shorter logic-第38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！


what　is　otherwise　termed　Instinct；　Implanted　or　Innate　Ideas；　Common　Sense；
Natural　Reason；　or　whatever　form；　in　short；　we　give　to　the　original　spontaneity）。
It　is　a　matter　of　general　experience　that　education　or　development　is　required　to
bring　out　into　consciousness　what　is　therein　contained。　It　was　so　even　with　the
Platonic　reminiscence；　and　the　Christian　rite　of　baptism；　although　a　sacrament；
involves　the　additional　obligation　of　a　Christian　upbringing。　In　short；　religion　and
morals；　however　much　they　may　be　faith　or　immediate　knowledge；　are　still　on
every　side　conditioned　by　the　mediating　process　which　is　termed　development；
education；　training。　

The　adherents；　no　less　than　the　assailants；　of　the　doctrine　of　Innate　Ideas　have
been　guilty　throughout　of　the　like　exclusiveness　and　narrowness　as　is　here　noted。
They　have　drawn　a　hard　and　fast　line　between　the　essential　and　immediate　union
（as　it　may　be　described）　of　certain　universal　principles　with　the　soul；　and　another
union　which　has　to　be　brought　about　in　an　external　fashion；　and　through　the
channel　of　given　objects　and　conceptions。　There　is　one　objection；　borrowed　from
experience；　which　was　raised　against　the　doctrine　of　Innate　Ideas。　All　men；　it　was
said；　must　have　these　ideas；　they　must　have；　for　example；　the　maxim　of
contradiction　present　in　the　mind…they　must　be　aware　of　it；　for　this　maxim　and
others　like　it　were　included　in　the　class　of　Innate　Ideas。　The　objection　may　be　set
down　to　misconception；　for　the　principles　in　question；　though　innate；　need　not　on
that　account　have　the　form　of　ideas　or　conceptions　of　something　we　are　aware　of。
Still；　the　objection　completely　meets　and　overthrows　the　crude　theory　of
immediate　knowledge；　which　expressly　maintains　its　formulae　in　so　far　as　they　are
in　consciousness。　Another　point　calls　for　notice。　'We　may　suppose　it　admitted　by
the　intuitive　school；　that　the　special　case　of　religious　faith　involves　supplementing
by　a　Christian　or　religious　education　and　development。　In　that　case　it　is　acting
capriciously　when　it　seeks　to　ignore　this　admission　when　speaking　about　faith；　or
it　betrays　a　want　of　reflection　not　to　know；　that；　if　the　necessity　of　education　be
once　admitted；　mediation　is　pronounced　indispensable。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§67n

The　reminiscence　of　ideas　spoken　of　by　Plato　is　equivalent　to　saying　that　ideas　implicitly　exist　in
man；　instead　of　being；　as　the　Sophists　assert；　a　foreign　importation　into　his　mind。　But　to　conceive
knowledge　as　reminiscence　does　not　interfere　with；　or　set　aside　as　useless；　the　development　of
what　is　implicitly　in　man；　which　development　is　another　word　for　mediation。　The　same　holds　good
of　the　innate　ideas　that　we　find　in　Descartes　and　the　Scotch　philosophers。　These　ideas　are　only
potential　in　the　first　instance；　and　should　be　looked　at　as　being　a　sort　of　mere　capacity　in　man。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§68

In　the　case　of　these　experiences　the　appeal　turns　upon　something　that　shows　itself
bound　up　with　immediate　consciousness。　Even　if　this　combination　be　in　the　first
instance　taken　as　an　external　and　empirical　connection；　still；　even　for　empirical
observation；　the　fact　of　its　being　constant　shows　it　to　be　essential　and　inseparable。
But；　again；　if　this　immediate　consciousness；　as　exhibited　in　experience；　be　taken
separately；　so　far　as　it　is　a　consciousness　of　God　and　the　divine　nature；　the　state
of　mind　which　it　implies　is　generally　described　as　an　exaltation　above　the　finite；
above　the　senses；　and　above　the　instinctive　desires　and　affections　of　the　natural
heart：　which　exaltation　passes　over　into；　and　terminates　in；　faith　in　God　and　a
divine　order。　It　is　apparent；　therefore；　that；　though　faith　may　be　an　immediate
knowledge　and　certainty；　it　equally　implies　the　interposition　of　this　process　as　its
antecedent　and　condition。　

