Page:A Philosophical Inquiry Concerning Human Liberty (3rd ed., 1735).djvu/49

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Human Liberty.
45

in the case of chusing one out of two eggs that are alike, there is, first, in the person chusing will to eat or use an egg. There is, secondly, a will to take but one, or one first. Thirdly, consequent to these two wills, follow in the same instant chusing and taking one; which one is chosen and taken, most commonly, according as the parts of our bodies have been form’d long since by our wills or by other causes, to an habitual practice, or as those parts are determin’d by some particular circumstances at that time. And we may know by reflection on our actions, that several of our choices have been determin’d to one among several objects by these last means, when no cause has arisen from the mere consideration of the objects themselves. For we know by experience, that we either use all the parts of our bodies by habit, or according to some particular cause determining their use at that time. Fourthly, there are in all trains of causes, that precede their effects, and especially effects which nearly resemble each other, certain differences undiscernible on account of their minuteness, and also on account of our not accustoming our-