第 28 节
作者:桃桃逃      更新:2022-08-21 16:33      字数:9313
  or categories are also spoken of as notions: and to get a notion of an object
  therefore can only mean; in this language; to grasp it under the form of being
  conditioned and derivative。 Consequently; if the object in question be the True;
  the Infinite; the Unconditioned; we change it by our notions into a finite and
  conditioned; whereby; instead of apprehending the truth by thought; we have
  perverted it into untruth。
  Such is the one simple line of argument advanced for the thesis that the
  knowledge of God and of truth must be immediate; or intuitive。 At an earlier
  period all sort of anthropomorphic conceptions; as they are termed; were
  banished from God; as being finite and therefore unworthy of the infinite; and in
  this way God had been reduced to a tolerably blank being。 But in those days the
  thought…forms were in general not supposed to come under the head of
  anthropomorphism。 Thought was believed rather to strip finitude from the
  conceptions of the Absolute…in agreement with the above…mentioned conviction of
  all ages; that reflection is the only road to truth。 But now; at length; even the
  thought…forms are pronounced anthropomorphic; and thought itself is described as
  a mere faculty of Unitisation。
  Jacobi has stated this charge most distinctly in the seventh supplement to his
  Letters on Spinoza … borrowing his line of argument from the works of Spinoza
  himself; and applying it as a weapon against knowledge in general。 In his attack
  knowledge is taken to mean knowledge of the finite only; a process of thought
  from one condition in a series to another; each of which is at once conditioning
  and conditioned。 According to such a view; to explain and to get the notion of
  anything; is the same as to show it to be derived from something else。 Whatever
  such knowledge embraces; consequently; is partial; dependent; and finite; while
  the infinite or true; i。e。 God; lies outside of the mechanical interconnection to
  which knowledge is said to be confined。 It is important to observe that; while
  Kant makes the finite nature of the Categories consist mainly in the formal
  circumstance that they are subjective; Jacobi discusses the Categories in their own
  proper character; and pronounces them to be in their very import finite。 What
  Jacobi chiefly had before his eyes; when he thus described science; was the
  brilliant successes of the physical or 'exact' sciences in ascertaining natural forces
  and laws。 It is certainly not on the finite ground occupied by these sciences that
  we can expect to meet the in…dwelling presence of the infinite。 Lalande was right
  when he said he had swept the whole heaven with his glass; and seen no God。
  (See § 60n。) In the field of physical science; the universal; which is the final
  result of analysis; is only the indeterminate aggregate…of the external finite…in one
  word; Matter: and Jacobi well perceived that there was no other issue obtainable
  in the way of a mere advance from one explanatory clause or law to another。
  §63
  All the while the doctrine that truth exists for the mind was so strongly maintained
  by Jacobi; that Reason alone is declared to be that by which man lives。 This
  Reason is the knowledge of God。 But; seeing that derivative knowledge is
  restricted to the compass of finite facts; Reason is knowledge underivative; or
  Faith。
  Knowledge; Faith; Thought; Intuition are the categories that we meet with on this
  line of reflection。 These terms; as presumably familiar to every one; are only too
  frequently subjected to an arbitrary use; under no better guidance than the
  conceptions and distinctions of psychology; without any investigation into their
  nature and notion; which is the main question after all。 Thus; we often find
  knowledge contrasted with faith; and faith at the same time explained to be an
  underivative or intuitive knowledge — so that it must be at least some sort of
  knowledge。 And; besides; it is unquestionably a fact of experience; firstly; that
  what we believe is in our consciousness…which implies that we know about it; and
  secondly; that this belief is a certainty in our consciousness … which implies that
  we know it。 Again; and especially; we find thought opposed to immediate
  knowledge and faith; and; in particular; to intuition。 But if this intuition be
  qualified as intellectual; we must really mean intuition which thinks; unless; in a
  question about the nature of God; we are willing to interpret intellect to mean
  images and representations of imagination。 The word faith or belief; in the dialect