It　has　been　already　observed；　that　the　so…called　proofs　of　the　being　of　God；　which
start　from　finite　being；　give　an　expression　to　this　exaltation。　In　that　light　they　are
no　inventions　of　an　oversubtle　reflection；　but　the　necessary　and　native　channel　in
which　the　movement　of　mind　runs：　though　it　may　be　that；　in　their　ordinary　form；
these　proofs　have　not　their　correct　and　adequate　expression。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§69

It　is　the　passage　（§　64）　from　the　subjective　Idea　to　being　which　forms　the　main
concern　of　the　doctrine　of　immediate　knowledge。　A　primary　and　self…evident
interconnection　is　declared　to　exist　between　our　Idea　and　being。　Yet　precisely　this
central　point　of　transition；　utterly　irrespective　of　any　connections　which　show　in
experience；　clearly　involves　a　mediation。　And　the　mediation　is　of　no　imperfect　or
unreal　kind；　where　the　mediation　takes　place　with　and　through　something
external；　but　one　comprehending　both　antecedent　and　conclusion。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§70

For；　what　this　theory　asserts　is　that　truth　lies　neither　in　the　Idea　as　a　merely
subjective　thought；　nor　in　mere　being　on　its　own　account…that　mere　being　per　se；
a　being　that　is　not　of　the　Idea；　is　the　sensible　finite　being　of　the　world。　Now　all
this　only　affirms；　without　demonstration；　that　the　Idea　has　truth　only　by　means　of
being；　and　being　has　truth　only　by　means　of　the　Idea。　The　maxim　of　immediate
knowledge　rejects　an　indefinite　empty　immediacy　（and　such　is　abstract　being；　or
pure　unity　taken　by　itself）；　and　affirms　in　its　stead　the　unity　of　the　Idea　with
being。　And　it　acts　rightly　in　so　doing。　But　it　is　stupid　not　to　see　that　the　unity　of
distinct　terms　or　modes　is　not　merely　a　purely　immediate　unity；　i。e。　unity　empty
and　indeterminate；　but　that　…　with　equal　emphasis…the　one　term　is　shown　to　have
truth　only　as　mediated　through　the　other　…　or；　if　the　phrase　be　preferred；　that
either　term　is　only　mediated　with　truth　through　the　other。　That　the　quality　of
mediation　is　involved　in　the　very　immediacy　of　intuition　is　thus　exhibited　as　a　fact；
against　which　understanding；　conformably　to　the　fundamental　maxim　of
immediate　knowledge　that　the　evidence　of　consciousness　is　infallible；　can　have
nothing　to　object。　It　is　only　ordinary　abstract　understanding　which　takes　the　terms
of　mediation　and　immediacy；　each　by　itself　absolutely；　to　represent　an　inflexible
line　of　distinction；　and　thus　draws　upon　its　own　head　the　hopeless　task　of
reconciling　them。　The　difficulty；　as　we　have　shown；　has　no　existence　in　the　fact；
and。　it　vanishes　in　the　speculative　notion。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§71

The　one…sidedness　of　the　intuitional　school　has　certain　characteristics　attending
upon　it；　which　we　shall　proceed　to　point　out　in　their　main　features；　now　that　we
have　discussed　the　fundamental　principle。　The　first　of　these　corollaries　is　as
follows。　Since　the　criterion　of　truth　is　found；　not　in　the　nature　of　the　content；　but
in　the　mere　fact　of　consciousness；　every　alleged　truth　has　no　other　basis　than
subjective　certitude　and　the　assertion　that　we　discover　a　certain　fact　in　our
consciousness。　What　I　discover　in　my　consciousness　is　thus　exaggerated　into　a
fact　of　the　consciousness　of　all；　and　even　passed　off　for　the　very　nature　of
consciousness