Book 10
1.75
Again, we must suppose that natureThat is, nature working in primitive man, almost the same thing as instinct. too has been taught and forced to learn many various lessons by the facts themselves, that reason subsequently develops what it has thus received and makes fresh discoveries, among some tribes more quickly, among others more slowly, the progress thus made being at certain times and seasons greater, at others less.
1.75
Hence even the names of things were not originally due to convention,Cf. Lucr. v. 1041 f. Heraclitus, Democritus, and Aristotle derived language from convention. but in the several tribes under the impulse of special feelings and special presentations of sense primitive man uttered special cries.Cf. Lucr. v. 1028, 1029, 1056-1058. The air thus emitted was moulded by their individual feelings or sense-presentations, and differently according to the difference of the regions which the tribes inhabited.
1.76
Subsequently whole tribes adopted their own special names, in order that their communications might be less ambiguous to each other and more briefly expressed. And as for things not visible, so far as those who were conscious of them tried to introduce any such notion, they put in circulation certain names for them, either sounds which they were instinctively compelled to utter or which they selected by reason on analogy according to the most general cause there can be for expressing oneself in such a way.See Bignone, p. 107 note 3.
1.76
Nay more: we are bound to believe that in the sky revolutions, solstices, eclipses, risings and settings, and the like, take place without the ministration or command, either now or in the future, of any being who at the same time enjoys perfect bliss along with immortality.
