phenomenology of mind-第24章

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it　struggles　to　get　itself　out　of　the　mental　embarrassment　thereby　produced；　it　will　tumble　into
further　confusion；　and　possibly　burst　out　with　the　assertion　that　in　short　and　in　fine　the　matter　is
settled；　the　truth　is　so　and　so；　and　anything　else　is　mere　〃sophistry〃　—　a　password　used　by　plain
common　sense　against　cultivated　critical　reason；　like　the　phrase　〃visionary　dreaming〃；　by　which
those　ignorant　of　philosophy　sum　up　its　character　once　for　all。　Since　the　man　of　common　sense
appeals　to　his　feeling；　to　an　oracle　within　his　breast；　he　is　done　with　any　one　who　does　not　agree。
He　has　just　to　explain　that　he　has　no　more　to　say　to　any　one　who　does　not　find　and　feel　the　same
as　himself。　In　other　words；　he　tramples　the　roots　of　humanity　underfoot。　For　the　nature　of　humanity
is　to　impel　men　to　agree　with　one　another；　and　its　very　existence　lies　simply　in　the　explicit
realization　of　a　community　of　conscious　life。　What　is　anti…human；　the　condition　of　mere　animals；
consists　in　keeping　within　the　sphere　of　feeling　pure　and　simple；　and　in　being　able　to　communicate
only　by　way　of　feeling…states。　

When　a　man　asks　for　a　royal　road　to　science；　no　more　convenient　and　comfortable　way　can　be
mentioned　to　him　than　to　put　his　trust　in　〃healthy　common　sense〃。　And　for　the　rest；　to　keep　abreast
of　the　times　and　advance　with　philosophy；　let　him　read　reviews　of　philosophical　works；　and　even
go　the　length　of　reading　the　prefaces　and　first　paragraphs　of　the　works　themselves；　for　the　latter
give　the　general　principles　on　which　everything　turns；　while　the　reviews　along　with　the　historical
notice　provide　over　and　above　the　critical　judgment　and　appreciation；　which；　being　a　judgment
passed　on　the　work；　goes　farther　than　the　work　that　is　judged。　This　common　way　a　man　can　take
in　his　dressing…gown。　But　spiritual　elation　in　the　eternal；　the　sacred；　the　infinite；　moves　along　the
highway　of　truth　in　the　robes　of　the　high　priests　road　that；　from　the　first；　is　itself　immediate　being　in
its　innermost；　the　inspiration　of　profound　and　original　ideas　and　flashes　of　elevated　thought。　All　the
same；　those　depths　do　not　yet　reveal　the　well…spring　of　inner　reality；　nor；　again；　are　these
sky…rockets　the　empyrean。　True　thoughts　and　scientific　insight　can　only　be　won　by　the　labour　of
the　notion。　Conceptions　alone　can　produce　universality　in　the　knowing　process。　This　universality　is
critically　developed　and　completely　finished　knowledge。　It　is　not　the　common　indefiniteness　and
inadequacy　of　ordinary　intelligence。　Nor；　again；　is　it　that　extraordinary　kind　of　universality　where
the　powers　and　potencies　of　reason　are　spoiled　and　ruined　by　genius　through　indolence　and
self…conceit。　It　is　truth　which　has　successfully　reached　its　own　inherent　native　form。　It　is　this
universality　which　is　capable　of　being　the　property　of　every　self…conscious　reason。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　19。　　　Conclusion：　the　author's　relation　to　the　public

