phenomenology of mind-第11章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


of　its　loss。　

This　easy　contentment　in　receiving；　or　stinginess　in　giving；　does　not　suit　the　character　of　science。
The　man　who　only　seeks　edification；　who　wants　to　envelop　in　mist　the　manifold　diversity　of　his
earthly　existence　and　thought；　and　craves　after　the　vague　enjoyment　of　this　vague　and
indeterminate　Divinity…he　may　look　where　he　likes　to　find　this：　he　will　easily　find　for　himself　the
means　to　procure　something　he　can　rave　over　and　puff　himself　up　withal。　But　philosophy　must
beware　of　wishing　to　be　edifying。　

Still　less　must　this　kind　of　contentment；　which　holds　science　in　contempt；　take　upon　itself　to　claim
that　raving　obscurantism　of　this　sort　is　something　higher　than　science。　These　apocalyptic　utterances
pretend　to　occupy　the　very　centre　and　the　deepest　depths；　they　look　askance　at　all　definiteness
and　preciseness　meaning；　and　they　deliberately　hold　back　from　conceptual　thinking　and　the
constraining　necessities　of　thought；　as　being　the　sort　of　reflection　which；　they　say；　can　only　feel　at
home　in　the　sphere　of　finitude。　But　just　as　the…re　is　a　breadth　which　is　emptiness；　there　is　a　depth
which　is　empty　too：　as　we　may　have　an　extension　of　substance　which　overflows　into　finite
multiplicity　without　the　power　of　keeping　the　manifold　together；　in　the　same　way　we　may　have　an
insubstantial　intensity　which；　keeping　itself　in　as　mere　force　without　actual　expression；　is　no　better
than　superficiality。　The　force　of　mind　is　only　as　great　as　its　expression；　its　depth　only　as　deep　as　its
power　to　expand　and　lose　itself　when　spending　and　giving　out　its　substance。　Moreover；　when　this
unreflective　emotional　knowledge　makes　a　pretence　of　having　immersed　its　own　very　self　in　the
depths　of　the　absolute　Being；　and　of　philosophizing　in　all　holiness　and　truth；　it　hides　from　itself　the
fact　that　instead　of　devotion　to　God；　it　rather；　by　this　contempt　for　all　measurable　precision　and
definiteness；　simply　attests　in　its　own　case　the　fortuitous　character　of　its　content；　and　in　the　other
endows　God　with　its　own　caprice。　When　such　minds　commit　themselves　to　the　unrestrained
ferment　of　sheer　emotion；　they　think　that；　by　putting　a　veil　over　self…consciousness；　and
surrendering　all　understanding；　they　are　thus　God's　beloved　ones　to　whom　He　gives　His　wisdom　in
sleep。　This　is　the　reason；　too；　that　in　point　of　fact；　what　they　do　conceive　and　bring　forth　in　sleep　is
dreams。　

For　the　rest　it　is　not　difficult　to　see　that　our　epoch　is　a　birth…time；　and　a　period　of　transition。　The
spirit　of　man　has　broken　with　the　old　order　of　things　hitherto　prevailing；　and　with　the　old　ways　of
thinking；　and　is　in　the　mind　to　let　them　all　sink　into　the　depths　of　the　past　and　to　set　about　its　own
transformation。　It　is　indeed　never　at　rest；　but　carried　along　the　stream　of　progress　ever　onward。
But　it　is　here　as　in　the　case　of　the　birth　of　a　child；　after　a　long　period　of　nutrition　in　silence；　the
continuity　of　the　gradual　growth　in　size；　of　quantitative　change；　is　suddenly　cut　short　by　the　first
breath　drawn…there　is　a　break　in　the　process；　a　qualitative　change　and　the　child　is　born。　In　like
manner　the　spirit　of　the　time；　growing　slowly　and　quietly　ripe　for　the　new　form　it　is　to　assume；
disintegrates　one　fragment　after　another　of　the　structure　of　its　previous　world。　That　it　is　tottering　to
its　fall　is　indicated　only　by　symptoms　here　and　there。　Frivolity　and　again　ennui；　which　are　spreading
in　the　established　order　of　things；　the　undefined　foreboding　of　something　unknown…all　these
betoken　that　there　is　something　else　approaching。　This　gradual　crumbling　to　pieces；　which　did　not
alter　the　general　look　and　aspect　of　the　whole；　is　interrupted　by　the　sunrise；　which；　in　a　flash　and　at
a　single　stroke；　brings　to　…view　the　form　and　structure　of　the　new　world。

