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第41章

history of philosophy-第41章

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“Mind must raise itself from differences to species。 The warmth of the sun and that of the fire are
diverse。 We see that grapes ripen by the warmth of the sun。 But to see whether the warmth of the
sun is specific; we also observe other warmth; and we find that grapes likewise ripen in a warm
room; this proves that the warmth of the sun is not specific。” (23)

“Physic;” he says; “directs us through narrow rugged paths in imitation of the crooked ways of
nature。 But he that understands a form knows the ultimate possibility of superinducing that nature
upon all kinds of matter; that is to say; as he himself interprets this last expression; is able to
superinduce the nature of gold upon silver;” that is to say to make gold from silver; “and to
perform all those other marvels to which the alchymists pretended。 The error of these last
consisted alone in hoping to arrive at these ends by fabulous and fantastical methods;” the true
method is to recognize these forms。 “One leading object of the Instauratio Magna and of the
Novum Organon is to point out the necessity of ascertaining the formal causes and logical rules。”
(24) They are good rules; but not adapted to attain that end。

This is all that we have to say of Bacon。 In dealing with Locke we shall have more to say of these
empirical methods which were adopted by the English。






1。 Buhle: Gesch。 D。 neuern Philos。 Vol。 II。 Section II。 pp。 950…954; Brucker。 Hist。 Crit。 Phil。 T。
IV。 P。 II。 pp。 91…95。 
2。 The Quarterly Review; Vol。 XVII。; April; 1817; p。 53。 
3。 Bacon。 De augmentis scientiarum; II。 c。 1 (Lugd。 Batavor; 1652。 12); pp。 108…110 (Operum
omnium; pp。 43; 44; Lipsi?; 1694)。 
4。 Ibidem; c。 2; p。 111 (Operum; p。 44); c。 4; pp。 123; 124 (p。 49); c。 11; pp。 145…147 (pp。 57;
58)。 
5。 Bacon。 De augmentis scientiarum; IV。 c。 2; pp。 294; 295 (p。 213) (Ellis and Spedding's
translation; Vol。 IV。 p。 394)。 
6。 Bacon。 Novum Organon; L。 I。 Aphor。 11…34; pp。 280…282 (Operum)。 
7。 Bacon。 De augm。 scient。 V。 c。 4; p。 358 (p。 137)。 (Ellis and Spedding's translation。 Vol。 IV。 p。
428。 
8。 Bacon。 De augmentis scientiarum; V。 c。 2; pp。 320; 321 (pp。 122; 123)。 
9。 Bacon。 Novum Organon; L。 I。 Aphor。 105; p。 313; De augmentis scientiarum; V。 c。 2; pp。
326; 327 (pp。 124; 125)。 
10。 The Quarterly Review; Vol。 XVII。; April; 1817; pp。 50; 51: cf。 Bacon silva silvarum sive
historia naturalis; Cent。 IV。; Sect。 326; 327 (Operum; pp。 822; 823)。 
11。 Bacon。 De augmentis scientiarum; III。 c。 5; pp。 245; 246 (p。 95)。 
12。 Ibid。 IV。 c。 2; p。 293 (p。 112)。 
13。 The Quarterly Review; Vol。 XVII。; April; 1817; pp。 51; 52; cf。 Bacon。 De augmentis
scientiarum; III。 c。 3; 4; pp。 200…206 (pp。 78…80)。 
14。 Bacon。 Novum Organon; L。 II。 Aphor。 2。 (Ellis and Spedding's translation; Vol。 IV。 p。 119。) 
15。 Bacon。 Novum Organon; L。 II。 Aphor。 2; cf。 the Quarterly Review; Vol。 XVII。 April; 1817;
p。 52。 
16。 Bacon。 De augmentis scientiarum; III; c。 4; p。 237 (p。 92)。 
17。 Bacon。 De augm。 scient。 III。 c。 4; p。 239 (p。 92)。 
18。 Bacon。 De augmentis scientiarum; I。 p。 46 (p。 19); III。 c。 4; pp。 211…213 (pp。 82; 83);
Novum Organon; L。 I。 Aphor。 85; p。 304。 
19。 Bacon。 De augmentis scientiarum; III; c。 4; pp。 231…234 (pp。 89; 90)。 
20。 The Quarterly Review; Vol。 XVII。 April; 1817; p。 52。 
21。 Bacon。 Novum Organon; L。 II。 Aphor。 17; pp。 345; 346。 
22。 Bacon。 Novum Organon; L。 II。 Aphor。 II。 pp。 325; 326。 (Tennemann; Vol。 X。 pp。 35; 36);
Lib。 I。 Aphor。 51; p。 286; L。 II。 Aphor。 9; Aphor。 3; p。 326。 
23。 Bacon。 Novum Organon; L。 II。 Aphor。 35; p。 366。 
24。 The Quarterly Review; Vol。 XVII。 April; 1817; p。 52。 Cf。 Bacon。 De auginentis scientiarum;
III。 c。 4; p。 236 (p。 91)。




