On the Method of Zadig: Essay #1 from "Science and Hebrew Tradition" — Page 11
History, in the ordinary acceptation of the word, is based upon the interpretation of documentary evidence; and documents would have no evidential value unless historians were justified in their assumption that they have come into existence by the operation of causes similar to those of which documents are, in our present experience, the effects.
L'histoire, dans l'acception ordinaire du mot, est fondée sur l'interprétation des preuves documentaires ; et les documents n'auraient aucune valeur probante si les historiens n'étaient pas justifiés dans leur hypothèse qu'ils sont venus à l'existence par l'action de causes semblables à celles dont les documents sont, dans notre expérience actuelle, les effets.
If a written history can be produced otherwise than by human agency, or if the man who wrote a given document was actuated by other than ordinary human motives, such documents are of no more evidential value than so many arabesques.
Si une histoire écrite peut être produite autrement que par l'action humaine, ou si l'homme qui a rédigé un document donné était animé par des motifs autres que les motifs humains ordinaires, de tels documents n'ont pas plus de valeur probante que de simples arabesques.
Archaeology, which takes up the thread of history beyond the point at which documentary evidence fails us, could have no existence, except for our well grounded confidence that monuments and works of art or artifice, have never been produced by causes different in kind from those to which they now owe their origin.
L'archéologie, qui reprend le fil de l'histoire au-delà du point où les preuves documentaires nous font défaut, ne pourrait exister que grâce à notre confiance bien fondée que les monuments et les œuvres d'art ou d'artifice n'ont jamais été produits par des causes différentes en nature de celles auxquelles ils doivent aujourd'hui leur origine.
And geology, which traces back the course of history beyond the limits of archaeology, could tell us nothing except for the assumption that, millions of years ago, water, heat, gravitation, friction, animal and vegetable life, caused effects of the same kind as they now cause.
Et la géologie, qui remonte le cours de l'histoire au-delà des limites de l'archéologie, ne pourrait rien nous apprendre sans l'hypothèse que, il y a des millions d'années, l'eau, la chaleur, la gravitation, le frottement, la vie animale et végétale, produisaient des effets du même ordre que ceux qu'ils produisent aujourd'hui.
Nay, even physical astronomy, in so far as it takes us back to the uttermost point of time which palaetiological science can reach, is founded upon the same assumption.
Bien plus, l'astronomie physique elle-même, dans la mesure où elle nous ramène au point extrême du temps que la science palétiologique peut atteindre, est fondée sur la même hypothèse.
If the law of gravitation ever failed to be true, even to a small extent, for that period, the calculations of the astronomer have no application.
Si la loi de la gravitation avait jamais cessé d'être vraie, même dans une faible mesure, pour cette période, les calculs de l'astronome n'ont aucune application.
Vocabulary
- histoire
- History or story; account of past events.
- dans
- Preposition meaning 'in' or 'within'.
- acception
- The accepted meaning or sense of a word.
- ordinaire
- Ordinary, common, or usual in nature.
- mot
- A word in the French language.
- fondée
- Founded or based upon something.
- interprétation
- The act of explaining or interpreting something.
- preuves
- Evidence or proofs supporting a claim.
- documentaires
- Relating to or based on documents.
- documents
- Written records providing official or historical information.
- aucune
- No, none, or not any.
- valeur
- Value, worth, or importance of something.
- probante
- Conclusive or convincing as evidence.
- historiens
- Historians; scholars who study past events.
- justifiés
- Justified or warranted in one's reasoning.
- hypothèse
- A hypothesis or assumption proposed for examination.
- venus
- Past participle of 'venir'; came or arrived.
- existence
- The state of existing or being real.
- action
- An action or the process of doing something.
- causes
- Causes or reasons producing a given effect.
- semblables
- Similar or alike in character or nature.
- dont
- Relative pronoun meaning 'of which' or 'whose'.
- expérience
- Experience or experiment involving observation.
- actuelle
- Current, present-day, or existing now.
