceed the physicians in the scruples and superstitions of diet and other regiment of the body. Examples are:

• the sect of the Pythagoreans
• the heresy of the Manichees
• the law of Mahomet.

The root and life of all which prescripts is (besides the ceremony) the consideration of that dependency which the affections of the mind are submitted unto upon the state and disposition of the body.

A man of weak judgment might think that this mental suffering from the body questions the soul’s immortality or sovereignty.

But this idea is corrected by the fact that:

• the infant in the mother’s womb is compatible with the mother, and yet separable.
• the most absolute monarch is sometimes led by his servants without subjection.

All wise physicians consider accidentia animi as of great force to further or hinder remedies or recoveries in their prescriptions to their patients.

It is a very deep inquiry about the imagination – how and how far it changes the body proper of the imaginer.

• It has a power to hurt.
• It does not follow that it has the same degree of power to help.

Pestilent airs can suddenly kill a healthy man.

• But it does not mean that sovereign airs can suddenly cure a sick man.

But the inquiry on the imagination is of great use. But as Socrates said, it needs “a Delian diver” because it is difficult and profound.

The most necessary that part of this inquiry is on the seats and domiciles of the several faculties of the mind in the organs of the body*.

Plato placed:

• the understanding in the brain
• animosity (which he did unfitly call anger, having a greater mixture with pride) in the heart
• concupiscence or sensuality in the liver

This deserveth not to be despised, but much less to be allowed.

So, then, we have constituted (as in our own wish and advice) the inquiry touching human nature entire, as a just portion of knowledge to be handled apart.