第 28 节
作者:
桃桃逃 更新:2022-08-21 16:33 字数:9313
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