history of philosophy-第43章

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Boehme's　great　struggle　has　been　—　since　to　him　God　is　everything　—　to　grasp　the　negative；　evil；
the　devil；　in　and　from　God；　to　grasp　God　as　absolute；　and　this　struggle　characterizes　all　his　writings
and　brings　about　the　torture　of　his　mind。　It　requires　a　great　and　severe　mental　effort　to　bring
together　in　one　what　in　shape　and　form　lie　so　far　asunder；　with　all　the　strength　that　he　possesses
Boehme　brings　the　two　together；　and　therein　shatters　all　the　immediate　significance　of　actuality
possessed　by　both。　But　when　thus　he　grasps　this　movement；　this　essence　of　spirit　in　himself；　in　his
inward　nature；　the　determination　of　the　moments　simply　approaches　more　nearly　to　the　form　of
self…consciousness；　to　the　formless；　or　to　the　Notion。　In　the　background；　indeed；　there　stands　the
purest　speculative　thought；　but　it　does　not　attain　to　an　adequate　representation。　Homely；　popular
modes　of　conception　likewise　appear；　a　free　outspokenness　which　to　us　seems　too　familiar。　With
the　devil；　particularly；　he　has　great　dealings；　and　him　he　frequently　addresses。　“Come　here；”　he
says；　“thou　black　wretch；　what　dost　thou　want？　I　will　give　thee　a　potion。”（5）　As　Prospero　in
Shakespeare's　“Tempest”（6）　threatens　Ariel　that　he　will　“rend　an　oak　and　peg　him　in　his　knotty
entrails　。　。　。　twelve　winters；”　Boehme's　great　mind　is　confined　in　the　hard　knotty　oak　of　the　senses
—　in　the　gnarled　concretion　of　the　ordinary　conception　—　and　is　not　able　to　arrive　at　a　free
presentation　of　the　Idea。

I　shall　shortly　give　Boehme's　main　conceptions；　and　then　several　particular　forms　which　he　in　turn
adopts；　for　he　does　not　remain　at　one　form；　because　neither　the　sensuous　nor　the　religious　can
suffice。　Now　even　though　this　brings　about　the　result　that　he　frequently　repeats　himself；　the　forms
of　his　main　conceptions　are　still　in　every　respect　very　different；　and　he　who　would　try　to　give　a
consistent　explanation　of　Boehme's　ideas；　particularly　when　they　pass　into　further　developments；
would　only　delude　himself　in　making　the　attempt。　Hence　we　must　neither　expect　to　find　in　Boehme
a　systematic　presentation　nor　a　true　method　of　passing　over　into　the　individual。　Of　his　thoughts　we
cannot　say　much　without　adopting　his　manner　of　expression；　and　quoting　the　particular　passages
themselves；　for　they　cannot　otherwise　be　expressed。　The　fundamental　idea　in　Jacob　Boehme　is　the
effort　to　comprise　everything　in　an　absolute　unity；　for　he　desires　to　demonstrate　the　absolute　divine
unity　and　the　union　of　all　opposites　in　God。　Boehme's　chief；　and　one　may　even　say；　his　only
thought　—　the　thought　that　permeates　all　his　works　—　is　that　of　perceiving　the　holy　Trinity　in
everything；　and　recognizing　everything　as　its　revelation　and　manifestation；　so　that　it　is　the　universal
principle　in　which　and　through　which　everything　exists；　in　such　a　way；　moreover；　that　all　things
have　this　divine　Trinity　in　themselves；　not　as　a　Trinity　pertaining　to　the　ordinary　conception；　but　as
the　real　Trinity　of　the　absolute　Idea。　Everything　that　exists　is；　according　to　Boehme；　this　three…fold
alone；　and　this　three…fold　is　everything。（7）　To　him　the　universe　is　thus　one　divine　life　and　revelation
of　God　in　all　things；　so　that　when　examined　more　closely；　from　the　one　reality　of　God；　the　sum　and
substance　of　all　powers　and　qualities；　the　Son　who　shines　forth　from　these　powers　is　eternally
born；　the　inward　unity　of　this　light　with　the　substance　of　the　powers　is　Spirit。　Sometimes　the
presentation　is　vague；　and　then　again　it　is　clearer。　What　comes　next　is　the　explanation　of　this
Trinity；　and　here　the　different　forms　which　he　uses　to　indicate　the　difference　becoming　evident　in
the　same；　more　especially　appear。

