第 29 节
作者:桃桃逃      更新:2022-08-21 16:33      字数:9317
  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 asseverations of immediate knowledge rather centres in the
  exclusive attitude which immediate knowledge adopts; when it sets itself up
  against philosophy。
  And yet it was as a self…evident or immediate truth that the cogito; ergo sum of
  Descartes; the maxim on which may be said to hinge the whole interest of
  Modern Philosophy; was first stated by its author。 The man who calls this a
  syllogism; must know little more about a syllogism than that the word 'ergo'
  occurs in it。 Where shall we look for the middle term? And a middle term is a
  much more essential point of a syllogism than the word 'ergo'。 If we try to justify
  the name; by calling the combination of ideas in Descartes an 'immediate'
  syllogism; this superfluous variety of syllogism is a mere name for an utterly
  unmediated synthesis of distinct terms of thought。 That being so; the synthesis of
  being with our ideas; as stated in the maxim of immediate knowledge; has no
  more and no less claim to the title of syllogism than the axiom of Descartes has。
  From Hotho's 'Dissertation on the Cartesian Philosophy' (published 1826); I
  borrow the quotation in which Descartes himself distinctly declares that the
  maxim cogito; ergo sum is no syllogism。 The passages are Respons。 ad II
  Object。; De Methodo iv; Ep。 i。 118。 From the first passage I quote the words
  more immediately to the point。 Descartes says: 'That we are thinking beings is a
  certain primary notion; which is deduced from no syllogism'; and goes on: 'nor;
  when one says; I think; therefore I am or exist; does he deduce existence from
  thought by means of a syllogism'。 Descartes knew what it implied in a syllogism;
  and so he adds that; in order to make the maxim admit of a deduction by
  syllogism; we should have to add the major premise: 'Everything which thinks; is
  or exists'。 Of course; he remarks; this major premise itself has to be deduced
  from the original statement。
  The language of Descartes on the maxim that the 'I' which thinks must also at the
  same time be; his saying that this connection is given and implied in the simple
  perception of consciousness that this connection is the absolute first; the principle;
  the most certain and evident of all things; so that no scepticism can be conceived
  so monstrous as not to admit it…all this language is so vivid and distinct; that the
  modern statements of Jacobi and others on this immediate connection can only
  pass for needless repetitions。
  §65
  The theory of which we are speaking is not satisfied when it has shown that
  mediate knowledge taken separately is an adequate vehicle of truth。 Its distinctive
  doctrine is that immediate knowledge alone; to the total exclusion of mediation;
  can possess a content which is true。 This exclusiveness is enough to show that the
  theory is a relapse into the metaphysical understanding; with its pass…words
  'either…or'。 And thus it is really a relapse into the habit of external mediation; the
  gist of which consists in clinging to those narrow and one…sided categories of the
  finite; which it falsely imagined itself to have left for ever behind。 This point;
  however; we shall not at present discuss in detail。 An exclusively immediate
  knowledge is asserted as a fact only; and in the present Introduction we can only
  study it from this external point of view。 The real significance of such knowledge
  will be explained when we come to the logical question of the opposition between
  mediate and immediate。 But it is characteristic of the view before us to decline lo
  examine the nature of the fact; that is; the notion of it; for such an examination
  would itself be a step towards mediation and even towards knowledge。 The
  genuine discussion on logical ground; therefore; must be deferred till we come to
  the proper province of Logic itself。
  The whole of the second part of Logic; the Doctrine of Essential Being; is a
  discussion of the intrinsic and self…affirming unity of immediacy and mediation。
  §66
  Beyond this point then we need not go: immediate knowledge is to be accepted as
  a fact。 Under these circumstances examination is directed to the field of
  experience; to a psychological phenomenon。 If that be so; we need only note; as
  the commonest of experiences; that truths which we well know to be results of
  complicated and highly mediated trains of thought present themselves
  immediately and without effort to the mind of any man who is familiar with the
  subject。 The mathematician; like everyone who has mastered a particular science;
  meets any problem with ready…made solutions which presuppose most
  complicated analyses: and every educated man has a number of general views
  and maxims which he can muster without trouble; but which can only have
  sprung from frequent reflection and long experience。 The facility we attain in any
  sort of knowledge; art; or technical expertness; consists in having the particular
  knowledge or kind of action present to our mind in any case that occurs; even;
  we may say; immediate in our very limbs; in an outgoing activity。 In all these
  instances; immediacy of knowledge is so far from excluding mediation; that the
  two things are linked together … immediate knowledge being actually the product
  and result of mediated knowledge。
  It is no less obvious that immediate existence is bound up with its mediation。 The
  seed and the parents are immediate and initial existences in respect of the
  offspring which they generate。 But the seed and the parents; though they exist
  and are therefore immediate; are yet in their turn generated; and the child; without
  prejudice to the mediation of its existence; is immediate; because it is。 The fact
  that I am in Berlin; my immediate presence here; is mediated by my having made
  the journey hither。
  §67
  One thing may be observed with reference to the immediate knowledge of God;
  of legal and ethical principles (including under the head of immediate knowledge
  what is otherwise termed Instinct; Implanted or Innate Ideas; Common Sense;
  Natural Reason; or whatever form; in short; we give to the original spontaneity)。
  It is a matter of general experience that education or development is required to
  bring out into consciousness what is therein contained。 It was so even with the
  Platonic reminiscence; and the Christian rite of baptism; although a sacrament;
  involves the additional obligation of a Christian upbringing。 In short; religion and
  morals; however much they may be faith or immediate knowledge; are still on
  every side conditioned by the mediating process which is termed development;
  education; training。
  The adherents; no less than the assailants; of the doctrine of Innate Ideas have
  been guilty throughout of the like exclusiveness and narrowness as is here noted。
  They have drawn a hard and fast line between the essential and immediate union
  (as it may be described) of certain universal principles with the soul; and another
  union which has to be brought about in an external fashion; and through the
  channel of given objects and conceptions。 There is one objection; borrowed from
  experience; which was raised against the doctrine of Innate Ideas。 All men; it was
  said; must have these ideas; they must have; for example; the maxim of
  contradiction present in the mind…they must be aware of it; for this maxim and
  others like it were included in the class of Innate Ideas。 The objection may be set
  down to misconception; for the principles in question; though innate; need not on
  that account have the form of ideas or conceptions of something we are aware of。
  Still; the objection completely meets and overthrows the crude theory of
  immediate knowledge; which expressly maintains its formulae in so far as they are
  in consciousness。 Another point calls for notice。 'We may suppose it admitted by
  the intuitive school; that the special case of religious faith involves supplementing
  by a Christian or religious education and development。 In that case it is acting
  capriciously when it seeks to ignore this admission when speaking about faith; or
  it betrays a want of reflection