the critique of judgement-第31部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


ghty　river；　and　the　like；　make　our　power　of　resistance　of　trifling　moment　in　comparison　with　their　might。　But；　provided　our　own　position　is　secure；　their　aspect　is　all　the　more　attractive　for　its　fearfulness；　and　we　readily　call　these　objects　sublime；　because　they　raise　the　forces　of　the　soul　above　the　height　of　vulgar　commonplace；　and　discover　within　us　a　power　of　resistance　of　quite　another　kind；　which　gives　us　courage　to　be　able　to　measure　ourselves　against　the　seeming　omnipotence　of　nature。　　　In　the　immeasurableness　of　nature　and　the　incompetence　of　our　faculty　for　adopting　a　standard　proportionate　to　the　aesthetic　estimation　of　the　magnitude　of　its　realm；　we　found　our　own　limitation。　But　with　this　we　also　found　in　our　rational　faculty　another　non…sensuous　standard；　one　which　has　that　infinity　itself　under　it　as　a　unit；　and　in　comparison　with　which　everything　in　nature　is　small；　and　so　found　in　our　minds　a　pre…eminence　over　nature　even　in　it　immeasurability。　Now　in　just　the　same　way　the　irresistibility　of　the　might　of　nature　forces　upon　us　the　recognition　of　our　physical　helplessness　as　beings　of　nature；　but　at　the　same　time　reveals　a　faculty　of　estimating　ourselves　as　independent　of　nature；　and　discovers　a　pre…eminence　above　nature　that　is　the　foundation　of　a　self…preservation　of　quite　another　kind　from　that　which　may　be　assailed　and　brought　into　danger　by　external　nature。　This　saves　humanity　in　our　own　person　from　humiliation；　even　though　as　mortal　men　we　have　to　submit　to　external　violence。　In　this　way；　external　nature　is　not　estimated　in　our　aesthetic　judgement　as　sublime　so　far　as　exciting　fear；　but　rather　because　it　challenges　our　power　（one　not　of　nature）　to　regard　as　small　those　things　of　which　we　are　wont　to　be　solicitous　（worldly　goods；　health；　and　life）；　and　hence　to　regard　its　might　（to　which　in　these　matters　we　are　no　doubt　subject）　as　exercising　over　us　and　our　personality　no　such　rude　dominion　that　we　should　bow　down　before　it；　once　the　question　becomes　one　of　our　highest　principles　and　of　our　asserting　or　forsaking　them。　Therefore　nature　is　here　called　sublime　merely　because　it　raises　the　imagination　to　a　presentation　of　those　cases　in　which　the　mind　can　make　itself　sensible　of　the　appropriate　sublimity　of　the　sphere　of　its　own　being；　even　above　nature。　　　This　estimation　of　ourselves　loses　nothing　by　the　fact　that　we　must　see　ourselves　safe　in　order　to　feel　this　soul…stirring　delight…a　fact　from　which　it　might　be　plausibly　argued　that；　as　there　is　no　seriousness　in　the　danger；　so　there　is　just　as　little　seriousness　in　the　sublimity　of　our　faculty　of　soul。　For　here　the　delight　only　concerns　the　province　of　our　faculty　disclosed　in　such　a　case；　so　far　as　this　faculty　has　its　root　in　our　nature；　notwithstanding　that　its　development　and　exercise　is　left　to　ourselves　and　remains　an　obligation。　Here　indeed　there　is　truth…no　matter　how　conscious　a　man；　when　he　stretches　his　reflection　so　far　abroad；　may　be　of　his　actual　present　helplessness。　　　This　principle　has；　doubtless；　the　appearance　of　being　too　far…fetched　and　subtle；　and　so　of　lying　beyond　the　reach　of　an　aesthetic　judgement。　But　observation　of　men　proves　the　reverse；　and　that　it　may　be　the　foundation　of　the　commonest　judgements；　although　one　is　not　always　conscious　of　its　presence。　For　what　is　it　that；　even　to　the　savage；　is　the　object　of　the　greatest　admiration？　It　is　a　man　who　is　undaunted；　who　knows　no　fear；　and　who；　therefore；　does　not　give　way　to　danger；　but　sets　manfully　to　work　with　full　deliberation。　