IF HISTORY had to deal with external phenomena¹, the establishment of this simple and obvious law would be sufficient, and our argument would be at an end. But the law of history relates to man. A particle of matter cannot tell us that it does not feel the inevitability² of attraction and repulsion, and that the law is not true. Man, who is the subject of history, bluntly says: I am free, and so I am not subject to law.

The presence of the question of the freedom of the will, if not openly expressed, is felt at every step in history.

All seriously thinking historians are involuntarily led to this question. All the inconsistencies, and the obscurity of history, and the false path that science has followed, is due to that unsolved question.

If the will of every man were free, that is, if every man could act as he chose, the whole of history would be a tissue of disconnected accidents.

If one man only out of millions once in a thousand years had the power of acting³ freely, that is, as he chose, it is obvious that a single free act of that man in opposition⁴ to the laws governing human action would destroy the possibility of any laws whatever governing all humanity.

If there is but one law controlling the actions of men, there can be no free will, since men's will must be subject to that law.

In this contradiction lies the question of the freedom of the will, which from the most ancient times has occupied the best intellects of mankind, and has from the most ancient times been regarded as of immense importance.

Looking at man as a subject of observation from any point of view—theological, historical, ethical⁵, philosophical—we find a general law of necessity to which he is subject like everything existing. Looking at him from within ourselves, as what we are conscious of, we feel ourselves free.

This consciousness is a source of self-knowledge utterly⁷ apart and independent of reason. Through reason man observes himself; but he knows himself only through consciousness.

Apart from consciousness of self, any observation and application of reason is inconceivable.

点击收听单词发音  

1 phenomena
n.现象
参考例句：
Ade couldn't relate the phenomena with any theory he knew.艾德无法用他所知道的任何理论来解释这种现象。 The object of these experiments was to find the connection,if any,between the two phenomena.这些实验的目的就是探索这两种现象之间的联系，如果存在着任何联系的话。

2 inevitability
n.必然性
参考例句：
Evolutionism is normally associated with a belief in the inevitability of progress. 进化主义通常和一种相信进步不可避免的看法相联系。 It is the tide of the times, an inevitability of history. 这是时代的潮流，历史的必然。

3 acting
n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的
参考例句：
Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。 During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

4 opposition
n.反对，敌对
参考例句：
The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。 The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 ethical
adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的
参考例句：
It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。 It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

6 philosophic
adj.哲学的，贤明的
参考例句：
It was a most philosophic and jesuitical motorman.这是个十分善辩且狡猾的司机。 The Irish are a philosophic as well as a practical race.爱尔兰人是既重实际又善于思想的民族。

7 utterly
adv.完全地，绝对地
参考例句：
Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。 I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

8 pointed
adj.尖的，直截了当的
参考例句：
He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。 She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

9 controverts
v.争论，反驳，否定( controvert的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：

10 organisation
n.组织，安排，团体，有机休
参考例句：
The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。 His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

11 motives
n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )
参考例句：
to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机 His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

12 deductions
扣除( deduction的名词复数 )； 结论； 扣除的量； 推演
参考例句：
Many of the older officers trusted agents sightings more than cryptanalysts'deductions. 许多年纪比较大的军官往往相信特务的发现，而不怎么相信密码分析员的推断。 You know how you rush at things,jump to conclusions without proper deductions. 你知道你处理问题是多么仓促，毫无合适的演绎就仓促下结论。

13 savage
adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人
参考例句：
The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。 He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

14 sage
n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的
参考例句：
I was grateful for the old man's sage advice.我很感激那位老人贤明的忠告。 The sage is the instructor of a hundred ages.这位哲人是百代之师。

15 precisely
adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地
参考例句：
It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。 The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

16 repletion
n.充满，吃饱
参考例句：
It is better to die of repletion than to endure hunger.饱死胜过挨饿。 A baby vomits milk from repletion.婴儿吃饱会吐奶。

17 virtue
n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力
参考例句：
He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。 You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

18 vice
n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的
参考例句：
He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。 They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

19 almighty
adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的
参考例句：
Those rebels did not really challenge Gods almighty power.这些叛徒没有对上帝的全能力量表示怀疑。 It's almighty cold outside.外面冷得要命。

20 innate
adj.天生的，固有的，天赋的
参考例句：
You obviously have an innate talent for music.你显然有天生的音乐才能。 Correct ideas are not innate in the mind.人的正确思想不是自己头脑中固有的。

21 ethics
n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准
参考例句：
The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。 Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

22 conceited
adj.自负的，骄傲自满的
参考例句：
He could not bear that they should be so conceited.他们这样自高自大他受不了。 I'm not as conceited as so many people seem to think.我不像很多人认为的那么自负。

23 diffusion
n.流布；普及；散漫
参考例句：
The invention of printing helped the diffusion of learning.印刷术的发明有助于知识的传播。 The effect of the diffusion capacitance can be troublesome.扩散电容会引起麻烦。

24 strenuously
adv.奋发地，费力地
参考例句：
The company has strenuously defended its decision to reduce the workforce. 公司竭力为其裁员的决定辩护。 She denied the accusation with some warmth, ie strenuously, forcefully. 她有些激动，竭力否认这一指责。

25 physiology
n.生理学，生理机能
参考例句：
He bought a book about physiology.他买了一本生理学方面的书。 He was awarded the Nobel Prize for achievements in physiology.他因生理学方面的建树而被授予诺贝尔奖。

26 zoology
n.动物学，生态
参考例句：
I would like to brush up my zoology.我想重新温习一下动物学。 The library didn't stock zoology textbooks.这家图书馆没有动物学教科书。

27 secretions
n.分泌（物）( secretion的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Lysozyme is an enzyme found in egg white, tears, and other secretions. 溶菌酶是存在于卵白、泪和其他分泌物中的一种酶。 来自辞典例句 Chest percussion and vibration are used with postural drainage to help dislodge secretions. 在做体位引流时要敲击和振动胸部帮助分泌物松动排出。 来自辞典例句

28 illustrates
给…加插图( illustrate的第三人称单数 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明
参考例句：
This historical novel illustrates the breaking up of feudal society in microcosm. 这部历史小说是走向崩溃的封建社会的缩影。 Alfred Adler, a famous doctor, had an experience which illustrates this. 阿尔弗莱德 - 阿德勒是一位著名的医生，他有过可以说明这点的经历。 来自中级百科部分

29 descended
a.为...后裔的，出身于...的
参考例句：
A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。 The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

30 disciples
n.信徒( disciple的名词复数 )；门徒；耶稣的信徒；（尤指）耶稣十二门徒之一
参考例句：
Judas was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. 犹大是耶稣十二门徒之一。 来自《简明英汉词典》 "The names of the first two disciples were --" “最初的两个门徒的名字是——” 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

31 superintendent
n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长
参考例句：
He was soon promoted to the post of superintendent of Foreign Trade.他很快就被擢升为对外贸易总监。 He decided to call the superintendent of the building.他决定给楼房管理员打电话。

32 zeal
n.热心，热情，热忱
参考例句：
Revolutionary zeal caught them up,and they joined the army.革命热情激励他们，于是他们从军了。 They worked with great zeal to finish the project.他们热情高涨地工作，以期完成这个项目。