phenomenology of mind-第14章

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already　been　said；　while　the　proper　systematic　exposition　of　it　is　the　special　business　of　Logic；　or
rather　is　Logic　itself。　For　the　method　is　nothing　else　than　the　structure　of　the　whole　in　its　pure　and
essential　form。　In　regard；　however；　to　what　has　been　hitherto　currently　held　on　this　point；　we　must
be　sensible　that　the　system　of　ideas　bearing　on　the　question　of　philosophical　method；　belongs　also
to　a　stage　of　mental　culture　that　has　now　passed　away。　This　may　perhaps　seem　somewhat　boastful
or　revolutionary；　and　I　am　far　from　adopting　an　attitude　of　that　sort；　but　it　is　significant　that　the
scientific　régime　bequeathed　by　mathematics　—　a　régime　of　explanations；　divisions；　axioms；　an
array　of　theorems；　with　proofs；　principles；　and　the　consequences　and　conclusions　drawn　from
them　—　all　this　has　already　come　to　be　generally　considered　as　at　any　rate　out　of　date。　Even
though　there　is　no　clear　idea　why　it　is　unsuitable；　yet　little　or　no　use　is　made　of　it　any　longer；　and
even　though　it　is　not　condemned　outright；　it　is　all　the　same　not　in　favour。　And　we　must　be　so　far
prejudiced　in　favour　of　what　is　excellent　to　believe　that　it　can　turn　itself　to　practical　account；　and
make　itself　acceptable。　But　it　is　not　difficult　to　see　that　the　method　of　propounding　a　proposition；
producing　reasons　for　it　and　then　refuting　its　opposite　by　reasons　too；　is　not　the　form　in　which　truth
can　appear。　Truth　moves　itself　by　its　very　nature；　but　the　method　just　mentioned　is　a　form　of
knowledge　external　to　its　material。　Hence　it　is　peculiar　to　mathematics　and　must　be　left　to
mathematics；　which；　as　already　indicated；　takes　for　its　principle　the　relation　of　quantity；　a　relation
alien　to　the　notion；　and　gets　its　material　from　lifeless　space；　and　the　equally　lifeless　numerical　unit。
Or；　again；　such　a　method；　adopting　a　freer　style；　one　involving　more　of　arbitrariness　and　chance；
may　have　a　place　in　ordinary　life；　in　a　conversation；　or　in　supplying　matter…of…fact　instruction　for
the　satisfaction　of　curiosity　rather　than　knowledge；　very　much　as　a　preface　does。　In　every…day　life
the　mind　finds　its　content　in　different　kinds　of　knowledge；　experiences　of　various　sorts；　concrete
facts　of　sense；　thoughts；　too；　and　principles；　and；　in　general；　in　whatever　lies　ready　to　hand；　or
passes　for　a　solid　stable　entity；　or　real　being。　The　mind　follows　wherever　this　leads；　sometimes
interrupting　the　connexion　by　an　unrestrained　caprice　in　dealing　with　the　content；　and　takes　up　the
attitude　of　determining　and　handling　it　in　quite　an　external　fashion。　It　runs　the　content　back　to　some
touchstone　of　certainty　or　other；　even　though　it　be　but　the　feeling　of　the　moment；　and　conviction　is
satisfied　if　it　reaches　some　familiar　resting…place。　

But　when　the　necessity　of　the　notion　banishes　from　its　realm　the　loose　procedure　of　the
〃raisonnements〃　of　conversation；　as　well　as　the　pedantic　style　of　scientific　pomposity；　its　place；　as
we　have　already　mentioned；　must　not　be　taken　by　the　disconnected　utterance　of　presageful
surmise　and　inspiration；　and　the　arbitrary　caprice　of　prophetic　utterance；　for　this　does　not　merely
despise　that　particular　form　of　scientific　procedure；　but　contemns　scientific　procedure　altogether。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　14。　　Against　schematizing　formalism