But　this　new　world　is　perfectly　realized　just　as　little　as　the　new…born　child；　and　it　is　essential　to
bear　this　in　mind。　It　comes　on　the　stage　to　begin　with　in　its　immediacy；　in　its　bare　generality。　A
building　is　not　finished　when　its　foundation　is　laid；　and　just　as　little；　is　the　attainment　of　a　general
notion　of　a　whole　the　whole　itself。　When　we　want　to　see　an　oak　with　all　its　vigour　of　trunk；　its
spreading　branches；　and　mass　of　foliage；　we　are　not　satisfied　to　be　shown　an　acorn　instead。　In　the
same　way　science；　the　crowning　glory　of　a　spiritual　world；　is　not　found　complete　in　its　initial　stages。
The　beginning　of　the　new　spirit　is　the　outcome　of　a　widespread　revolution　in　manifold　forms　of
spiritual　culture；　it　is　the　reward　which　comes　after　a　chequered　and　devious　course　of
development；　and　after　much　struggle　and　effort。　It　is　a　whole　which；　after　running　its　course　and
laying　bare　all　its　content；　returns　again　to　itself　；　it　is　the　resultant　abstract　notion　of　the　whole。　But
the　actual　realization　of　this　abstract　whole　is　only　found　when　those　previous　shapes　and　forms；
which　are　now　reduced　to　ideal　moments　of　the　whole；　are　developed　anew　again；　but　developed
and　shaped　within　this　new　medium；　and　with　the　meaning　they　have　thereby　acquired。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　4。　　　　The　principle　is　not　the　completion；　against　formalism

While　the　new　world　makes　its　first　appearance　merely　in　general　outline；　merely　as　a　whole　lying
concealed　and　hidden　within　a　bare　abstraction；　the　wealth　of　the　bygone　life；　on　the　other　hand；　is
still　consciously　present　in　recollection。　Consciousness　misses　in　the　new　form　the　detailed　expanse
of　content；　but　still　more　the　developed　expression　of　form　by　which　distinctions　are　definitely
determined　and　arranged　in　their　precise　relations。　Without　this　last　feature　science　has　no　general
intelligibility；　and　has　the　appearance　of　being　an　esoteric　possession　of　a　few　individuals　—　an
esoteric　possession；　because　in　the　first　instance　it　is　only　the　essential　principle　or　notion　of
science；　only　its　inner　nature　that　is　to　be　found；　and　a　possession　of　few　individuals；　because；　at
its　first　appearance；　its　content　is　not　elaborated　and　expanded　in　detail；　and　thus　its　existence　is
turned　into　something　particular。　Only　what　is　perfectly　determinate　in　form　is　at　the　same　time
exoteric；　comprehensible；　and　capable　of　being　learned　and　possessed　by　everybody。　Intelligibility
is　the　form　in　which　science　is　offered　to　everyone；　and　is　the　open　road　to　it　made　plain　for　all。　To
reach　rational　knowledge　by　our　intelligence　is　the　just　demand　of　the　mind　which　comes　to
science。　For　intelligence；　understanding　（Verstand）；　is　thinking；　pure　activity　of　the　self　in　general；
and　what　is　intelligible　（Verst？ndige）　is　something　from　the　first　familiar　and　common　to　the
scientific　and　unscientific　mind　alike；　enabling　the　unscientific　mind　to　enter　the　domain　of　science。　

Science；　at　its　commencement；　when　as　yet　it　has　reached　neither　detailed　completeness　nor
perfection　of　form；　is　exposed　to　blame　on　that　account。　But　it　would　be　as　unjust　to　suppose　this
blame　to　attach　to　its　essential　nature；　as　it　is　inadmissible　not　to　be　ready　to　recognize　the　demand
for　that　further　development　in　fuller　detail。　In　the　contrast　and　opposition　between　these　two
aspects　（the　initial　and　the　developed　stages　of　science）　seems　to　lie　the　critical　knot　which
scientific　culture　at　present　struggles　to　loosen；　and　about　which　so　far　it　is　not　very　clear。　One　side
parades　the　wealth　of　its　material　and　the　intelligibility　of　its　ideas；　the　other　pours　contempt　at　any
rate　on　the　latter；　and　makes　a　parade　of　the　immediate　intuitive　rationality　and　divine　quality　of　its
content。　Although　the　first　is　reduced　to　silence；　perhaps　by　the　inner　force　of　truth　alone；　perhaps；
too；　by　the　noisy　bluster　of　the　other　side；　and　even　though　having　regard　to　the　reason　and　nature
of　the　case　it　did　feel　overborne；　yet　it　does　not　therefore　feel　satisfied　as　regards　those　demands
for　greater　development；　for　those　demands　are　just；　but　still　unfulfilled。　Its　silence　is　due　only　in
part　to　the　victory　of　the　other　side；　it　is　half　due　to　that　weariness　and　indifference　which　are
usually　the　consequence　when　expectations　are　being　constantly　awakened　by　promises　which　are
not　followed　up　by　performance。

The　other　side　no　doubt　at　times　makes　an　easy　enoug