  of this system; comes to be employed even with reference to common objects
  that are present to the senses。 We believe; says Jacobi; that we have a body…we
  believe in the existence of the things of sense。 But if we are speaking of faith in
  the True and Eternal; and saying that God is given and revealed to us in
  immediate knowledge or intuition; we are concerned not with the things of sense;
  but with objects special to our thinking mind; with truths of inherently universal
  significance。 And when the individuals; or in other words personality; is under
  discussion…not the 'I' of experience; or a single private person — above all; when
  the personality of God is before us'; we are speaking of personality unalloyed —
  of a personality in its own nature universal。 Such personality is a thought; and
  falls within the province of thought only。 More than this。 Pure and simple
  intuition is completely the same as pure and simple thought。 Intuition and belief;
  in the first instance; denote the definite conceptions we attach to these words in
  our ordinary employment of them: and to this extent they differ from thought in
  certain points which nearly every one can understand。 But here they are taken in
  a higher sense; and must be interpreted to mean a belief in God; or an intellectual
  intuition of God; in short; we must put aside all that especially distinguishes
  thought on the one side from belief and intuition on the other。 How belief and
  intuition; when transferred to these higher regions; differ from thought; it is
  impossible for any one to say。 And yet; such are the barren distinctions of words;
  with which men fancy that they assert an important truth; even while the
  formulae they maintain are identical with those which they impugn。
  The term Faith brings with it the special advantage of suggesting the faith of the
  Christian religion; it seems to include Christian faith; or perhaps even to coincide
  with it; and thus the Philosophy of Faith has a thoroughly orthodox and Christian
  look; on the strength of which it takes the liberty of uttering its arbitrary dicta with
  greater pretension and authority。 But we must not let ourselves be deceived by
  the semblance surreptitiously secured by a merely verbal similarity。 The two
  things are radically distinct。 Firstly; the Christian faith comprises in it an authority
  of the Church: but the faith of Jacobi's philosophy has no other authority than
  that of a personal revelation。 And; secondly; the Christian faith is a copious body
  of objective truth; a system of knowledge and doctrine: while the scope of the
  philosophic faith is so utterly indefinite; that; while it has room for the faith of the
  Christian; it equally admits a belief in the divinity of the Dalai Lama; the ox; or
  the monkey…thus; so far as it goes; narrowing Deity down to its simplest terms; a
  'Supreme Being'。 Faith itself; taken in this professedly philosophical sense; is
  nothing but the sapless abstract of immediate knowledge — a purely formal
  category applicable to very different facts; and it ought never to be confused or
  identified with the spiritual fullness of Christian faith; whether we look at that
  faith in the heart of the believer and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit; or in the
  system of theological doctrine。
  With what is here called faith or immediate knowledge must also be identified
  inspiration; the heart's revelations; the truths implanted in man by nature; and also
  in particular; healthy reason or Common Sense; as it is called。 All these forms
  agree in adopting as their leading principle the immediacy; or self…evident way; in
  which a fact or body of truths is presented in consciousness。
  §64
  This immediate knowledge; consists in knowing that the Infinite; the Eternal; the
  God which is in our Idea; really is: or; it asserts that in our consciousness there is
  immediately and inseparably bound up with this idea the certainty of its actual
  being。
  To seek to controvert these maxims of immediate knowledge is the last thing
  philosophers would think of。 They may rather find occasion for self…gratulation
  when these ancient doctrines; expressing as they do the general tenor of
  philosophic teaching; have; even in this unphilosophical fashion; become to some
  extent universal convictions of the age。 The true marvel rather is that any one
  could suppose that these principles were opposed to philosophy…the maxims; viz。;
  that whatever is held to be true is immanent in the mind; and that there is truth
  for the mind (§ 63)。 From a formal point of view; there is a peculiar interest in
  the maxim that