shorter logic-第8部分

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upon　itself；　it　turns　back　to　those　solutions　of　the　question　with　which　the　mind
had　learned　to　pacify　itself　in　some　of　its　other　modes　and　forms。　Unfortunately；
however；　the　retreat　of　thought　has　led　it；　as　Plato　noticed　even　in　his　time；　to　a
very　uncalled…for　hatred　of　reason　（misology）；　and　it　then　takes　up　against　its　own
endeavours　that　hostile　attitude　of　which　an　example　is　seen　in　the　doctrine　that
'immediate'　knowledge；　as　it　is　called；　is　the　exclusive　form　in　which　we　become
cognisant　of　truth。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§12

The　rise　of　philosophy　is　due　to　these　cravings　of　thought。　Its　point　of　departure
is　Experience；　including　under　that　name　both　our　immediate　consciousness　and
the　inductions　from　it。　Awakened；　as　it　were；　by　this　stimulus；　thought　is　vitally
characterised　by　raising　itself　above　the　natural　state　of　mind；　above　the　senses
and　inferences　from　the　senses　into　its　own　unadulterated　element；　and　by
assuming；　accordingly；　at　first　a　stand…aloof　and　negative　attitude　towards　the
point　from　which　it　started。　Through　this　state　of　antagonism　to　the　phenomena
of　sense　its　first　satisfaction　is　found　in　itself；　in　the　Idea　of　the　universal　essence
of　these　phenomena：　an　Idea　（the　Absolute；　or　God）　which　may　be　more　or　less
abstract。　Meanwhile；　on　the　other　hand；　the　sciences；　based　on　experience；　exert
upon　the　mind　a　stimulus　to　overcome　the　form　in　which　their　varied　contents　are
presented；　and　to　elevate　these　contents　to　the　rank　of　necessary　truth。　For　the
facts　of　science　have　the　aspect　of　a　vast　conglomerate；　one　thing　coming　side　by
side　with　another；　as　if　they　were　merely　given　and　presented　…　as　in　short　devoid
of　all　essential　or　necessary　connection　In　consequence　of　this　stimulus　thought　is
dragged　out　of　its　unrealised　universality　and　its　fancied　or　merely　possible
satisfaction；　and　impelled　onwards　to　a　development　from　itself。　On　one　hand　this
development　only　means　that　thought　incorporates　the　contents　of　science；　in　all
their　speciality　of　detail　as　submitted。　On　the　other　it　makes　these　contents　imitate
the　action　of　the　original　creative　thought；　and　present　the　aspect　of　a　free
evolution　determined　by　the　logic　of　the　fact　alone。　

On　the　relation　between　'immediacy'　and　'mediation'　in　consciousness　we　shall
speak　later；　expressly　and　with　more　detail。　Here　it　may　be　sufficient　to　premise
that；　though　the　two　'moments'　or　factors　present　themselves　as　distinct；　still
neither　of　them　can　be　absent；　nor　can　one　exist　apart　from　the　other。　Thus　the
knowledge　of　God；　as　of　every　supersensible　reality；　is　in　its　true　character　an
exaltation　above　sensations　or　perceptions：　it　consequently　involves　a　negative
attitude　to　the　initial　data　of　sense；　and　to　that　extent　implies　mediation。　For　to
mediate　is　to　take　something　as　a　beginning　and　to　go　onward　to　a　second　thing；
so　that　the　existence　of　this　second　thing　depends　on　our　having　reached　it　from
something　else　contradistinguished　from　it。　In　spite　of　this；　the　knowledge　of　God
is　no　mere　sequel；　dependent　on　the　empirical　phase　of　consciousness：　in　fact；　its
independence　is　essentially　secured　through　this　negation　and　exaltation。　No
doubt；　if　we　attach　an　unfair　prominence　to　the　fact　of　mediation；　and　represent　it
as　implying　a　state　of　conditionedness；　it　may　be　said　…　not　that　the　remark　would
mean　much　…　that　philosophy　is　the　child　of　experience；　and　owes　its　rise　to　a
posteriori　fact。　（As　a　matter　of　fact；　thinking　is　always　the　negation　of　what　we
have　immediately　before　us。）　With　as　much　truth　however　we　may　be　said　to
owe　eating　to　the　means　of　nourishment；　so　long　as　we　can　have　no　eating
without　them。　If　we　take　this　view；　eating　is　certainly　represented　as　ungrateful：　it
devours　that　to　which　it　owes　itself。　Thinking；　upon　this　view　of　its　action；　is
equally　ungrateful。　

