2 Sept 1804

Evidence

Ch.2. Explanations

What then is nothing certain? is nothing impossible? And is this the practical fruit of you /these/ labours - the fruit /result/ at least that they seek to bring to maturity - the plunging yourself and all mankind into the abyss of scepticism - the dark and bottomless pit of universal scepticism? By no means. What I maintain is - that, as for all practical purposes of every kind - so in particular for the purposes of judicature the lights we are enabled to collect from evidence - which is as much as to say the lights we are enabled to collect from all sources put together are sufficient in the main for every purpose for which we can reasonably wish them to be sufficient: sufficient for external action, sufficient for internal satisfaction and repose.

What then is the sort of decision which by these observations it is my endeavour to remove? Not that sort of decision which is necessary to external agency, and to internal self satisfaction but that sort of a decision /blind, and deaf and impracticable/ which leads in disposition[?] to antipathy and intolerance, and in action, when it finds [...?] in [...?] of sufficient elevation - to the laying down, in the laws[?] of judicature and legislation of hasty and coercive general rules.