shorter logic-第23章

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If　we　are　to　believe　the　Critical　philosophy；　thought　is　subjective；　and　its　ultimate
and　invincible　mode　is　abstract　universality　or　formal　identity。　Thought　is　thus
set　in　opposition　to　Truth；　which　is　no　abstraction；　but　concrete　universality。　In
this　highest　mode　of　thought；　which　is　entitled　Reason；　the　Categories　are　left　out
of　account。　The　extreme　theory　on　the　opposite　side　holds　thought　to　be　an　act　of
the　particular　only；　and　on　that　ground　declares　it　incapable　of　apprehending　the
Truth。　This　is　the　Intuitional　theory。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§62

According　to　this　theory；　thinking；　a　private　and　particular　operation；　has　its　whole
scope　and　product　in　the　Categories。　But　these　Categories；　as　arrested　by　the
understanding；　are　limited　vehicles　of　thought；　forms　of　the　conditioned；　of　the
dependent　and　derivative。　A　thought　limited　to　these　modes　has　no　sense　of　the
Infinite　and　the　True；　and　cannot　bridge　over　the　gulf　that　separates　it　from　them。
（This　stricture　refers　to　the　proofs　of　God's　existence。）　These　inadequate　modes
or　categories　are　also　spoken　of　as　notions：　and　to　get　a　notion　of　an　object
therefore　can　only　mean；　in　this　language；　to　grasp　it　under　the　form　of　being
conditioned　and　derivative。　Consequently；　if　the　object　in　question　be　the　True；
the　Infinite；　the　Unconditioned；　we　change　it　by　our　notions　into　a　finite　and
conditioned；　whereby；　instead　of　apprehending　the　truth　by　thought；　we　have
perverted　it　into　untruth。　

Such　is　the　one　simple　line　of　argument　advanced　for　the　thesis　that　the
knowledge　of　God　and　of　truth　must　be　immediate；　or　intuitive。　At　an　earlier
period　all　sort　of　anthropomorphic　conceptions；　as　they　are　termed；　were
banished　from　God；　as　being　finite　and　therefore　unworthy　of　the　infinite；　and　in
this　way　God　had　been　reduced　to　a　tolerably　blank　being。　But　in　those　days　the
thought…forms　were　in　general　not　supposed　to　come　under　the　head　of
anthropomorphism。　Thought　was　believed　rather　to　strip　finitude　from　the
conceptions　of　the　Absolute…in　agreement　with　the　above…mentioned　conviction　of
all　ages；　that　reflection　is　the　only　road　to　truth。　But　now；　at　length；　even　the
thought…forms　are　pronounced　anthropomorphic；　and　thought　itself　is　described　as
a　mere　faculty　of　Unitisation。　

Jacobi　has　stated　this　charge　most　distinctly　in　the　seventh　supplement　to　his
Letters　on　Spinoza　…　borrowing　his　line　of　argument　from　the　works　of　Spinoza
himself；　and　applying　it　as　a　weapon　against　knowledge　in　general。　In　his　attack
knowledge　is　taken　to　mean　knowledge　of　the　finite　only；　a　process　of　thought
from　one　condition　in　a　series　to　another；　each　of　which　is　at　once　conditioning
and　conditioned。　According　to　such　a　view；　to　explain　and　to　get　the　notion　of
anything；　is　the　same　as　to　show　it　to　be　derived　from　something　else。　Whatever
such　knowledge　embraces；　consequently；　is　partial；　dependent；　and　finite；　while
the　infinite　or　true；　i。e。　God；　lies　outside　of　the　mechanical　interconnection　to
which　knowledge　is　said　to　be　confined。　It　is　important　to　observe　that；　while
Kant　makes　the　finite　nature　of　the　Categories　consist　mainly　in　the　formal
circumstance　that　they　are　subjective；　Jacobi　discusses　the　Categories　in　their　own
proper　character；　and　pronounces　them　to　be　in　their　very　import　finite。　What
Jacobi　chiefly　had　before　his　eyes；　when　he　thus　described　science；　was　the
brilliant　successes　of　the　physical　or　'exact'　sciences　in　ascertaining　natural　forces
and　laws。　It　is　certainly　not　on　the　finite　ground　occupied　by　these　sciences　that
we　can　expect　to　meet　the　in…dwelling　presence　of　the　infinite。　Lalande　was　right
when　he　said　he　had　swept　the　whole　heaven　with　his　glass；　and　seen　no　God。
（See　§　60n。）　In　the　field　of　physical　science；　the　universal；　which　is　the　final
result　of　analysis；　is　only　the　indeterminate　aggregate…of　the　external　finite…in　one
word；　Matter：　and　Jacobi　well　perceived　that　there　was　no　other　issue　obtainable
in　the　way　of　a　mere　advance　from　one　explanatory　clause　or　law　to　another。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§63