Now　that　the　triplicity；　adopted　in　the　system　of　Kant　—　a　method　rediscovered；　to　begin　with；　by
instinctive　insight；　but　left　lifeless　and　uncomprehended　—　has　been　raised　to　its　significance　as　an
absolute　method；　true　form　is　thereby　set　up　in　its　true　content；　and　the　conception　of　science　has
come　to　light。　But　the　use　this　form　has　been　put　to　in　certain　quarters　has　no　right　to　the　name　of
science。　For　we　see　it　there　reduced　to　a　lifeless　schema；　to　nothing　better　than　a　mere　shadow；
and　scientific　organization　to　a　synoptic　table。　This　formalism　—　about　which　we　spoke　before　in
general　terms；　and　whose　procedure　we　wish　here　to　state　more　fully　—　thinks　it　has
comprehended　and　expressed　the　nature　and　life　of　a　given　form　when　it　proclaims　a　determination
of　the　schema　to　be　its　predicate。　The　predicate　may　be　subjectivity　or　objectivity；　or　again
magnetism；　electricity；　and　so　on；　contraction　or　expansion；　East　or　West；　and　such　like　—　a　form
of　predication　that　can　be　multiplied　indefinitely；　because　according　to　this　way　of　working　each
determination；　each　mode；　can　be　applied　as　a　form　or　schematic　element　in　the　case　of　every
other；　and　each　will　thankfully　perform。　the　same　service　for　any　other。　With　a　circle　of
reciprocities　of　this　sort　it　is　impossible　to　make　out　what　the　real　fact　in　question　is；　or　what　the
one　or　the　other　is。　We　find　there　sometimes　constituents　of　sense　picked　up　from　ordinary
intuition；　determinate　elements　which　to　be　sure　should　mean　something　else　than　they　say；　at　other
times　what　is　inherently　significant；　viz。　pure　determinations　of　thought…like　subject；　object；
substance；　cause；　universality；　etc。…these　are　applied　just　as　uncritically　and　unreflectingly　as　in
every…day　life；　are　used　much　as　people　employ　the　terms　strong　and　weak；　expansion　and
contraction。　As　a　result　that　type　of　metaphysics　is　as　unscientific　as　those　ideas　of　sense。　

Instead　of　the　inner　activity　and　self…movement　of　its　own　actual　life；　such　a　simple　determination
of　direct　intuition　（Anschauung）　—　which　means　here　sense…knowledge　—　is　predicated　in
accordance　with　a　superficial　analogy；　and　this　external　and　empty　application　of　the　formula　is
called　〃construction〃。　The　same　thing　happens　here；　however；　as　in　the　case　of　every　kind　of
formalism。　A　man's　head　must　be　indeed　dull　if　he　could　not　in　a　quarter　of　an　hour　get　up　the
theory　that　there　are　enervating；　innervating；　and　indirectly　enervating　diseases　and　as　many　cures；
and　who　could　not　—　since　not　so　long　ago　instruction　of　that　sort　sufficed　for　the　purpose…in　as
short　a　time　be　turned　from　being　a　man　who　works　by　rule　of　thumb　into　a　theoretical　physician。
Formalism　in　the　case　of　speculative　Philosophy　of　Nature　（Naturphilosophie）　takes　the　shape　of
teaching　that　understanding　is　electricity；　animals　are　nitrogen；　or　equivalent　to　South　or　North　and
so　on。　When　it　does　this；　whether　as　badly　as　it　is　here　expressed　or　even　concocted　with　more
terminology；　such　forceful　procedure　brings　and　holds　together　elements　to　all　appearance　far
removed　from　one　another；　the　violence　done　to　stable　inert　sense…elements　by　connecting　them　in
this　way；　confers　on　them　merely　the　semblance　of　a　conceptual　unity；　and　spares　itself　the　trouble
of　doing　what　is　after　all　the　important　thing　—　expressing　the　notion　itself；　the　meaning　that
underlies　sense…ideas。　All　this　sort　of　thing　may　strike　anyone　who　has　no　experience　with
admiration　and　wonder。　He　may　be　awed　by　the　profound　genius　he　thinks　it　displays；　and　be
delighted　at　the　happy　ingenuity　of　such　characterizations；　since　they　fill　the　place　of　the　abstract
notion　with　something　tangible　and　sensuous；　and　so　make　it　more　pleasing；　and　he　may
congratulate　himself　on　feeling　an　instinctive　mental　affinity　for　that　glorious　way　of　proceeding。　The
trick　of　wisdom　of　that　sort　is　as　quickly　acquired　as　it　is　easy　to　practise。　Its　repetition；　when
once　it　is　familiar；　becomes　as　boring　as　the　repetition　of　any　bit　of　sleight…of…hand　once　we　see
through　it。　The　instrument　for　producing　this　monotonous　formalism　is　no　more　difficult　to　handle
than　the　palette　of　a　painter；　on　which　lie　only　two　colours；　say　red　and　green；　the　former　for
colouring　the　surface　when　we　want　a　historical　piece；　the　latter　when　we　want　a　bit　of　landscape。
It　would　be　difficult　to　settle　which　is　greater　in　all　this；　the　agreeable　ease　with　which　everything　in
heaven　and　earth　and　under　the　earth　is　plastered　with　that　botch　of　colour；　or　the　conceit　that
prides　itself　on　the　excellence　of　its　means　for　every　conceivable　purpose；　the　one　lends　support　to
the　other。　What　results　from　the　use　of　this　method　of　sticking　on　to　everything　in　heaven　and
earth；　to　every　kind　of　shape　and　form；　natural　and　spiritual；　the　pair　of　determinations　from　the
general　schema；　and　filing　everything　in　this　manner；　is　no　less　than　an　〃account　as　clear　as
noonday〃　of　the　organized　whole　of　the　universe。　It　is；　that　is　to　say；　a　synoptic　index；　like　a
skeleton　with　tickets　stuck　all　over　it；　or　like　the　rows　of　boxes　kept　shut　and　labelled　in　a　grocer's
stall；　and　is　as　intelligible　as　either　the　one　or　the　other。　It　has　lost　hold　of　the　living　nature　of
concrete　fact；　just　as　in　the　former　case　we　have　merely　dry　bones　with　flesh　and　blood　all　gone；
and　in　the　latter；　there　is　shut　away　in　those　boxes　something　equally　lifeless　too。　We　have　already
remarked　that　the　final　outcome　of　this　style　of　thinking　is；　at　the　same　time；　to　paint　entirely　in　one
kind　of　colour；　for　it　turns　with　contempt　from　the　distinctions　in　the　schematic　table；　looks　on
them　as　belonging　to　the　activity　of　mere　reflection；　and　lets　them　drop　out　of　sight　in　the　void　of
the　Absolute；　and　there　reinstates　pure　identity；　pure　formless　whiteness。　Such　uniformity　of
colouring　in　the　schema　with　its　lifeless　determinations；　this　absolute　identity；　and　the　transition
from　one　to　the　other　—　these　are　the　one　as　well　as　the　other；　the　expression　of　inert　lifeless
understanding；　and　equally　an　external　process　of　knowledge。　

