Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 123

Chap.

THE SPIRITUAL SCIENCES

§ 42.

I]

99

means of the senses, is able the elements of the things "seen,"

pacity of our mind, which, by to take

up into

itself

remains here inactive, and the logical capacity is insufby itself to form conceptions and judgments. If,

ficient

nevertheless,

sciences

the

self-deception

is made to treat these spiritual method of things " seen," a double committed unknowingly one changes the

effort

the

after is

:

object and unconsciously one chooses his point of support in

something not included in this method. The object is changed when, as in Theology for instance, not God but religion is made the object of investigation, and religion only And something is chosen as point of dein its expressions. parture which this method does not warrant, when the notion or the idea of religion is borrowed from one's own subject.

The question the in

spiritual

is, what renders the service in which the representation-capacity

therefore

sciences,

connection with the senses effects in things "seen."

Since the object of the spiritual sciences

is itself spiritual,

and therefore amorphic, our senses not only, but the representation-capacity as well, render here no service. If no other means is substituted, the spiritual object remains beyond the reach of our scientific research, and spiritual phenomena must either be interpreted materialistically as the product of material causes, or remain agnostically outside of our science, even as the present English use of the word science prescribes. This result, however, would directly conflict with what experience teaches. Again and again it appears that there are all sorts of spiritual things which we know with far greater certainty than the facts which are brought us by the observation of things " seen." The sense of right, the sense of love, the feeling of hatred, etc., appear again and

much more real existence in our consciousness member of our own body. And though the idealism of Fichte in its own one-sidedness may have outrun itself, you nevertheless cease to be man when the reality of

again to have a

than

many

a

spiritual things is not

more certain

to

you than what by

in-

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