Even　where　civilization　has　reached　a　high　pitch；　there　remains　this　special　reverence　for　the　soldier；　only　that　there　is　then　further　required　of　him　that　he　should　also　exhibit　all　the　virtues　of　peace…gentleness；　sympathy；　and　even　becoming　thought　for　his　own　person；　and　for　the　reason　that　in　this　we　recognize　that　his　mind　is　above　the　threats　of　danger。　And　so；　comparing　the　statesman　and　the　general；　men　may　argue　as　they　please　as　to　the　pre…eminent　respect　which　is　due　to　either　above　the　other；　but　the　verdict　of　the　aesthetic　judgement　is　for　the　latter。　War　itself；　provided　it　is　conducted　with　order　and　a　sacred　respect　for　the　rights　of　civilians；　has　something　sublime　about　it；　and　gives　nations　that　carry　it　on　in　such　a　manner　a　stamp　of　mind　only　the　more　sublime　the　more　numerous　the　dangers　to　which　they　are　exposed；　and　which　they　are　able　to　meet　with　fortitude。　On　the　other　hand；　a　prolonged　peace　favours　the　predominance　of　a　mere　commercial　spirit；　and　with　it　a　debasing　self…interest；　cowardice；　and　effeminacy；　and　tends　to　degrade　the　character　of　the　nation。　　　So　far　as　sublimity　is　predicated　of　might；　this　solution　of　the　concept　of　it　appears　at　variance　with　the　fact　that　we　are　wont　to　represent　God　in　the　tempest；　the　storm；　the　earthquake；　and　the　like；　as　presenting　Himself　in　His　wrath；　but　at　the　same　time　also　in　His　sublimity；　and　yet　here　it　would　be　alike　folly　and　presumption　to　imagine　a　pre…eminence　of　our　minds　over　the　operations　and；　as　it　appears；　even　over　the　direction　of　such　might。　Here；　instead　of　a　feeling　of　the　sublimity　of　our　own　nature；　submission；　prostration；　Aristotle's　remarks　on　Courage；　in　the　utter　helplessness　seem　more　to　constitute　the　attitude　of　mind　befitting　the　manifestation　of　such　an　object；　and　to　be　that　also　more　customarily　associated　with　the　idea　of　it　on　the　occasion　of　a　natural　phenomenon　of　this　kind。　In　religion；　as　a　rule；　prostration；　adoration　with　bowed　head；　coupled　with　contrite；　timorous　posture　and　voice；　seems　to　be　the　only　becoming　demeanour　in　presence　of　the　Godhead；　and　accordingly　most　nations　have　assumed　and　still　observe　it。　Yet　this　cast　of　mind　is　far　from　being　intrinsically　and　necessarily　involved　in　the　idea　of　the　sublimily　of　a　religion　and　of　its　object。　The　man　that　is　actually　in　a　state　of　fear；　finding　in　himself　good　reason　to　be　so；　because　he　is　conscious　of　offending　with　his　evil　disposition　against　a　might　directed　by　a　will　at　once　irresistible　and　just；　is　far　from　being　in　the　frame　of　mind　for　admiring　divine　greatness；　for　which　a　temper　of　calm　reflection　and　a　quite　free　judgement　are　required。　Only　when　he　becomes　conscious　of　having　a　disposition　that　is　upright　and　acceptable　to　God；　do　those　operations　of　might　serve；　to　stir　within　him　the　idea　of　the　sublimity　of　this　Being；　so　far　as　he　recognizes　the　existence　in　himself　of　a　sublimity　of　disposition　consonant　with　His　will；　and　is　thus　raised　above　the　dread　of　such　operations　of　nature；　in　which　he　no　longer　sees　God　pouring　forth　the　vials　of　the　wrath。　Even　humility；　taking　the　form　of　an　uncompromising　judgement　upon　his　shortcomings；　which；　with　consciousness　of　good　intentions；　might　readily　be　glossed　over　on　the　ground　of　the　frailty　of　human　nature；　is　a　sublime　temper　of　the　mind　voluntarily　to　undergo　the　pain　of　remorse　as　a　means　of　more　and　more　effectually　eradicating　its　cause。　In　this　way　religion　is　intrinsically　distinguished　from　superstition；　which　latter　rears　in　the　mind；　not　reverence　for　the　sublime；　but　dread　and　apprehension　of　the　all…powerful　Being　to　whose　will　terror…stricken　man　sees　himself　subjected；　yet　without　according　Him　due　h