history of philosophy-第45章
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and had this element of separation in life not come into warfare; how was the will of God which is
only one to be revealed to Himself? How could a knowledge of itself be present in a solitary
will?”(17) We see that Boehme is elevated infinitely above the empty abstraction of the highest
reality; etc。
Boehme continues: “The commencement of all Beings is the Word as the breath of God; and God
has become the eternal One of eternity and likewise remains so in eternity。 The Word is the eternal
beginning and remains so eternally; for it is the revelation of the eternal One through and by which
the divine power is brought into one knowledge of somewhat。 By the Word we understand the
revealed will of God: by the Word we mean God the hidden God; from whom the Word eternally
springs forth。 The Word is the efflux of the divine One; and yet God Himself as His revelation。” is
more definite than Word; and there is a; delightful double significance in the Greek expression
indicating as it does both reason and speech。 For speech is the pure existence of spirit; it is a thing
which when once heard goes back within itself。 “What has flowed out is wisdom; beginning and
cause of all powers; colours; virtue and qualities。”(18)
Of the Son Boehme says: “The Son is” of the Father and “in the Father; the heart of the Father
or light; and the Father beareth him ever; from eternity to eternity。” Thus “the Son is” indeed
“another Person from the Father; though no other;” but the same “God as the Father;” whose
image he is。(19) “The Son is the Heart” or the pulsating element “in the Father; all the powers
which are in the Father are the propriety of the Father; and the Son is the heart or the kernel in all
the powers in the whole Father; and he is the cause of the springing joy in all powers in the whole
Father。 From the Son the eternal joy rises and springs in all the powers of the Father; as the sun
does in the heart of the stars。 It signifies the Son; as the circle of the stars signifies the manifold
powers of the Father; it lightens the heavens; the stars and the deep above the earth; working in all
things that are in this world; it enlightens and gives power to all the stars and tempers their power。
The Son of God is continually generated from all the powers of his Father from eternity; just as the
sun is born of the stars; He is ever born and is not made; and is the heart and lustre shining forth
from all powers。 He shines in all powers of the Father; and his power is the moving; springing joy
in all the powers of the Father; and shines in the whole Father as the sun does in the whole world。
For if the Son did not shine in the Father; the Father would be a dark valley; for the Father's
power would not rise from eternity to eternity; and so the divine Being would not subsist。”(20)
This life of the Son is an important matter; and in regard to this issuing forth and manifestation
Boehme has likewise brought forward the most important assertions。
b。 “From such a revelation of powers in which the will of the eternal One contemplates itself;
flows the understanding and the knowledge of the something 'Ichts'; since the eternal will
contemplates itself in the something 'Ichts'。” “Ichts” is a play upon the word “Nichts” (nothing);
for it is simply the negative; yet it is at the same time the opposite of nothing; since the Ich (Ego) of
self…consciousness is contained in it。 The Son; the something; is thus “I;” consciousness;
self…consciousness: God is not only the abstract neutral but likewise the gathering together of
Himself into the point of Being…for…self。 The “other” of God is thus the image of God。 “This
similitude is the Mysterium magnum; viz。 the creator of all beings and creatures; for it is the
separator” (of the whole) “in the efflux of the will which makes the will of the eternal One
separable — the separability in the will from which powers and qualities take their rise。” This
separator is “constituted the steward of nature; by whom the eternal will rules; makes; forms and
constitutes all things。” The separator is effectuating and self…differentiating; and Boehme calls this
“Ichts;” likewise Lucifer; the first…born Son of God; the creaturely first…born angel who was one
of the seven spirits。” But this Lucifer has fallen and Christ has come in his place。”(21) This is the
connection of the devil with God; namely other…Being and then Being…for…self or Being…for…one; in
such a way that the other is for one; and this is the origin of evil in God and out of God。 This is the
furthest point of thought reached by Jacob Boehme。 He represents this Fall of Lucifer as that the
“Ichts;” i。e。 self…knowledge; the “I” 'Ichheit' (a word which we find used by him); the inward
imagining of self; the inward fashioning; of self (the being…for…self); is the fire which absorbs all
things。 This is the negative side in the separator; the anguish; or it is the wrath of God。 This divine
wrath is hell and the devil; who through himself imagines himself into himself。 This is very bold and
speculative; Boehme here seeks to show in God Himself the sources of the divine anger。 He also
calls the will of the something '“Ichts”' self…hood; it is the passing over of the something
'“Ichts”' into the nothing 'Nichts'; the “I” imagining itself within itself。 He says: “Heaven and
hell are as far removed from one another as day and night; as something and nothing。” Boehme
has really here penetrated into the utmost depths of divine essence; evil; matter; or whatever it has
been called; is the I = I; the Being…for…self; the true negativity。 Before this it was the nonens which
is itself positive; the darkness; but the true negativity is the “I。” It is not anything bad because it is
called the evil; it is in mind alone that evil exists; because it is conceived therein as it is in itself。
“Where the will of God willeth in anything; there God is manifested; and in that manifestation the
angels also dwell; but where God in any thing willeth not with the will of the thing; there God is not
manifested to it; but dwelleth” (there) “in Himself without the co…operating of the thing;” in that
case that thing is its own will; and there the devil dwelleth and all whatever is without God。”(22)
Boehme in his own way sets forth the form assumed in this process in a pictorial manner。 This
“Separator deduces qualities from itself; from which the infinite manifold arises; and through which
the eternal One makes itself perceptible “ (so that it is for others) “not according to the unity; but
in accordance with the efflux of the unity。” Implicit Being and the manifold are absolutely opposed
through the Notion; which Boehme did not have: Being…for…self implies Being…for…another and
retrogression into the opposite。 Boehme sways backwards and forwards in apparent
contradictions; and does not well know how to find a way out of the difficulty。 “But the efflux is
carried on to the greatest extreme possible; to the generation of fire” — dark fire without light;
darkness; the hidden; the self;(23) — “in which fiery nature;” however; since this fire rises and
shoots up; “the eternal One becomes majestic and a light;” and this light which there breaks forth
is the form which the other principle assumes。 This is the return to the One。 “Thereby” (through
fire) “the eternal power becomes desirous and effectual and” (fire) “is the original condition”
(essence) “of the sensitive” (feeling) “life; where in the Word of power an eternal sensitive life
first takes its origin。 For if life had no sensitiveness; it would have no will nor efficacy; but pain”
— anguish; suffering — first “makes it” (all life) “effectual and endows it with will。 And the light of
such kindling through fire makes it joyous; for it is an anointment;” joy and loveliness “of
painfulness。”(24)
Boehme turns this round in many ways in order to grasp the something 'Ichts'; the Separator; as it
“rises”(25) from the Father。 The qualities rise in the great Salitter; stir; raise; and move 'rügen'
themselves。 Boehme has there the quality of astringency in the Father; and he then represents