shorter logic-第16章

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the　creed；　the　doctrine　of　original　sin　in　man　and　his　consequent　need　of　succour　。　It　may　be　well
at　the　commencement　of　logic　to　examine　the　story　which　treats　of　the　origin　and　the　bearings　of
the　very　knowledge　which　logic　has　to　discuss。　For；　though　philosophy　must　not　allow　herself　to
be　overawed　by　religion；　or　accept　the　position　of　existence　on　sufferance；　she　cannot　afford　to
neglect　these　popular　conceptions。　The　tales　and　allegories　of　religion；　which　have　enjoyed　for
thousands　of　years　the　veneration　of　nations；　are　not　to　be　set　aside　as　antiquated　even　now。

Upon　a　closer　inspection　of　the　story　of　the　Fall　we　find；　as　was　already　said；　that　it　exemplifies
the　universal　bearings　of　knowledge　upon　the　spiritual　life。　In　its　instinctive　and　natural　stage；
spiritual　life　wears　the　garb　of　innocence　and　confiding　simplicity；　but　the　very　essence　of　spirit
implies　the　absorption　of　this　immediate　condition　in　something　higher。　The　spiritual　is　distinguished
from　the　natural；　and　more　especially　from　the　animal；　life；　in　the　circumstance　that　it　does　not
continue　a　mere　stream　of　tendency；　but　sunders　itself　to　self…realisation。　But　this　position　of
severed　life　has　in　its　turn　to　be　suppressed；　and　the　spirit　has　by　its　own　act　to　win　its　way　to
concord　again。　The　final　concord　then　is　spiritual；　that　is；　the　principle　of　restoration　is　found　in
thought；　and　thought　only。　The　hand　that　inflicts　the　wound　is　also　the　hand　which　heals　it。

We　are　told　in　our　story　that　Adam　and　Eve；　the　first　human　beings；　the　types　of　humanity；　were
placed　in　a　garden；　where　grew　a　tree　of　life　and　a　tree　of　the　knowledge　of　good　and　evil。　God；　it
is　said；　had　forbidden　them　to　eat　of　the　fruit　of　this　latter　tree：　of　the　tree　of　life　for　the　present
nothing　further　is　said。　These　words　evidently　assume　that　man　is　not　intended　to　seek　knowledge；
and　ought　to　remain　in　the　state　of　innocence。　Other　meditative　races；　it　may　be　remarked；　have
held　the　same　belief　that　the　primitive　state　of　mankind　was　one　of　innocence　and　harmony。　Now
all　this　is　to　a　certain　extent　correct。　The　disunion　that　appears　throughout　humanity　is　not　a
condition　to　rest　in。　But　it　is　a　mistake　to　regard　the　natural　and　immediate　harmony　as　the　right
state。　The　mind　is　not　mere　instinct：　on　the　contrary；　it　essentially　involves　the　tendency　to
reasoning　and　meditation。　Childlike　innocence　no　doubt　has　in　it　something　fascinating　and
attractive：　but　only　because　it　reminds　us　of　what　the　spirit　must　win　for　itself。　The　harmoniousness
of　childhood　is　a　gift　from　the　hand　of　nature：　the　second　harmony　must　spring　from　the　labour　and
culture　of　the　spirit。　And　so　the　words　of　Christ；　'Except　ye　become　as　little　children'；　etc。；　are
very　far　from　telling　us　that　we　must　always　remain　children。

Again；　we　find　in　the　narrative　of　Moses　that　the　occasion　which　led　man　to　leave　his　natural　unity
is　attributed　to　solicitation　from　without。　The　serpent　was　the　tempter。　But　the　truth　is；　that　the　step
into　opposition；　the　awakening　of　consciousness；　follows　from　the　very　nature　of　man；　and　the
same　history　repeats　itself　in　every　son　of　Adam。　The　serpent　represents　likeness　to　God　as
consisting　in　the　knowledge　of　good　and　evil：　and　it　is　just　this　knowledge　in　which　man
participates　when　he　breaks　with　the　unity　of　his　instinctive　being　and　eats　of　the　forbidden　fruit。
The　first　reflection　of　awakened　consciousness　in　men　told　them　that　they　were　naked。　This　is　a
naive　and　profound　trait。　For　the　sense　of　shame　bears　evidence　to　the　separation　of　man　from　his
natural　and　sensuous　life。　The　beasts　never　get　so　far　as　this　separation；　and　they　feel　no　shame。
And　it　is　in　the　human　feeling　of　shame　that　we　are　to　seek　the　spiritual　and　moral　origin　of　dress；
compared　with　which　the　merely　physical　need　is　a　secondary　matter。