Section One: Modern Philosophy in its First Statement
                      B。 JACOB BOEHME。

WE now pass on from this English Lord Chancellor; the leader of the external; sensuous method in
Philosophy; to the philosophus teutonicus; as he is called — to the German cobbler of Lusatia; of
whom we have no reason to be ashamed。 It was; in fact; through him that Philosophy first
appeared in Germany with a character peculiar to itself: Boehme stands in exact antithesis to
Bacon。 He was also called theosophus teutonicus; just as even before this philosophia
teutonica was the name given to mysticism。(1) This Jacob Boehme was for long forgotten and
decried as being simply a pious visionary; the so…called period of enlightenment; more particularly;
helped to render his public extremely limited。 Leibnitz thought very highly of him; but it is in
modern times that his profundity has for the first time been recognized; and that he has been once
more restored to honour。 It is certain; on the one hand; that he did not merit the disdain accorded
him; on the other; however; he did not deserve the high honour into which he was elevated。 To call
him an enthusiast signifies nothing at all。 For if we will; all philosophers may be so termed; even the
Epicureans and Bacon; for they all have held that man finds his truth in something else than eating
and drinking; or in the common…sense every…day life of wood…cutting; tailoring; trading; or other
business; private or official。 But Boehme has to attribute the high honour to which he was raised
mainly to the garb of sensuous feeling and perception which he adopted; for ordinary sensuous
perception and inward feeling; praying and yearning; and the pictorial element in thought; allegories
and such like; are in some measure held to be essential in Philosophy。 But it is only in the Notion;
in thought; that Philosophy can find its truth; and that the Absolute can be expressed and likewise
is as it is in itself。 Looked at from this point of view; Boehme is a complete barbarian; and yet he is
a man who; along with his rude method of presentation; possesses a deep; concrete heart。 But
because no method or order is to be found in him; it is difficult to give an account of his
philosophy。

Jacob Boehme was born in 1575 of poor parents; at Altseidenburg; near G?rlitz; in Upper
Lusatia。 In his youth he was a peasant boy who tended the cattle。 He was brought up as a
Lutheran; and always remained such。 The account of his life which is given with his works was
drawn up by a clergyman who knew him personally; from information given by Boehme himself。
Much is there related as to how he attained to more profound knowledge and wisdom by means
of certain experiences through which he passed。 Even when a herd tending the cattle; as he tells of
himself; he had these wonderful manifestations。 The first marvellous awakening that occurred to
him took place in a thicket in which he saw a cavern and a vessel of gold。 Startled by the
splendour of this sight he was inwardly awakened from a dull stupor; but afterwards he found it
was impossible for him to discover the objects of his vision。 Subsequently he was bound
apprentice to a shoemaker。 More especially “was he spiritually awakened by the words: 'Your
heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him' (Luke xi。 13); so that; desiring to
come to a knowledge of the truth; and yet retaining the simplicity of his mind; he prayed and
sought; and knocked; fervently and earnestly; until; while travelling about with his master; he was;
through the influence of the Father in the Son; spiritually transported into the glorious pence and
the Sabbath of the soul; and thus his request was granted。 According to his own account; he was
then surrounded with divine light; and for seven days he remained in the supremest divine
contemplation and joy。” His master for this dismissed him; saying he could not keep in his service
“house…prophets such as he was。” After that he lived at G?rlitz。 In 1594 he rose in his trade to
be master; and married。 Later on; “in the year 1600; and in the twenty…fifth year of his age; once
more” the light broke upon him in a second vision of the same kind。 He tells that he saw a brightly
scoured pewter dish in the room; and “by the sudden sight of this shining metal with its brilliant
radiance” he was brought (into a meditation and a breaking free of his astral mind) “into the
central point of secret nature;” and into the light of divine essence。 “He went out into th

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