Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 56

32

§ 18.

SUBDIVISION OF PHILOSOPHY

§ 18.

[Div. I

Subdivision of Philosophy

gained by this for the conception of Encyclopedia, that now we understand by it that science which takes the organism of science itself for the object of its investigaThis decides equally the question as to what place tion.

So mucli

is

this science itself occupies in the unit of sciences.

From

Medical Encyclopedia does not belong to the medical sciences, that Theological Encyclopedia does not belong to the theological sciences, etc., but that all Encyclopedic study is philosophical, and forms a subdivision As long as Encyclopedia was understood to of philosophy. this it appears that

be a real-lexicon or a manual for early beginners, this idea In this sort of works the special remained nebulous.

content of every department was the main interest, and the Encyclopedic thought was seen only occasionally peering

Thus Theological Encj^clopedia from behind the scenes. was looked upon as a theological, and Juridical Encyclopedia as a juridical, department, and the real nature of But when it is once afEncyclopedia was not grasped. tirmed that the special material but serves to discover the hidden relations in it, and is cast aside as soon as this is found, in order to keep these relations themselves as the object with

which

to deal,

the philosophical character of

Encyclopedia belongs then to those sciences by which man as a thinking being seeks to give himself an account of the world of his thoughts, and This would have is, as such, a subdivision of philosophy. been at once and clearly perceived if the Encyclopedic science could immediately have busied itself with the whole field of

Encyclopedia

is

hereby defined.

No one would then have given general its investigation. Encyclopedia a place elsewhere. And only the accidental circumstance that the study of this science had to begin with It cannot be the special departments obscured the outlook. denied that the subdivisions of every science belong to that science itself, and that thus the undeniably philosophical character of general Encyclopedia eo ipso asserts that all special Encyclopedic study belongs to philosophy.

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