history of philosophy-第26章

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is　not　the　mediator　between　Ormuzd　and　Abriman　by　establishing　peace　and　leaving　each　to
remain　as　it　was；　it　does　not　partake　of　good　and　evil　both；　like　an　unblest　middle　thing；　but　it
stands　on　the　side　of　Ormuzd　and　strives　with　him　against　the　evil。　Ahriman　is　sometimes　called　the
first…born　son　of　the　Light；　but　Ormuzd　only　remained　within　the　Light。　At　the　creation　of　the
visible　world；　Ormuzd　places　on　the　earth　in　his　incomprehensible　kingdom　of　Light；　the　firm
arches　of　the　heavens　which　are　above　yet　surrounded　on　every　side　with　the　first　original　Light。
Midway　to　the　earth　is　the　high　hill　Albordi；　which　reaches　into　the　source　of　Light。　Ormuzd's
empire　of　Light　extended　uninterruptedly　over　the　firm　vault　of　the　heavens　and　the　hill　Albordi；
and　over　the　earth　too；　until　the　third　age　was　reached。　Then　Ahriman；　whose　kingdom　of　night
was　formerly　bound　beneath　the　earth；　broke　in　upon　Ormuzd's　corporeal　world　and　ruled　in
common　with　him。　Now　the　space　between　heaven　and　earth　was　divided　into　light　and　night。　As
Orniuzd　had　formerly　only　a　spiritual　kingdom　of　light；　Ahriman　had　only　one　of　night；　but　now　that
they　were　intermingled　he　placed　the　terrestrial　light　thus　created　in　opposition　to　the　terrestrial
night。　From　this　time　on；　two　corporeal　worlds　stand　opposed；　one　pure　and　good；　and　one
impure　and　evil；　and　this　opposition　permeates　all　nature。　On　Albordi；　Ormuzd　created　Mithra　as
mediator　for　the　earth。　The　end　of　the　creation　of　the　bodily　world　is　none　other　than　to　reinstate
existence；　fallen　from　its　creator；　to　make　it　good　again；　and　thus　to　make　the　evil　disappear　for
ever。　The　bodily　world　is　the　battle…ground　between　good　and　evil；　but　the　battle　between　light
and　darkness　is　not　in　it　self　an　absolute　and　irreconcilable　opposition；　but　one　which　can　be
conquered；　and　in　it　Ormuzd；　the　principle　of　Light；　will　be　the　conqueror。

I　would　remark　of　this；　that　when　we　consider　the　elements　in　these　ideas　which　bear　some　further
connection　with　Philosophy；　the　universal　of　that　duality　with　which　the　Notion　is　necessarily　set
forth　can　alone　be　interesting　and　noteworthy　to　us；　for　in　it　the　Notion　is　just　the　immediate
opposite　of　itself；　the　unity　of　itself　with　itself　in　the　〃other：〃　a　simple　existence　in　which　absolute
opposition　appears　as　the　opposition　of　existence；　and　the　sublation　of　that　opposition。　Because
properly　the　Light　principle　is　the　only　existence　of　both；　and　the　principle　of　Darkness　is　the　null
and　void；　…　the　principle　of　Light　identifies　itself　with　Mithra；　which　was　before　called　the　highest
existence。　The　opposition　has　laid　aside　the　appearance　of　contingency；　but　the　spiritual　principle
is　not　separate　from　the　physical；　because　the　good　and　evil　are　both　determined　as　Light　and
Darkness。　We　thus　here　see　thought　breaking　forth　from　actuality；　and　yet　not　such　a　separation　as
only　takes　place　in　Religion；　when　the　supersensuous　is　itself　again　represented　in　a　manner
sensuous；　notionless　and　dispersed；　for　the　whole　of　what　is　dispersed　in　sensuous　form　is
gathered　together　in　the　one　single　opposition；　and　activity　is　thus　simply　represented。　These
determinations　lie　much　nearer　to　Thought；　they　are　not　mere　images　or　symbols；　but　yet　these
myths　do　not　concern　Philosophy。　In　them　Thought　does　not　take　the　first　place；　for　the　myth…form
remains　predominant。　In　all　religions　this　oscillation　between　form　and　thought　is　found；　and　such　a
combination　still　lies　outside　Philosophy。