Next　comes　the　Curse；　as　it　is　called；　which　God　pronounced　upon　man。　The　prominent　point　in
that　curse　turns　chiefly　on　the　contrast　between　man　and　nature。　Man　must　work　in　the　sweat　of
his　brow：　and　woman　bring　forth　in　sorrow。　As　to　work；　if　it　is　the　result　of　the　disunion；　it　is　also
the　victory　over　it。　The　beasts　have　nothing　more　to　do　but　to　pick　up　the　materials　required　to
satisfy　their　wants：　man　on　the　contrary　can　only　satisfy　his　wants　by　himself　producing　and
transforming　the　necessary　means。　Thus　even　in　these　outside　things　man　is　dealing　with　himself。

The　story　does　not　close　with　the　expulsion　from　Paradise。　We　are　further　told；　God　said；　'Behold
Adam　is　become　as　one　of　us；　to　know　good　and　evil。'　Knowledge　is　now　spoken　of　as　divine；
and　not；　as　before；　as　something　wrong　and　forbidden。　Such　words　contain　a　confutation　of　the
idle　talk　that　philosophy　pertains　only　to　the　finitude　of　the　mind。　Philosophy　is　knowledge；　and　it　is
through　knowledge　that　man　first　realises　his　original　vocation；　to　be　the　image　of　God。　When　the
record　adds　that　God　drove　men　out　of　the　garden　of　Eden　to　prevent　their　eating　of　the　tree　of
life；　it　only　means　that　on　his　natural　side　certainly　man　is　finite　and　mortal；　but　in　knowledge
infinite。

We　all　know　the　theological　dogma　that　man's　nature　is　evil；　tainted　with　what　is　called　Original
Sin。　Now　while　we　accept　the　dogma；　we　must　give　up　the　setting　of　incident　which　represents
original　sin　as　consequent　upon　an　accidental　act　of　the　first　man。　For　the　very　notion　of　spirit　is
enough　to　show　that　man　is　evil　by　nature；　and　it　is　an　error　to　imagine　that　he　could　ever　be
otherwise。　To　such　extent　as　man　is　and　acts　like　a　creature　of　nature；　his　whole　behaviour　is　what
it　ought　not　to　be。　For　the　spirit　it　is　a　duty　to　be　free；　and　to　realise　itself　by　its　own　act。　Nature　is
for　man　only　the　starting…point　which　he　has　to　transform。　The　theological　doctrine　of　original　sin　is
a　profound　truth；　but　modem　enlightenment　prefers　to　believe　that　man　is　naturally　good；　and　that
he　acts　right　so　long　as　he　continues　true　to　nature。

The　hour　when　man　leaves　the　path　of　mere　natural　being　marks　the　difference　between　him；　a
self…conscious　agent；　and　the　natural　world。　But　this　schism；　though　it　forms　a　necessary　element　in
the　very　notion　of　spirit；　is　not　the　final　goal　of　man。　It　is　to　this　state　of　inward　breach　that　the
whole　finite　action　of　thought　and　will　belongs。　In　that　finite　sphere　man　pursues　ends　of　his　own
and　draws　from　himself　the　material　of　his　conduct。　While　he　pursues　these　aims　to　the　uttermost；
while　his　knowledge　and　his　will　seek　himself；　his　own　narrow　self　apart　from　the　universal；　he　is
evil；　and　his　evil　is　to　be　subjective。

We　seem　at　first　to　have　a　double　evil　here：　but　both　are　really　the　same。　Man　in　so　far　as　he　is
spirit　is　not　the　creature　of　nature：　and　when　he　behaves　as　such；　and　follows　the　cravings　of
appetite；　he　wills　to　be　so。　The　natural　wickedness　of　man　is　therefore　unlike　the　natural　life　of
animals。　A　mere　natural　life　may　be　more　exactly　defined　by　saying　that　the　natural　man　as　such　is
an　individual：　for　nature　in　every　part　is　in　the　bonds　of　individualism。　Thus　when　man　wills　to　be　a
creature　of　nature；　he　wills　in　the　same　degree　to　be　an　individual　simply。　Yet　against　such
impulsive　and　appetitive　action；　due　to　the　individualism　of　nature；　there　also　steps　in　the　law　or
general　principle。　This　law　may　either　be　an　external　force；　or　have　the　form　of　divine　authority。　So
long　as　he　continues　in　his　natural　state；　man　is　in　bondage　to　the　law。　It　is　true　that　among　the
instincts　and　affections　of　man；　there　are　social　or　benevolent　inclinations；　love；　sympathy；　and
others；　reaching　beyond　his　selfish　isolation。　But　so　long　as　these　tendencies　are　instinctive；　their
virtual　universality　of　scope　and　purport　is　vitiated　by　the　subjective　form　which　always　allows　free
play　to　self…seeking　and　random　action。　



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　concrete　formations　of　consciousness
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　§　25

The　term　'Objective　Thoughts'　indicates　the　truth　…　the　truth　which　is　to　be　the
absolute　object　of　philosophy；　and　not　merely　the　goal　at　which　it　aims。　But　the
very　expression　cannot　fail　to　suggest　an　opposition；　to　characterise　and
appreciate　which　is