philosophy 4-第2章

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You　think　the　table's　there；　but　it　isn't。　　There　isn't　any　table。〃



The　first　boy　slapped　his　leg　and　lighted　a　cigarette。　　〃I　remember；〃

said　he。　　〃Amounts　to　this：　If　I　were　to　stop　thinking　about　you；　you'd

evaporate。〃



〃Which　is　balls；〃　observed　the　second　boy；　judicially；　again　in　the

slang　of　his　period；　〃and　can　be　proved　so。　　For　you're　not　always

thinking　about　me；　and　I've　never　evaporated　once。〃



The　first　boy；　after　a　slight　wink　at　the　second；　addressed　the　tutor。

〃Supposing　you　were　to　happen　to　forget　yourself；〃　said　he　to　that　sleek

gentleman；　〃would　you　evaporate？〃



The　tutor　turned　his　little　eyes　doubtfully　upon　the　tennis　boys；　but

answered；　reciting　the　language　of　his　notes：　〃The　idealistic　theory

does　not　apply　to　the　thinking　ego；　but　to　the　world　of　external

phenomena。　　The　world　exists　in　our　conception　of　it。



〃Then；〃　said　the　second　boy；　〃when　a　thing　is　inconceivable？〃



〃It　has　no　existence；〃　replied　the　tutor；　complacently。



〃But　a　billion　dollars　is　inconceivable；〃　retorted　the　boy。　　〃No　mind

can　take　in　a　sum　of　that　size；　but　it　exists。〃



〃Put　that　down！　put　that　down！〃　shrieked　the　other　boy。　　〃You've　struck

something。　　If　we　get　Berkeley　on　the　paper；　I'll　run　that　in。〃　　He

wrote　rapidly；　and　then　took　a　turn　around　the　room；　frowning　as　he

walked。　　〃The　actuality　of　a　thing；〃　said　he；　summing　his　clever

thoughts　up；　〃is　not　disproved　by　its　being　inconceivable。　　Ideas　alone

depend　upon　thought　for　their　existence。　　There！　　Anybody　can　get　off

stuff　like　that　by　the　yard。〃　　He　picked　up　a　cork　and　a　foot…rule；

tossed　the　cork；　and　sent　it　flying　out　of　the　window　with　the

foot…rule。



〃Skip　Berkeley；〃　said　the　other　boy。



〃How　much　more　is　there？〃



〃Necessary　and　accidental　truths；〃　answered　the　tutor；　reading　the

subjects　from　his　notes。　　〃Hume　and　the　causal　law。　　The　duality；　or

multiplicity；　of　the　ego。〃



〃The　hard…boiled　ego；〃　commented　the　boy　the　ruler；　and　he　batted　a

swooping　June…bug　into　space。



〃Sit　down；　idiot；〃　said　his　sprightly　mate。〃



Conversation　ceased。　　Instruction　went　forward。　　Their　pencils　worked。

The　causal　law；　etc。；　went　into　their　condensed　notes　like　Liebig's

extract　of　beef；　and　drops　of　perspiration　continued　to　trickle　from

their　matted　hair。









II








Bertie　and　Billy　were　sophomores。　　They　had　been　alive　for　twenty　years；

and　were　young。　　Their　tutor　was　also　a　sophomore。　　He　too　had　been

alive　for　twenty　years；　but　never　yet　had　become　young。　　Bertie　and

Billy　had　colonial　names　（Rogers；　I　think；　and　Schuyler）；　but　the

tutor's　name　was　Oscar　Maironi；　and　he　was　charging　his　pupils　five

dollars　an　hour　each　for　his　instruction。　　Do　not　think　this　excessive。

Oscar　could　have　tutored　a　whole　class　of　irresponsibles；　and　by　that

arrangement　have　earned　probably　more；　but　Bertie　and　Billy　had

preempted　him　on　account　of　his　fame　or　high　standing　and　accuracy；　and

they　could　well　afford　it。　　All　three　sophomores　alike　had　happened　to

choose　Philosophy　4　as　one　of　their　elective　courses；　and　all　alike　were

now　face　to　face　with　the　Day　of　Judgment。　　The　final　examinations　had

begun。　　Oscar　could　lay　his　hand　upon　his　studious　heart　and　await　the

Day　of　Judgment　likeI　had　nearly　said　a　Christian！　　His　notes　were

full：　Three　hundred　pages　about　Zeno　and　Parmenides　and　the　rest；　almost

every　word　as　it　had　come　from　the　professor's　lips。　　And　his　memory　was

full；　too；　flowing　like　a　player's　lines。　　With　the　right　cue　he　could

recite　instantly：　〃An　important　application　of　this　principle；　with

obvious　reference　to　Heracleitos；　occurs　in　Aristotle；　who　says〃　He

could　do　this　with　the　notes　anywhere。　　I　am　sure　you　appreciate　Oscar

and　his　great　power　of　acquiring　facts。　　So　he　was　ready；　like　the　wise

virgins　of　parable。　Bertie　and　Billy　did　not　put　one　in　mind　of　virgins：

although　they　had　burned　considerable　midnight　oil；　it　had　not　been　to

