Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 63

Chap.

Ill]

§ 22.

STILL INCOMPLETE

39

this division, since this is the very science that exhibits for

time the organic relation of the phenomena. Hence is not at liberty to deal with anything else the organic relation in which the parts of the whole of save our knowledge stand to each other. Science, in its absolute the

first

Encyclopedia

sense,

the pure and complete reflection of the cosmos in the

is

human

As

consciousness.

the parts of all actually exist-

so must the parts of our knowledge be related in our consciousness. As a country is sketched on a chart, and we succeed ever better, as Cartography advances, in sketching the country upon the chart just as it is, so also must science convert the actually

ing things

lie in their relations,

The

existing cosmos into the logical form.

advances, the easier cally,

and

to

make

it

further science

will be to reproduce the cosmos logi-

all its parts to

with their several relations.

be clearly seen, together

And thus

science divides itself, because in proportion as the logical reproduction becomes

more accurate,

it

to us as an

way whatever

will image in a more organic

exists organically.

And

immeasurable

so does science begin to field, in

which

show

itself

all sorts of divisions

and subdivisions must be distinguished, and upon which the mutual relations among these divisions and life is ever more clearly exhibited. It is this organic relation with which Encyclopedia has to deal. The field of our knowledge itself in its organic inter-relations appears as the object to be inves-

tigated by

it.

§ 22.

From

Incomplete

the fact that the object

of necessity the field of

Still

is still incomplete flows incompleteness of Encyclopedia. In the

knowledge some ground

is

not yet broken, and

other parts are but imperfectly known.

And

pedia must not wait until

completely ready,

since science

Hence

it

is

its

object

is

yet Encyclo-

in need of her assistance to get itself ready.

must overcome

its false

modesty and present

itself

but acknowledges its own imperfection and makes no pretension of being already the Encyclopedia. This involves the fact that every effort to furnish an Ency-

as it

is,

clopedia

provided

it

must provisionally bear an individual

character.

If

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