第 60 节
作者:京文      更新:2021-02-19 21:42      字数:9314
  not get beyond the ordinary point of view of consciousness; viz。 that objects outside of us are the
  real and the true。 The finite is thus not grasped by Locke as absolute negativity; i。e。; in its
  infinitude; this we shall not find until we come to deal in the third place with Leibnitz。 It is in a
  higher sense that Leibnitz asserts individuality; the differentiated; to be self…existent and indeed
  objectless; to be true Being。 That is to say; it is not according to him finite; but is yet distinguished;
  thus; each monad is itself the totality。 Leibnitz and Locke hence likewise stand in a position of
  mutual independence and antagonism。
  John Locke was born in 1632; at Wrington; in England。 He studied for himself the Cartesian
  philosophy at Oxford; setting aside the scholastic philosophy which was still in vogue。 He devoted
  himself to the study of medicine; which; however; on account of his delicate health; he never really
  practised。 In 1664 he went with an English ambassador for a year to Berlin。 After his return to
  England; he became acquainted with the intellectual Earl of Shaftesbury of that time; who availed
  himself of his medical advice; and in whose house he lived without requiring to give himself up to
  practice。 When Lord Shaftesbury became Lord Chancellor of England; Locke received an office
  from him; which; however; he soon lost by a change of ministry。 Owing to his dread of falling a
  prey to consumption; he betook himself in 1675 to Montpellier for the benefit of his health。 When
  his patron came into power again he once more recovered the place he had lost; only to be again
  deposed on a fresh overthrow of this minister; and he was now compelled to flee from England。
  “The act by means of which Locke was driven from Oxford” (what post he held there we are not
  told) “was not an enactment of the University; but of James II。; by whose express command; and
  by the peremptory authority of a written warrant; the expulsion was carried out。 From the
  correspondence that took place; it is evident that the college submitted itself against its will to a
  measure which it could not resist without compromising the peace and quiet of its members。”
  Locke went to Holland; which was at that time the land wherein all who were obliged to effect
  their escape from any oppression; whether political or religious; found protection; and in which the
  most famous and liberal…minded men were to be met with。 The Court party persecuted him even
  here; and by royal warrant he was ordered to be taken prisoner and sent to England; consequently
  he had to remain hidden with his friends。 When William of Orange ascended the English throne;
  after the Revolution of 1688; Locke returned with him to England。 He was there made
  Commissioner of Trade and Plantation; gave to the world his famous treatise on the Human
  Understanding; and finally; having withdrawn from public office or account of the delicacy of his
  health; he spent his remaining years in the country houses of English nobles; he died on the 28th
  day of October; 1704; in the seventy…third year of his life。(1)
  The philosophy of Locke is much esteemed; it is still; for the most part; the philosophy of the
  English and the French; and likewise in a certain sense of the Germans。 To put it in a few words; it
  asserts on the one hand that truth and knowledge rest upon experience and observation; and on
  the other the analysis of and abstraction from general determinations is prescribed as the method
  of knowledge; it is; so to speak; a metaphysical empiricism; and this is the ordinary method
  adopted in the sciences。 In respect of method; Locke thus employs an exactly opposite system to
  that of Spinoza。 In the methods of Spinoza and Descartes an account of the origin of ideas may be
  dispensed with; they are accepted at once as definitions; such as those of substance; the infinite;
  mode; extension; etc。; all of which constitute a quite incoherent list。 But we require to show where
  these thoughts come in; on what they are founded; and how they are verified。 Thus Locke has
  striven to satisfy a true necessity。 For he has the merit of having deserted the system of mere
  definitions; which were before this made the starting point; and of having attempted to make
  deduction of general conceptions; inasmuch as he was; for example; at the pains to show how
  substantiality arises subjectively from objects。 That is a further step than any reached by Spinoza;
  who begins at once with definitions and axioms which are unverified。 Now they are derived; and
  no longer oracularly laid down; even if the method and manner whereby this authentication is
  established is not the right one。 That is to say; here the matter in question is merely subjective; and
  somewhat psychological; since Locke merely describes the methods of mind as it appears to us to
  be。 For in his philosophy we have more especially to deal with the derivation of the general
  conceptions; or ideas; as he called them; that are present in our knowledge; and with their origin
  as they proceed from what is outwardly and inwardly perceptible。 Malebranche no doubt likewise
  asks how we arrive at conceptions; and thus he apparently has before him the same subject of
  investigation as has Locke。 But firstly; this psychological element in Malebranche is merely the
  later development; and then to him the universal or God is plainly first; while Locke commences at
  once with individual perceptions; andonly from them does he proceed to Notions; to God。 The
  universal to Locke is; therefore; merely a later result; the work of our minds; it is simply something
  pertaining to thought; as subjective。 Every man undoubtedly knows that when his consciousness
  develops empirically; he commences from feelings; from quite concrete conditions; and that it is
  only later on that general conceptions come in; which are connected with the concrete of sensation
  by being contained therein。 Space; for example; comes to consciousness later than the spacial; the
  species later than the individual; and it is only through the activity of my consciousness that the
  universal is separated from the particular of conception; feeling; etc。 Feeling undoubtedly comes
  lowest; it is the animal mode of spirit; but in its capacity as thinking; spirit endeavours to transform
  feeling into its own form。 Thus the course adopted by Locke is quite a correct one; but all dialectic
  considerations are utterly and entirely set aside; since the universal is merely analyzed from the
  empirical concrete。 And in this matter Kant reproaches Locke with reason; the individual is not the
  source of universal conceptions; but the understanding。
  As to Locke's further reflections; they are very simple。 Locke considers how the understanding is
  only consciousness; and in being so is something in consciousness; and he only recognizes the
  implicit in as far as it is in the same。
  a。 Locke's philosophy is more especially directed against Descartes; who; like Plato; had spoken
  of innate ideas。 Locke likewise makes special examination of the “inborn impressions (notiones
  communes in foro interiori descript?)” which Lord Herbert assumes in his work De veritate。
  In the first book of his work Locke combats the so…called innate ideas; theoretic as well as
  practical; i。e。; the universal; absolutely existent ideas which at the same time are represented as
  pertaining to mind in a natural way。 Locke said that we arrive first at that which we call idea。 By
  this he understands not the essential determinations of man; but conceptions which we have and
  which are present and exist in consciousness as such: in the same way we all have arms and legs
  as parts of our bodies; and the desire to eat exists in everyone。 In Locke we thus have the
  conception of the soul as of a contentless tabula rasa which is by…and…by filled with what we call
  experience。(2) The expression “innate principles” was at that time common; and these innate
  principles have sometimes been foolishly spoken of。 But their true signification is that they are
  implicit; that they are essential moments in the nature of thought; qualities of a germ; which do not
  yet exist: only in relation to this last there is an element of truth in Locke's conclusions。 As diverse
  conceptions essentially determined they are only legitimatized by its being shown that they are
  implied in the essential nature of thought; but as propositions which hold good as axioms; and
  conceptions which are immediately accepted as laid down in definitions; they undoubtedly possess
  the form of that which is present and inborn。 As they are regarded they are bound to have value in
  and for themselves; but this is a mere assertion。 From the other point of view the question of
  whence they come is a futile one。 Mind is undoubtedly determined in itself; for it is the explicitly
  existent Notion; its development signifies the coming to consciousness。 But the determinations
  which it brings forth from itself cannot be called innate; for this development must be occasioned
  by an external; and only on that does the activity of mind react; in order that it may for the first
  time become conscious of its reality。
  The grounds on which Locke refutes innate ideas are emp