Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 273

;

OF THEOLOGY

CiiAP. I]

accurate idea of a

man

at

Let us observe however

we have

means

:

the very

first,

249

moment of meeting. human ourselves

that being

own

existence by which measurably understand a fellow-creature. Were we not ourselves man, we would not understand what man is as it reads a

in our

at least to

;

"For who among men knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him?" In the second place, this knowledge which we owe to our mutual relationship, is strengthened by the fact, that as a rule we associate with fellow-citizens, congenial spirits, and those to whom we are united by a certain community of lot. Hence in 1 Cor.

11:

ii.

not only our

common humanity, but the fact also that the is largely common to us all, makes it

modality of existence

easy from ourselves to form conclusions concerning others.

How

important this factor

is,

we

perceive at once

cross the boundaries of our native land,

when we

and especially when

we come among

other races and into entirely different counRuss or Finn understands very little of the real inner nature of the Red man, and what does a Frenchman understand of the inner nature of a Lapp or Finn? In the third place, let it be noted that however much there may be something personal in every man, characters divide themselves into certain classes, which are recognized by certain combinations of phenomena, so that he who knows one or more tries.

A

of these kinds readily understands a great deal of a person, as

soon as he perceives to what class he belongs. is

no

Fourthly,

man

but a spiritual being, and exists simultaneously

spirit

psychically and somatically^ so that a great deal of his inner life

manifests itself without the person being conscious of

often indeed against his will and purpose. eye, feature

and color of

face, carriage

The look

and manners, compos-

ure or restlessness in the whole appearance, etc., betray of

what goes on

fifth place,

to

in

man.

it

of the

To which may

much

be added, in the

that in conversation or in writing a

man may

say

us or to others, something of himself from which very

important data may be gathered directly or by inference concerning the mystery of his person. No doubt there are " closed characters," and also " characters that falsify them-

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