Not　only　can　what　is　excellent　not　escape　the　fate　of　being　thus　devitalized　and　despiritualized　and
excoriated　of　seeing　its　skin　paraded　about　by　lifeless　knowledge　and　the　conceit　such　knowledge
engenders；　but　rather；　such　a　fate　lets　us　realize　the　power　the　〃excellent〃　exercises　over　the　heart
（Gemüth）；　if　not　over　the　mind　（Geist）。　Moreover；　we　recognize　thereby；　too；　the　constructive
unfolding　into　universality　and　determinateness　of　form　which　marks　the　complete　attainment　of
excellence；　and　which　alone　makes　it　possible　that　this　universality　can　be　turned　to　superficial
uses。

Science　can　become　an　organic　system　only　by　the　inherent　life　of　the　notion。　In　science　the
determinateness；　which　was　taken　from　the　schema　and　stuck　on　to　existing　facts　in　external
fashion；　is　the　self　directing　inner　soul　of　the　concrete　content。　The　movement　of　what　is　partly
consists　in　becoming　another　to　itself；　and　thus　developing　explicitly　into　its　own　immanent　content；
partly；　again；　it　takes　this　evolved　content；　this　existence　it　assumes；　back　into　itself；　i。e。　makes
itself　into　a　moment；　and　reduces　itself　to　simple　determinateness。　In　the　first　stage　of　the　process
negativity　lies　in　the　function　of　distinguishing　and　establishing　existence；　in　this　latter　return　into　self；
negativity　consists　in　the　bringing　about　of　determinate　simplicity。　It　is　in　this　way　that　the　content
shows　its　specific　characteristic　not　to　be　received　from　something　else；　and　stuck　on　externally；
the　content　gives　itself　this　determinate　characteristic；　appoints　itself　of　its　own　initiative　to　the　rank
of　a　moment　and　to　a　place　in　the　whole。　The　pigeon…holing　process　of　understanding　retains　for
itself　the　necessity　and　the　notion　controlling　the　content；　that　which　constitutes　the　concrete
element；　the　actuality　and　living　process　of　the　subject…matter