- effets
- Effects or results produced by a cause.
- écrite
- Written; in written or script form.
- être
- To be; fundamental verb of existence.
- produite
- Produced or generated by some process.
- autrement
- Otherwise or in a different manner.
- humaine
- Human; relating to human beings.
- homme
- Man; an adult male human being.
- rédigé
- Drafted or written up an official text.
- document
- A written or recorded piece of information.
- donné
- Given; a specific or particular instance.
- animé
- Animated or motivated by certain feelings.
- motifs
- Motives or reasons driving someone's actions.
- humains
- Human; pertaining to people or mankind.
- ordinaires
- Ordinary or common; not exceptional.
- tels
- Such; of that kind or degree.
- simples
- Simple or uncomplicated in form or nature.
- arabesques
- Intricate decorative patterns, often of plant motifs.
- archéologie
- Archaeology; study of human past through artifacts.
- reprend
- Takes up again or resumes something interrupted.
- fil
- Thread; a line of continuity or narrative.
- au-delà
- Beyond; further than a given point.
- point
- Point or moment where something ends or begins.
- défaut
- Lack or absence; a failing or deficiency.
- exister
- To exist or have real being.
- grâce
- Thanks to; by virtue of something.
- confiance
- Trust or confidence placed in someone.
- monuments
- Monuments; structures preserving historical or cultural memory.
- œuvres
- Works; artistic or literary creations.
- art
- Art; creative expression through various mediums.
- artifice
- Artificial contrivance or skillful device.
- jamais
- Never; not at any time.
- produits
- Products or results; things produced by a process.
- différentes
- Different; not alike in kind or quality.
- nature
- Nature; the inherent character of something.
- auxquelles
- Relative pronoun meaning 'to which' (feminine plural).
- doivent
- Third-person plural of 'devoir'; must or owe.
- aujourd'hui
- Today; on this present day.
- origine
- Origin; the point where something begins.
- géologie
- Geology; science studying Earth's structure and history.
- remonte
- Goes back to or traces back in time.
- cours
- Course or flow; the progression over time.
- limites
- Limits or boundaries restricting extent or scope.
- rien
- Nothing; not anything at all.
- apprendre
- To learn or to teach something new.
- sans
- Preposition meaning 'without'.
- millions
- Millions; very large numerical quantity.
- années
- Years; units of time spanning twelve months.
- eau
- Water; the liquid essential to life.
- chaleur
- Heat; thermal energy or warmth.
- gravitation
- Gravitation; the force attracting bodies toward each other.
- frottement
- Friction; resistance encountered when surfaces rub together.
- vie
- Life; the state of living beings.
- animale
- Animal; relating to living creatures.
- végétale
- Vegetable or plant; relating to plant life.
- produisaient
- Imperfect tense of 'produire'; were producing.
- même
- Same; identical or the very one mentioned.
- ordre
- Order; a sequence or organized arrangement.
- produisent
- Third-person plural of 'produire'; produce or generate.
- astronomie
- Astronomy; study of celestial bodies and universe.
- physique
- Physics; science studying matter, energy, and forces.
- elle-même
- Herself or itself; emphatic reflexive pronoun.
- mesure
- Measure or extent; the degree to which.
- ramène
- Brings back or leads back to something.
- extrême
- Extreme; the furthest or most intense point.
- temps
- Time; the indefinite continued progress of existence.
- science
- Science; systematic study of the natural world.
- palétiologique
- Relating to study of causes of past events.
- atteindre
- To reach or attain a goal or place.
- loi
- Law; a rule or principle governing behavior.
- cessé
- Ceased or stopped being or doing something.
- vraie
- True or real; corresponding to fact.
- faible
- Weak, feeble, or lacking strength.
- période
- Period; a specific stretch of time.
- calculs
- Calculations; mathematical computations or estimates.
- astronome
- Astronomer; scientist who studies celestial bodies.
- application
- Application; the practical use of a principle.
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