In　the　Aurora；　the　“Root　or　Mother　of　Philosophy；　Astrology　and　Theology；”　he　gives　a　method
of　division　in　which　he　places　these　sciences　in　proximity；　and　yet　appears　merely　to　pass　from　one
to　the　other　without　any　clear　definition　or　determination。”　（1）　In　Philosophy　divine　power　is
treated　of；　what　God　is；　and　how　in　the　Being　of　God；　nature；　stars；　and　Elementa　are
constituted；　whence　all　things　have　their　origin；　what　is　the　nature　of　heaven　and　earth；　as　also　of
angels；　men　and　devils；　heaven　and　hell　and　all　that　is　creaturely；　likewise　what　the　two　qualities　in
nature　are；　and　this　is　dealt　with　out　of　a　right　ground　in　the　knowledge　of　spirit；　by　the　impulse　and
motion　of　God。　（2）　In　astrology　the　powers　of　nature；　of　the　stars　and　elements；　are　treated　of；
and　how　all　creatures　proceed　from　them；　how　evil　and　good　are　through　them　effected　in　men
and　animals。　（3）　In　theology　the　kingdom　of　Christ　is　dealt　with；　as　also　its　nature；　and　how　it　is　set
in　opposition　to　hell；　and　how　in　nature　it　wars　with　the　kingdom　of　darkness。”（8）

1。　What　comes　first　is　God　the　Father；　this　first　is　at　once　divided　in　itself　and　the　unity　of　both　its
parts。　“God　is　all；”　he　says；　“He　is　the　Darkness　and　the　Light；　Love　and　Anger；　Fire　and　Light；
but　He　calls　Himself　God　only　as　to　the　light　of　His　love。　There　is　an　eternal　Contrarium　between
darkness　and　light；　neither　comprehends　the　other　and　neither　is　the　other；　and　yet　there　is　but　one
essence　or　substance；　though　separated　by　pain；　it　is　likewise　so　with　the　will；　and　yet　there　is　no
separable　essence。　One　single　principle　is　divided　in　this　way；　that　one　is　in　the　other　as　a　nothing
which　yet　exists；　but　it　is　not　manifest　in　the　property　of　that　thing　in　which　it　is。”（9）　By　anguish　is
expressed　that　which　we　know　as　the　absolute　negativity　—　that　is　the　self…conscious；
self…experienced；　the　self…relating　negativity　which　is　therefore　absolute　affirmation。　All　Boehme's
efforts　were　directed　towards　this　point；　the　principle　of　the　Notion　is　living　in　him；　only　he　cannot
express　it　in　the　form　of　thought。　That　is　to　say；　all　depends　on　thinking　of　the　negative　as　simple；
since　it　is　at　the　same　time　an　opposite；　thus　anguish　＇Qual＇　is　the　inward　tearing　asunder　and　yet
likewise　the　simple。　From　this　Boehme　derives　sources　or　springs　＇Quellen＇；　a　good　play　on　the
words。　For　pain　＇die　Qual＇；　this　negativity；　passes　into　life；　activity；　and　thus　lie　likewise　connects　it
with　quality；　＇Qualit？t＇；　which　he　makes　into　Quallity。（10）　The　absolute　identity　of　difference　is　all
through　present　to　him。

a。　Boehme　thus　represents　God　not　as　the　empty　unity；　but　as　this　self…separating　unity　of　absolute
opposites；　one　must　not；　however；　here　expect　a　clearly　defined　distinction。　The　first；　the　one；　the
Father；　has　likewise　the　mode　of　natural　existence；　thus；　like　Proclus；　he　speaks　of　this　God　being
simple　essence。　This　simple　essence　he　calls　the　hidden；　and　he　therefore　names　it　the
Temperamentum；　this　unity　of　what　is　different；　in　which　all　is　tempered。　We　find　him　also　calling
it　the　great　Salitter　—　now　the　divine　and　now　the　natural　Salitter　—　as　well　as　Salniter。　When　he
talks　of　this　great　salitter　as　of　something　known　to　us；　we　cannot　first　of　all　conceive　what　it
means。　But　it　is　a　vulgar　corruption　of　the　word　sal　nitri；　saltpetre　（which　is　still　called　salniter　in
Austria）；　i。e。　just　the　neutral　and　in　truth　universal　existence。　The　divine　pomp　and　state　is　this；　that
in　God　a　more　glorious　nature　dwells；　trees；　plants；　&c。　“In　the　divine　pomp　or　state　two　things
have　principally　to　be　considered；　salitter　or　the　divine　power；　which　brings　forth　all　fruits；　and
marcurius　or　the　sound。”（11）　　This　great　salitter　is　the　unrevealed　existence；　just　as　the
Neo…Platonic　unity　is　without　knowledge　of　itself　and　likewise　unrecognized。

b。　This　first　substance　contains　all　powers　or　qualities　as　not　yet　separated；　thus　this　salitter
likewise　appears　as　the　body　of　God；　who　embraces　all　qualities　in　Himself。　Quality　thus　becomes
an　important　conception；　the　first　determination　with　Boehme；　and　he　begins　with　qualities　in　his
work　“Morgenr？the　im　Aufgang。”　He　afterwards　associates　with　this　the　conferring　of　quality；
and　in　the　same　place　says：　“Quality　is　the　mobility；　boiling；　springing；　and　driving　of　a　thing。”
These　qualities　he　then　tries　to　define；　but　the　account　he　gives　of　them　is　vague。　“As　for　example
heat　which　burns；　consumes　and　drives　forth　all　whatsoev