Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 39

CHAPTER

II

THE IDEA OF ENCYCLOPEDIA § 8.

The First Appearance of

this

Idea

The historic career of the idea of Encyclopedia is different from that of the name. Much of what falls under this idea bore a different name, while on the other hand the name Encyclopedia has repeatedly been used for what was entirely foreign to the idea of it. The idea of Encyclopedia lies in the conception that the several parts of human knowledge are related to each other, and that it is possible and necessary for our mind to penetrate into this relation and to expliWhen a group of phenomena reflects itself in a cate it. mirror, man is compelled to investigate not merely those phenomena^ but also the reflected image, by means of Optics. And what Optics effects for the image presented to sight, Encyclopedia designs to do for the reflection of what exists in our science. There lies a majesty in the human mind by virtue of which it cannot rest until it has acquired full dominion in the world of thought. It cannot bear the suggestion that there should still be something in that world of thought that has withdrawn itself from the power of its sceptre. This impels it to scan not merely the whole horizon oi phenomena with its knowledge, but the field of knowledge itself with its thought. An atomistical science offends the unity-sense of its own mind, or, by the pulverizing of the cosmos, robs that

And

therefore

the parts of

its

it

mind of confidence of bound to presume a

is

knowledge

also,

nor can

it

step in its walk. relation

between

rest until it has

seen through that relation organically, because in this only can science harmonize with the organic unity of its thinking^ as well as

way own

with the organic unity of the Kosmos. 15

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