All　the　while　the　doctrine　that　truth　exists　for　the　mind　was　so　strongly　maintained
by　Jacobi；　that　Reason　alone　is　declared　to　be　that　by　which　man　lives。　This
Reason　is　the　knowledge　of　God。　But；　seeing　that　derivative　knowledge　is
restricted　to　the　compass　of　finite　facts；　Reason　is　knowledge　underivative；　or
Faith。　

Knowledge；　Faith；　Thought；　Intuition　are　the　categories　that　we　meet　with　on　this
line　of　reflection。　These　terms；　as　presumably　familiar　to　every　one；　are　only　too
frequently　subjected　to　an　arbitrary　use；　under　no　better　guidance　than　the
conceptions　and　distinctions　of　psychology；　without　any　investigation　into　their
nature　and　notion；　which　is　the　main　question　after　all。　Thus；　we　often　find
knowledge　contrasted　with　faith；　and　faith　at　the　same　time　explained　to　be　an
underivative　or　intuitive　knowledge　—　so　that　it　must　be　at　least　some　sort　of
knowledge。　And；　besides；　it　is　unquestionably　a　fact　of　experience；　firstly；　that
what　we　believe　is　in　our　consciousness…which　implies　that　we　know　about　it；　and
secondly；　that　this　belief　is　a　certainty　in　our　consciousness　…　which　implies　that
we　know　it。　Again；　and　especially；　we　find　thought　opposed　to　immediate
knowledge　and　faith；　and；　in　particular；　to　intuition。　But　if　this　intuition　be
qualified　as　intellectual；　we　must　really　mean　intuition　which　thinks；　unless；　in　a
question　about　the　nature　of　God；　we　are　willing　to　interpret　intellect　to　mean
images　and　representations　of　imagination。　The　word　faith　or　belief；　in　the　dialect
of　this　system；　comes　to　be　employed　even　with　reference　to　common　objects
that　are　present　to　the　senses。　We　believe；　says　Jacobi；　that　we　have　a　body…we
believe　in　the　existence　of　the　things　of　sense。　But　if　we　are　speaking　of　faith　in
the　True　and　Eternal；　and　saying　that　God　is　given　and　revealed　to　us　in
immediate　knowledge　or　intuition；　we　are　concerned　not　with　the　things　of　sense；
but　with　objects　special　to　our　thinking　mind；　with　truths　of　inherently　universal
significance。　And　when　the　individuals；　or　in　other　words　personality；　is　under
discussion…not　the　'I'　of　experience；　or　a　single　private　person　—　above　all；　when
the　personality　of　God　is　before　us'；　we　are　speaking　of　personality　unalloyed　—
of　a　personality　in　its　own　nature　universal。　Such　personality　is　a　thought；　and
falls　within　the　province　of　thought　only。　More　than　this。　Pure　and　simple
intuition　is　completely　the　same　as　pure　and　simple　thought。　Intuition　and　belief；
in　the　first　instance；　denote　the　definite　conceptions　we　attach　to　these　words　in
our　ordinary　employment　of　them：　and　to　this　extent　they　differ　from　thought　in
certain　points　which　nearly　every　one　can　understand。　But　here　they　are　taken　in
a　higher　sense；　and　must　be　interpreted　to　mean　a　belief　in　God；　or　an　intellectual
intuition　of　God；　in　short；　we　must　put　aside　all　that　especially　distinguishes
thought　on　the　one　side　from　belief　and　intuition　on　the　other。　How　belief　and
intuition；　when　transferred　to　these　higher　regions；　differ　from　thought；　it　is
impossible　for　any　one　to　say。　And　yet；　such　are　the　barren　distinctions　of　words；
with　which　men　fancy　that　they　assert　an　important　truth；　even　while　the
formulae　they　maintain　are　identical　with　those　which　they　impugn。　

