We never hear this definition challenged, and it is
true as far as it goes, for philosophy has indeed manifested above
all things its interest in unity. But how about the VARIETY in
things? Is that such an irrelevant matter? If instead of using the
term philosophy, we talk in general of our intellect and its needs
we quickly see that unity is only one of these. Acquaintance with
the details of fact is always reckoned, along with their reduction
to system, as an indispensable mark of mental greatness. Your
'scholarly' mind, of encyclopedic, philological type, your man
essentially of learning, has never lacked for praise along with your
philosopher. What our intellect really aims at is neither variety
nor unity taken singly but totality.[Footnote: Compare A.
Bellanger: Les concepts de Cause, et l'activite intentionelle de
l'Esprit. Paris, Alcan, 1905, p. 79 ff.] In this, acquaintance with
reality's diversities is as important as understanding their
connexion. The human passion of curiosity runs on all fours with the
systematizing passion.
In spite of this obvious fact the unity of things has always been
considered more illustrious, as it were, than their variety. When a
young man first conceives the notion that the whole world forms one
great fact, with all its parts moving abreast, as it were, and
interlocked, he feels as if he were enjoying a great insight, and
looks superciliously on all who still fall short of this sublime
conception.
Pages:
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116