This　is　also　so　in　the　Sanchuniathonic　Cosmogony　of　the　Phoenicians。　These　fragments；　which　are
found　in　Eusebius　（Pr？par。　Evang。　I。　10）；　are　taken　from　the　translation　of　the　Sanchuniathon　from
Phoenician　into　Greek　made　by　a　Grammarian　named　Philo　from　Biblus。　Philo　lived　in　the　time　of
Vespasian　and　ascribes　great　antiquity　to　the　Sanchuniathon。　It　is　there　said；　〃The　principles　of
things　are　found　in　Chaos；　in　which　the　elements　exist　undeveloped　and　confused；　and　in　a　Spirit　of
Air。　The　latter　permeated　the　chaos；　and　with　it　engendered　a　slimy　matter　or　mud　which
contained　within　it　the　living　forces　and　the　germs　of　animals。　By　mingling　this　mud　with　the
component　matter　of　chaos　and　the　resulting　fermentation；　the　elements　separated　themselves。　The
fire　elements　ascended　into　the　heights　and　formed　the　stars。　Through　their　influence　in　the　air；
clouds　were　formed　and　the　earth　was　made　fruitful。　From　the　mingling　of　water　and　earth；　through
the　mud　converted　into　putrefying　matter；　animals　took　their　origin　as　imperfect　and　senseless。
These　again　begot　other　animals　perfect　and　endowed　with　senses。　It　was　the　crash　of　thunder　in　a
thunderstorm　that　caused　the　first　animals　still　sleeping　in　their　husks　to　waken　up　to　life。〃7

The　fragments　of　Berosus　of　the　Chaldeans　were　collected　from　Josephus；　Syncellus　and　Eusebius
under　the　title　Berosi　Chaldaica；　by　Scaliger；　as　an　appendix　to　his　work　De　emendatione
lemporum；　and　they　are　found　complete　in　the　Greek　Library　of　Fabricius　（T。　xiv。　pp。　175…211）。
Berosus　lived　in　the　time　of　Alexander；　is　said　to　have　been　a　Priest　of　Bel　and　to　have　drawn
upon　the　archives　of　the　temple　at　Babylon。　He　says；　〃The　original　god　is　Bel　and　the　goddess
Omoroka　（the　sea）；　but　beside　them　there　were　yet　other　gods。　Bel　divided　Omoroka　in　two；　in
order　to　create　from　her　parts　heaven　and　earth。　Hereupon　he　cut　off　his　own　head　and　the　human
race　originated　from　the　drops　of　his　divine　blood。　After　the　creation　of　man；　Bel　banished　the
darkness；　divided　heaven　and　earth；　and　formed　the　world　into　its　natural　shape。　Since　certain
parts　of　the　earth　seemed　to　him　to　be　insufficiently　populated；　he　compelled　another　god　to　lay
hands　upon　himself；　and　from　his　blood　more　men　and　more　kinds　of　animals　were　created。　At
first　the　men　lived　a　wild　and　uncultivated　life；　until　a　monster〃　（called　by　Berosus；　Oannes）　〃joined
them　into　a　state；　taught　them　arts　and　sciences；　and　in　a　word　brought　Humanity　into　existence。
The　monster　set　about　this　end　with　the　rising　of　the　sun　out　of　the　sea；　and　with　its　setting　he　again
hid　himself　under　the　waves。〃

ii。What　belongs　to　Mythology　may　in　the　second　place　make　a　pretence　of　being　a　kind　of
Philosophy。　It　has　produced　philosophers　who　availed　themselves　of　the　mythical　form　in　order　to
bring　their　theories　and　systems　more　prominently　before　the　imagination；　for　they　made　the
thoughts　the　content　of　the　myth。　But　the　myth　is　not　a　mere　cloak　in　the　ancient　myths；　it　is　not
merely　that　the　thoughts　were　there　and　were　concealed。　This　way　happen　in　our　reflecting　times；
but　the　first　poetry　does　not　start；　from　a　separation　of　prose　and　poetry。　If　philosophers　used
myths；　it　was　usually　the　case　that　they　had　the　thoughts　and　then　sought　for　images　appropriate　to
them；　Plato　has　many　beautiful　myths　of　this　kind。　Others　likewise　have　spoken　in　myths；　as　for
example；　Jacobi；　whose　Philosophy　took　the　form　of　the　Christian　Religion；　through　which　he　gave
utterance　to　matter　of　a　highly　speculative　nature。　But　this　form　is　not　suitable　to　Philosophy。
Thought　which　has　itself　as　object；　must　have　raised　itself　to　its　own　form；　to　the　form　of　thought。
Plato　is　often　esteemed　on　account　of　his　myths；　he　is　supposed　to　have　evinced　by　their　means
greater　genius　than　other　philosophers　were　capable　of。　It　is　contended　here　that　the　myths　of
Plato　are　superior　to　the　abstract　form　of　expression；　and　Plato's　method　of　representation　is
certainly　a　wonderful　one。　On　closer　examination　we　find　that　it　is　partly　the　impossibility　of
expressing　himself　after　the　manner　of　pure　thought　that　makes　Plato　put　his　meaning　so；　and　also
such　methods　of　expression　are　only　used　by　him　in　introducing　a　subject。　When　he　comes　to　the
matter　in　point；　Plato　expresses　himself　otherwise；　as　we　see　in　the　Parmenides；　where　simple
thought　determinations　are　used　without　imagery。　Externally　these　myths　may　certainly　serve　when
the　heights　of　speculative　thought　are　left　behind；　in　order　to　present　the　matter　in　an　easier　form；
but　the　real　value　of　Plato　does　not　rest　in　his　myths。　If　thought　once　attains　power　sufficient　to
give　existence　to　itself　within　itself　and　in