The　term　Faith　brings　with　it　the　special　advantage　of　suggesting　the　faith　of　the
Christian　religion；　it　seems　to　include　Christian　faith；　or　perhaps　even　to　coincide
with　it；　and　thus　the　Philosophy　of　Faith　has　a　thoroughly　orthodox　and　Christian
look；　on　the　strength　of　which　it　takes　the　liberty　of　uttering　its　arbitrary　dicta　with
greater　pretension　and　authority。　But　we　must　not　let　ourselves　be　deceived　by
the　semblance　surreptitiously　secured　by　a　merely　verbal　similarity。　The　two
things　are　radically　distinct。　Firstly；　the　Christian　faith　comprises　in　it　an　authority
of　the　Church：　but　the　faith　of　Jacobi's　philosophy　has　no　other　authority　than
that　of　a　personal　revelation。　And；　secondly；　the　Christian　faith　is　a　copious　body
of　objective　truth；　a　system　of　knowledge　and　doctrine：　while　the　scope　of　the
philosophic　faith　is　so　utterly　indefinite；　that；　while　it　has　room　for　the　faith　of　the
Christian；　it　equally　admits　a　belief　in　the　divinity　of　the　Dalai　Lama；　the　ox；　or
the　monkey…thus；　so　far　as　it　goes；　narrowing　Deity　down　to　its　simplest　terms；　a
'Supreme　Being'。　Faith　itself；　taken　in　this　professedly　philosophical　sense；　is
nothing　but　the　sapless　abstract　of　immediate　knowledge　—　a　purely　formal
category　applicable　to　very　different　facts；　and　it　ought　never　to　be　confused　or
identified　with　the　spiritual　fullness　of　Christian　faith；　whether　we　look　at　that
faith　in　the　heart　of　the　believer　and　the　indwelling　of　the　Holy　Spirit；　or　in　the
system　of　theological　doctrine。　

With　what　is　here　called　faith　or　immediate　knowledge　must　also　be　identified
inspiration；　the　heart's　revelations；　the　truths　implanted　in　man　by　nature；　and　also
in　particular；　healthy　reason　or　Common　Sense；　as　it　is　called。　All　these　forms
agree　in　adopting　as　their　leading　principle　the　immediacy；　or　self…evident　way；　in
which　a　fact　or　body　of　truths　is　presented　in　consciousness。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§64

This　immediate　knowledge；　consists　in　knowing　that　the　Infinite；　the　Eternal；　the
God　which　is　in　our　Idea；　really　is：　or；　it　asserts　that　in　our　consciousness　there　is
immediately　and　inseparably　bound　up　with　this　idea　the　certainty　of　its　actual
being。　

To　seek　to　controvert　these　maxims　of　immediate　knowledge　is　the　last　thing
philosophers　would　think　of。　They　may　rather　find　occasion　for　self…gratulation
when　these　ancient　doctrines；　expressing　as　they　do　the　general　tenor　of
philosophic　teaching；　have；　even　in　this　unphilosophical　fashion；　become　to　some
extent　universal　convictions　of　the　age。　The　true　marvel　rather　is　that　any　one
could　suppose　that　these　principles　were　opposed　to　philosophy…the　maxims；　viz。；
that　whatever　is　held　to　be　true　is　immanent　in　the　mind；　and　that　there　is　truth
for　the　mind　（§　63）。　From　a　formal　point　of　view；　there　is　a　peculiar　interest　in
the　maxim　that　the　being　of　God　is　immediately　and　inseparably　bound　up　with
the　thought　of　God；　that　objectivity　is　bound　up　with　the　subjectivity　which　the
thought　originally　presents。　Not　content　with　that；　the　philosophy　of　immediate
knowledge　goes　so　far　in　its　one…sided　view；　as　to　affirm　that　the　attribute　of
existence；　even　in　perception；　is　quite　as　inseparably　connected　with　the
conception　we　have　of　our　own　bodies　and　of　external　things；　as　it　is　with　the
thought　of　God。　Now　it　is　the　endeavour　of　philosophy　to　prove　such　a　unity；　to
show　that　it　lies　in　the　very　nature　of　thought　and　subjectivity；　to　be　inseparable
from　being　and　objectivity。　In　these　circumstances　therefore；　philosophy；
whatever　estimate　may　be　formed　of　the　character　of　these　proofs；　must　in　any
case　be　glad　to　see　it　shown　and　maintained　that　its　maxims　are　facts　of
consciousness；　and　thus　in　harmony　with　experience。　The　difference　between
philosophy　and　the　assev