Since　I　have　taken　the　self…development　of　the　notion　to　be　the　medium　wherein　science　really
exists；　and　since　in　those　respects　to　which　I　have　drawn　attention；　as　well　as　in　others；　current
ideas　about　the　nature　of　truth　and　the　shape　it　assumes　deviate　from　my　view；　and　indeed　are
quite　opposed　to　my　position；　the　consideration　of　this　divergence　of　view　does　not　seem　to
promise　well　for　a　favourable　reception　of　an　attempt　to　expound　the　system　of　science　in　this
sense。　In　the　meantime；　I　may　call　to　mind　that　while　e。g。　the　supreme　merit　of　Plato's　philosophy
has　sometimes　been　held　to　consist　in　his　myths　which　are　scientifically　valueless；　there　have　also
been　times；　spoken　of　even　as　times　of　mere　sentimental　enthusiasm；　when　the　Aristotelian
philosophy　has　been　respected　on　account　of　its　speculative　depth　of　insight；　and　when　the
Parmenides　of　Plato　—　perhaps　the　greatest　literary　product　of　ancient　dialectic　—　has　been　taken
to　be　the　positive　expression　of　the　divine　life；　the　unveiling　and　disclosing　of　its　inmost　truth。　I　may
reflect；　too；　that　notwithstanding　much　cloudy　obscurity　which　was　the　product　of　ecstasy；　this
misunderstood　ecstasy　was　in　point　of　fact　meant　to　be　nothing　else　than　the　activity　of　the　pure
notion；　furthermore；　that　what　is　best　in　the　philosophy　of　our　time　takes　its　value　to　lie　in　its
scientific　character；　and　that；　even　though　others　take　a　different　view；　it　is　only　in　virtue　of　its
scientific　character　that　recent　philosophy　really　gains　validity　and　acceptance。　Thus；　then；　I　may
hope　too　that　this　attempt　to　justify　the　claim　of　science　to　be　a　conceptual　process；　and
systematically　to　develop　and　present　science　in　this　its　own　peculiar　medium；　will　manage　to　make
a　way　for　itself　by　the　inherent　truth　of　the　result　accomplished。　We　may　rest　assured　that　it　is　the
nature　of　truth　to　force　its　way　to　recognition　when　the　time　comes；　and　that　it　only　appears　when
its　time　has　come；　and　hence　never　appears　too　soon；　and　never　finds　a　public　that　is　not　ripe　to
receive　it。　And；　further；　we　may　be　sure　that　the　individual　thinker　requires　this　result　to　take　place；
in　order　to　give　him　confidence　in　regard　to　what　is　no　more　as　yet　than　a　matter　for　himself　singly
and　alone；　and　in　order　to　find　his　assurance；　which　in　the　first　instance　merely　belongs　to　a
particular　individual；　realized　as　something　universal。　In　this　connection；　however；　it　is　very　often
necessary　to　distinguish　the　public　from　those　who　take　upon　themselves　to　be　its　representatives
and　spokesmen。　The　public　takes　up　an　attitude　in　many　respects　quite　different　from　the　latter；
indeed；　even　opposed　to　them。　Whereas　the　public　good…naturedly　and　generously　will　rather　take
the　blame　upon　itself　when　a　philosophical　work　is　not　quite　acceptable　or　intelligible　to　it；　these
〃representatives〃；　on　the　contrary；　convinced　of　their　own　competence；　put　all　the　blame　on　the
authors。　The　influence　of　the　work　on　the　public　is　more　silent　than　the　action　of　those
〃representatives〃；　who　are　like　the　dead　burying　their　dead。　While　the　general　level　of　insight　at　the
present　time　is　in　the　main　more　highly　cultivated；　its　curiosity　more　quickened　and　alert；　and　its
judgment　more　swiftly　made　up　and　pronounced；　so　that　the　feet　of　those　who　will　carry　you　out
are　already　at　the　door：　at　the　same　time　we　have　often　to　distinguish　from　all　this　the　slower　and
more　gradual　effect　which　rectifies　the　direction　of　attention　caught　and　compelled　by　imposing
assurances；　corrects；　too；　contemptuous　censure；　and　after　a　little　provides　a　contemporary
audience　for　one　part；　while　another　after　a　temporary　vogue　finds　no　audience　with　posterity　any
longer。　

For　the　rest；　at　a　time　when　the　universal　nature　of　spiritual　life　has　become　so　very　much
emphasized　and　strengthened；　and　the　mere　individual　aspect　has　become；　as　it　should　be；
correspondingly　a　matter　of　indifference；　when；　too；　that　universal　aspect　holds；　by　the　entire　range
of　its　substance；　the　full　measure　of　the　wealth　it　has　built　up；　and　lays　claim　to　it　all；　the　share　in
the　total　work　of　mind　that　falls　to　the　activity　of　any　particular　individual　can　only　be　very　small。
Because　this　is　so；　the　individual　must　all　the　more　forget　himself；　as　in　fact　the　very　nature　of
science　implies　and　requires　that　he　should；　and　he　must；　moreover；　become　and　do　what　he　can。
But　all　the　less　must　be　demanded　of　him；　just　as　he　can　expect　the　less　from　himself；　and　may　ask
the　less　for　himself。




INTRODUCTION

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　1

It　is　natural　to　suppose　that；　before　philosophy　enters　upon　its　subject　proper…namely；　the　actual
knowledge　of　what　trulv　is…it　is　necessary　to　come　first　to　an　understanding　concerning　knowledge；
which　is　looked　upon　as　the　instrument　by　which　to　take　possession　of　the　Absolute；　or　as　the
means　through　which　to　get　a　sight　of　it。　The　apprehension　seems　legitimate；　on　the　one　hand　that
there　may　be　various　kinds　of　knowledge；　among　which　one　might　be　better　adapted　than　another
for　the　attainment　of　our　purpose…and　thus　a　wrong　choice　is　possible：　on　the　other　hand　again
that；　since　knowing　is　a　faculty　of　a　definite　kind　and　with　a　determinate　range；　without　the　more
precise　det