(AP:22) They
therefore laid down as an axiom, that God's judgments far transcend human
understanding. (AP:23) Such a doctrine might well have sufficed to conceal
the truth from the human race for all eternity, if mathematics had not
furnished another standard of verity in considering solely the essence and
properties of figures without regard to their final causes. (24) There are
other reasons (which I need not mention here) besides mathematics, which
might have caused men's minds to be directed to these general prejudices,
and have led them to the knowledge of the truth.
(AP:25) I have now sufficiently explained my first point. (26) There is
no need to show at length, that nature has no particular goal in view, and
that final causes are mere human figments. (27) This, I think, is already
evident enough, both from the causes and foundations on which I have shown
such prejudice to be based, and also from [xvi] , and the Corollary of
[xxxii] , and, in fact, all those propositions in which I have shown, that
everything in nature proceeds from a sort of necessity, and with the utmost
perfection. (28) However, I will add a few remarks, in order to overthrow
this doctrine of a final cause utterly. (29) That which is really a cause
it considers as an effect, and vice versa: it makes that which is by nature
first to be last, and that which is highest and most perfect to be most
imperfect.
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