 | |
|
Search for Truth as comprehensive as possible by covering all the topics that needed to be discussed. And I think is rather uncontroversial that among these main philosophical problems, werewolves have a quite preeminent place!
While I was quickly skipping through this volume, selecting the passages I was interested in from this rigorous summa of Malebranche's philosophy and epistemology, I was surprised to find a chapter titled "People Who Imagine Themselves to be Sorcerers and Werewolves." Although I read it with interest and I found it rather entertaining, my first thought was: "Why in the world he, a rationalist philosopher, needed to give a lengthy refutation of these folkloristic stories?"
Then, after further and less superficial consideration, I realised that, firstly, I was surprised because, nowaday, it is (almost?) universally believed that werewolves are only fictional creatures, but apparently that was not the case during Malebranche's days. Secondly, I was entertained because, even if the French philosopher discusses here things that today we intuitively connect with novels and movies, he was still able to communicate through his treatment some of the main traits of his philosophy. Malebranche describes these beliefs as mere superstitions produced by man's imagination (or, at most, clinical cases in need of medical treatment), as opposed to the enquiry of reason which focuses primarily not on sensations and emotions but rather on the intelligible ideas that the universal reason (the Logos, for Malebranche, incarnated in Jesus Christ) communicates to men in general through rational enquiries and to some men in particular through special revelation. So, after reading the passage and reflecting upon it, maybe it is fair to say that Malebranche's chapter witnesses not against the seriousness of his long book, but, on the contrary, in favour of its comprehensiveness and attention to the issues that surrounded him at his times (although, I am sure he won't mind if I still consider his words quite entertaining). Finally, and needles to say, I do not endorse many of the ideas present in the book in question.
The quote below is the section I am talking about. It is from an old English translation published in 1700. There is also a new English translation of this work, which I hyperlinked above, and that I was too lazy to transcribe here, preferring a quicker copy and past from the old translation. But the English is exquisitely refined, so hope you enjoy it!
The strangest effect of the force of imagination, is the immoderate fear of the apparition of spirits, witchcraft, spells, and charms, lycanthropes or wolf-men, and generally of whatever is supposed to depend on the power of the devil. There is nothing more terrible, or that frightens the mind more, and makes deeper impressions in the brain, than the idea of an invisible power, intent upon doing us mischief, and to which we can make no resistance. Whatever discourses raise that Idea, are attended to with dread and curiosity. Now men affecting all that's extraordinary, take a whimsical delight in relating witches surprising and prodigious stories, of the power and malice of witches, both to the fearing others and themfelves...
Men in speaking engrave in our brain such impressions as they have themselves. When they are deep they speak in a way that makes a deep impression upon others: for they never speak, but they make them like themselves in some thing or other. Children in their mother's womb, have only the perceptions of their mothers; and when brought into the world, imagine little more than what their parents are the cause of; even the wisest men take their measures, rather from the Imagination of others, that is, from opinion and custom, than from the rules of reason...
The apprehension of wolf-men, or of men who imagine themselves transformed into wolves-men, is a fancy no less ridiculous. A man by an extraordinary sally of imagination, falls into a form of madness, that makes him fancy he grows a wolf every night. This disorder of his mind disposes him to the doing all the actions that wolves either do, or he has heard of them. He leaps then out of his house at midnight, roams along the streets, falls upon some child he meets with, bites, tears, and miserably misuses it. The stupid and superstitious people imagine this fanatic is really turned wolf; because the wretch believes it himself, and has whispered it to some persons, who cannot conceal the secret.
Were it an easy thing to form in the brain such impressions, as persuade men they are transformed into wolves; and could they run along the Streets and make all the havoc those wretched wolf-men do, without an entire subversion of their brain (as 'tis an easy matter for a man to go to the witches-sabbath, in his bed, and without waking ) these notable stories of men metamorphosed into wolves, would have no less effed than those that are told of the rendezvous of witches; and we should have as many wolfmen as we have wizards. But the persuasion of being changed into a wolf, supposes a subversion of brain much harder to be effected than that disorder of one, who only thought he went to the midnight-sabbath, that is, of one, who fancied he saw in the night what was not and who, when he waked, could not distinguish his dreams from the thoughts he had in the day-time.
The main reason why we cannot take our dreams for realities is, the Incoherence we find in our dreams, with the things we have done, when awake: for hereby we discover they are only dreams...
But the imagination must be highly distempered before a man can fancy himself a cock, a cat, a wolf, or an ox; which is the reason the thing is no commoner; though these disorders of mind sometimes happen either through God's punitive justice, as in the cafe of Nebuchodonosor, related in Scripture, or by a natural overflowing of melancholy in the brain, whereof many instances are to be met with in the books of physicians.
~ Nicolas Malebranche, Treatise Concerning the Search After Truth, Book 2, Part 3, Chapter 6.
🐺 🐕 🐺
©
©