But　there　is　also　an　a　priori　aspect　of　thought；　where　by　a　mediation；　not　made
by　anything　external　but　by　a　reflection　into　self；　we　have　that　immediacy　which
is　universality；　the　selfcomplacency　of　thought　which　is　so　much　at　home　with
itself　that　it　feels　an　innate　indifference　to　descend　to　particulars；　and　in　that　way
to　the　development　of　its　own　nature。　It　is　thus　also　with　religion；　which　whether
it　be　rude　or　elaborate；　whether　it　be　invested　with　scientific　precision　of　detail　or
confined　to　the　simple　faith　of　the　heart；　possesses；　throughout；　the　same
intensive　nature　of　contentment　and　felicity。　But　if　thought　never　gets　further　than
the　universality　of　the　Ideas；　as　was　perforce　the　case　in　the　first　philosophies
（when　the　Eleatics　never　got　beyond　Being；　or　Heraclitus　beyond　Becoming）；　it　is
justly　open　to　the　charge　of　formalism。　Even　in　a　more　advanced　phase　of
philosophy；　we　may　often　find　a　doctrine　which　has　mastered　merely　certain
abstract　propositions　or　formulae；　such　as；　'In　the　absolute　all　is　one'；　

'Subject　and　object　are　identical'　…　and　only　repeating　the　same　thing　when　it
comes　to　particulars。　Bearing　in　mind　this　first　period　of　thought；　the　period　of
mere　generality；　we　may　safely　say　that　experience　is　the　real　author　of　growth
and　advance　in　philosophy。　For；　firstly；　the　empirical　sciences　do　not　stop　short　at
the　mere　observation　of　the　individual　features　of　a　phenomenon。　By　the　aid　of
thought；　they　are　able　to　meet　philosophy　with　materials　prepared　for　it；　in　the
shape　of　general　uniformities；　i。e。　laws；　and　classifications　of　the　phenomena。
When　this　is　done；　the　particular　facts　which　they　contain　are　ready　to　be
received　into　philosophy。　This；　secondly；　implies　a　certain　compulsion　on　thought
itself　to　proceed　to　these　concrete　specific　truths。　The　reception　into　philosophy
of　these　scientific　materials；　now　that　thought　has　removed　their　immediacy　and
made　them　cease　to　be　mere　data；　forms　at　the　same　time　a　development　of
thought　out　of　itself。　Philosophy；　then；　owes　its　development　to　the　empirical
sciences。　In　return　it　gives　their　contents　what　is　so　vital　to　them；　the　freedom　of
thought　…　gives　them；　in　short；　an　a　priori　character。　These　contents　are　now
warranted　necessary；　and　no　longer　depend　on　the　evidence　of　facts　merely；　that
they　were　so　found　and　so　experienced。　The　fact　as　experienced　thus　becomes　an
illustration　and　a　copy　of　the　original　and　completely　self…supporting　activity　of
thought。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§13

Stated　in　exact　terms；　such　is　the　origin　and　development　of　philosophy。　But　the
History　of　Philosophy　gives　us　the　same　process　from　a　historical　and　external
point　of　view。　The　stages　in　the　evolution　of　the　Idea　there　seem　to　follow　each
other　by　accident；　and　to　present　merely　a　number　of　different　and　unconnected
principles；　which　the　several　systems　of　philosophy　carry　out　in　their　own　way。
But　it　is　not　so。　For　these　thousands　of　years　the　same　Architect　has　directed　the
work：　and　that　Architect　is　the　one　living　Mind　whose　nature　is　to　think；　to　bring
to　selfconsciousness　what　it　is；　and；　with　its　being　thus　set　as　object　before　it；　to
be　at　the　same　time　raised　above　it；　and　so　to　reach　a　higher　stage　of　its　own
being。　The　different　systems　w