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