Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 128

104

THE SPIRITUAL SCIENCES

§ 42.

its coryphyei, least of

The

stamp.

is

able to escape this individual

philosophical premises thus obtained by indi-

among

vidual heroes

own

all,

[Div. II

thinkers,

according to the impulse

borrowed by the lesser gods (dii minores), in virtue of spiritual " elective affinity " (Wahlverwandtschaft), and equally in accordance with their And these premises will dominate subjective predilection. the entire study of spiritual sciences in given circles, as far as these, with the empiric data as building material, devote themselves architecturally to the erection of the building. Let no one, therefore, be blinded by the appearance of objectivity, brought about by the exhibition of these emof their

subjectivity, are then

It is sheer self-deception to think that Ave data. can ever succeed in making the spiritual sciences fit the

piric

same

last as

the natural sciences.

Even with

the latter,

Everything that is material and can consequently be counted, weighed and measured, no doubt offers us, at least as far as these relasimple empiricism can never

suffice.

compulsory certainty, observation be correct, bears an absolutely objective character. As soon, however, as you venture one step farther in this physical domain, and from these empiric data try to obtain a construction by which to discover concerned,

are

tions

which,

among

a

universally

if

these scattered data a unity of thought, the process

of an idea, or the progression

from a

first

phenomenon

to

a result, you have at once crossed over from the physical into

the

psychical,

leaves you, and

the

universally

you glide back

compulsory certainty

into subjective knowledge,

you are already within the domain of the spiritual Thus to make it still appear that these philosophical interpretations and constructions, such as, for insince

sciences.

stance, the

tions

Descendenz-theorie, are merely logical deduc-

from empiric data,

continues

itself

is

deception.

And

this deception

within the domain of the spiritual sciences,

since here, also, one thinks that he starts out from empiric data,

means

when

these

empiric data at best can

only serve as

your investigation and verify it, but are never able to reveal or to interpret to you the psychic self, to enrich

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