throw　light　upon　Philosophy　4。　　In　them　the　mere　word　Heracleitos　had

raised　a　chill　no　later　than　yesterday；the　chill　of　the　unknown。　　They

had　not　attended　the　lectures　on　the　〃Greek　bucks。〃　　Indeed；　profiting

by　their　privilege　of　voluntary　recitations；　they　had　dropped　in　but

seldom　on　Philosophy　4。　　These　blithe　grasshoppers　had　danced　and　sung

away　the　precious　storing　season；　and　now　that　the　bleak　hour　of

examinations　was　upon　them；　their　waked…up　hearts　had　felt　aghast　at　the

sudden　vision　of　their　ignorance。　　It　was　on　a　Monday　noon　that　this

feeling　came　fully　upon　them；　as　they　read　over　the　names　of　the

philosophers。　　Thursday　was　the　day　of　the　examination。　　〃Who's

Anaxagoras？〃　　Billy　had　inquired　of　Bertie。　　〃I'll　tell　you；〃　said

Bertie；　〃if　you'll　tell　me　who　Epicharmos　of　Kos　was。〃　　And　upon　this

they　embraced　with　helpless　laughter。　　Then　they　reckoned　up　the　hours

left　for　them　to　learn　Epicharmos　of　Kos　in；between　Monday　noon　and

Thursday　morning　at　nine；and　their　quailing　chill　increased。　　A　tutor

must　be　called　in　at　once。　　So　the　grasshoppers；　having　money；　sought

out　and　quickly　purchased　the　ant。



Closeted　with　Oscar　and　his　notes；　they　had；　as　Bertie　put　it；　salted

down　the　early　Greek　bucks　by　seven　on　Monday　evening。　　By　the　same

midnight　they　had；　as　Billy　expressed　it；　called　the　turn　on　Plato。

Tuesday　was　a　second　day　of　concentrated　swallowing。　　Oscar　had　taken

them　through　the　thought　of　many　centuries。　　There　had　been

intermissions　for　lunch　and　dinner　only；　and　the　weather　was　exceedingly

hot。　　The　pale…skinned　Oscar　stood　this　strain　better　than　the

unaccustomed　Bertie　and　Billy。　　Their　jovial　eyes　had　grown　hollow

to…night；　although　their　minds　were　going　gallantly；　as　you　have

probably　noticed。　　Their　criticisms；　slangy　and　abrupt；　struck　the

scholastic　Oscar　as　flippancies　which　he　must　indulge；　since　the　pay　was

handsome。　　That　these　idlers　should　jump　in　with　doubts　and　questions

not　contained　in　his　sacred　notes　raised　in　him　feelings　betrayed　just

once　in　that　remark　about　〃orriginal　rresearch。〃



〃Nineteneleventwelve；〃　went　the　little　timepiece；　and　Oscar　rose。



〃Gentlemen；〃　he　said；　closing　the　sacred　notes；　〃we　have　finished　the

causal　law。〃



〃That's　the　whole　business　except　the　ego　racket；　isn't　it？〃　said　Billy。



〃The　duality；　or　multiplicity　of　the　ego　remains；〃　Oscar　replied。



〃Oh；　I　know　its　name。　　It　ought　to　be　a　soft　snap　after　what　we've　had。〃



〃Unless　it's　full　of　dates　and　names　you've　got　to　know；〃　said　Bertie。



〃Don't　believe　it　is；〃　Billy　answered。　　〃I　heard　him　at　it　once。〃　（This

meant　that　Billy　had　gone　to　a　lecture　lately。）　〃It's　all　about　Who　am

I？　and　How　do　I　do　it？〃　　Billy　added。



〃Hm！〃　said　Bertie。　　〃Hm！　　Subjective　and　objective　again；　I　suppose；

only　applied　to　oneself。　　You　see；　that　table　is　objective。　　I　can　stand

off　and　judge　it。　　It's　outside　of　me；　has　nothing　to　do　with　me。　That's

easy。　　But　my　opinion　ofwell；　mywell；　anything　in　my　nature〃



〃Anger　when　it's　time　to　get　up；〃　suggested　Billy。



〃An　excellent　illustration；〃　said　Bertie。　　〃That　is　subjective　in　me。

Similar　to　your　dislike　of　water　as　a　beverage。　　That　is　subjective　in

you。　　But　here　comes　the　twist。　　I　can　think　of　my　own　anger　and　judge

it；　just　as　if　it　were　an　outside　thing；　like　a　table。　　I　can　compare　it

with　itself　on　different　mornings　or　with　other　people's　anger。　　And　I

trust　that　you　can　do　the　same　with　your　thirst。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Billy；　〃I　recognize　that　it　is　greater　at　times　and　less　at

others。〃



〃Very　well；　There　you　are。　　Duality　of　the　ego。〃



〃Subject　and　object；〃　said　Billy。　　〃Perfectly　true；　and　very　queer　when

you　try　to　think　of　it。　　Wonder　how　far　it　goes？　　Of　course；　one　can

explain　the　body's　being　an　object　to　the　brain　inside　it。　　That's　mind

and　matter　over　again。　　But　when　my　own　mind　and　thought；　can　become

objects　to　themselvesI　wonder　how　far　that　does　go？〃　he　broke　off

musingly。　　〃What　useless　stuff！〃