第 17 节
作者:桃桃逃      更新:2022-08-21 16:33      字数:9315
  §32
  (3) In the third place; this system of metaphysic turned into Dogmatism。 When
  our thoughts never ranges beyond narrow and rigid terms; we are forced to
  assume that of two opposite assertions; such as were the above propositions; the
  one must be true and the other false。
  §32n
  Dogmatism may be most simply described as the contrary of Scepticism。 The ancient Sceptics
  gave the name of Dogmatism to every philosophy whatever holding a system of definite doctrine。
  In this large sense Scepticism may apply the name even to philosophy which is properly
  Speculative。 But in the narrower sense; Dogmatism consists in the tenacity which draws a hard
  and fast line between certain terms and others opposite to them。 We may see this clearly in the
  strict 'either … or': for instance; The world is either finite or infinite; but one of these two it must be。
  The contrary of this rigidity is the characteristic of all Speculative truth。 There no such inadequate
  formulae are allowed; nor can they possibly exhaust it。 These formulae Speculative truth holds in
  union as a totality; whereas Dogmatism invests them in their isolation with a title to fixity and truth。
  It often happens in philosophy that the half…truth takes its place beside the whole truth and
  assumes on its own account the position of something permanent。 But the fact is that the half…truth;
  instead of being a fixed or self…subsistent principle; is a mere element absolved and included in the
  whole。 The metaphysic of understanding is dogmatic; because it maintains half…truths in their
  isolation: whereas the idealism of speculative philosophy carries out the principle of totality and
  shows that it can reach beyond the inadequate formularies of abstract thought。 Thus idealism
  would say: The soul is neither finite only; nor infinite only; it is really the one just as much as the
  other; and in that way neither the one nor the other。 In other words; such formularies in their
  isolation are inadmissible; and only come into account as formative elements in a larger notion。
  Such idealism we see even in the ordinary phases of consciousness。 Thus we say of sensible
  things; that they are changeable: that is; they are; but it is equally true that they are not。 We show
  more obstinacy in dealing with the categories of the understanding。 These are terms which we
  believe to be somewhat firmer … or even absolutely firm and fast。 We look upon them as separated
  from each other by an infinite chasm; so that opposite categories can never get at each other。 The
  battle of reason is the struggle to break up the rigidity to which the understanding has reduced
  everything。
  §33
  The first part of this metaphysic in its systematic form is Ontology; or the
  doctrine of the abstract characteristics of Being。 The multitude of these
  characteristics; and the limits set to their applicability; are not founded upon any
  principle。 They have in consequence to be enumerated as experience and
  circumstances direct; and the import ascribed to them is founded only upon
  common sensualised conceptions; upon assertions that particular words are used
  in a particular sense; and even perhaps upon etymology。 If experience pronounces
  the list to be complete; and if the usage of language; by its agreement; shows the
  analysis to be correct; the metaphysician is satisfied; and the intrinsic and
  independent truth and necessity of such characteristics is never made a matter of
  :investigation at all。
  To ask if being; existence; finitude; simplicity; complexity; etc。 are notions
  intrinsically and independently true; must surprise those who believe that a
  question about truth can only concern propositions (as to whether a notion is or is
  not with truth to be attributed; as the phrase is; to a subject); and that falsehood
  lies in the contradiction existing between the subject in our ideas; and the notion
  to be predicated of it。 Now as the notion is concrete; it and every character of it
  in general is essentially a self…contained unity of distinct characteristics。 If truth
  then were nothing more than the absence of contradiction; it would be first of all
  necessary in the case of every notion to examine whether it; taken individually;
  did not contain this sort of intrinsic contradiction。
  §34
  The second branch of the metaphysical system was Rational Psychology or
  Pneumatology。 It dealt with the metaphysical nature of the soul … that is; of the
  Mind regarded as a thing。 It expected to find immortality in a sphere dominated
  by the laws of composition; time; qualitative change; and quantitative increase or
  decrease。
  §34n
  The name 'rational'; given to this species of psychology; served to contrast it with empirical modes
  of observing the phenomena of the soul Rational psychology viewed the soul in its metaphysical
  nature; and through the categories supplied by abstract thought。 The rationalists endeavoured to
  ascertain the inner nature of the soul as it is in itself and as it is for thought。 In philosophy at present
  we hear little of the soul: the favourite term is now mind (spirit)。 The two are distinct; soul being as
  it were the middle term between body and spirit; or the bond between the two。 The mind; as soul;
  is immersed in corporeity; and the soul is the animating principle of the body。
  The pre…Kantian metaphysic; we say; viewed the soul as a thing。 'Thing' is a very ambiguous
  word。 By a thing; we mean; firstly; an immediate existence; something we represent in sensuous
  form: and in this meaning the term has been applied to the soul。 Hence the question regarding the
  seat of the soul。 Of course; if the soul have a seat; it is in space and sensuously envisaged。 So; too;
  if the soul be viewed as a thing we can ask whether the soul is simple or composite。 The question
  is important as bearing on the immortality of the soul; which is supposed to depend on the absence
  of composition。 But the fact is; that in abstract simplicity we have a category; which as little
  corresponds to the nature of the soul; as that of compositeness。
  One word on the relation of rational to empirical psychology。 The former; because it sets itself to
  apply thought to cognise mind and even to demonstrate the result of such thinking; is the higher;
  whereas empirical psychology starts from perception; and only recounts and describes what
  perception supplies。 But if we propose to think the mind; we must not be quite so shy of its special
  phenomena。 Mind is essentially active in the same sense as the Schoolmen 'Scholastics' said that
  God is 'absolute actuosity'。 But if the mind is active it must as it were utter itself。 It is wrong
  therefore to take the mind for a processless ens; as did the old metaphysic which divided the
  processless inward life of the mind from its outward life。 The mind; of all things; must be looked at
  in its concrete actuality; in its energy; and in such a way that its manifestations are seen to be
  determined by its inward force。
  §35
  The third branch of metaphysics was Cosmology。 The topics it embraced were
  the world; its contingency; necessity; eternity; limitation in time and space: the
  laws (only formal) of its changes: the freedom of man and the origin of evil。
  To these topics it applied what were believed to be thoroughgoing contrasts: such
  as contingency and necessity; eternal and internal necessity; efficient and final
  cause; or causality in general and design; essence or substance and phenomenon;
  form and matter; freedom and necessity; happiness and pain; good and evil。
  The object of Cosmology comprised not merely Nature; but Mind too; in its external complicating
  in its phenomenon…in fact; existence in general; or the sum of finite things。 This object however it
  viewed not as a concrete whole; but only under certain abstract points of view。 Thus the questions
  Cosmology attempted to solve were such as these: Is accident or necessity dominant in the world?
  Is the world eternal or created? It was therefore a chief concern of this study to lay down what
  were called general cosmological laws: for instance; that Nature does not act by fits an starts。 And
  by fits and starts (saltus) they meant a qualitative difference or qualitative alteration showing itself
  without any antecedent determining mean: whereas; on the contrary; a gradual change (of quantity)
  is obviously not without intermediation。
  In regard to Mind as it makes itself felt in the world; the questions which Cosmology chiefly
  discussed turned upon the freedom of man and the origin of evil。 Nobody can deny that these are
  questions of the highest importance。 But to give them a satisfactory answer; it is above all things
  necessary not to claim finality for the abstract formulae of understanding; or to suppose that each
  of the two terms in an antithesis has an independent subsistence or can be treated in its isolation as
  a complete and self…centred truth。 This however is the general position taken by the
  metaphysicians before Kant;