首页 >出版文学> Jeremy Bentham>第21章

第21章

  The’primaryqualities’donotcorrespondinthiswaytoanobjectiveworldradicallyopposedtothesubjective。Spaceisnotaformofthings,butaformimposeduponthedataofexperiencebytheminditself。This,asKantsays,supposesarevolutioninphilosophycomparabletotherevolutionmadebyCopernicusinastronomy。Wehavecompletelytoinvertourwholesystemofconceivingtheworld。WhateverthevalueofKant’sdoctrine,ofwhichIneedheresaynothing,itwasundoubtedlymoreprolificthanReid’s。Reid’swasfarlessthoroughgoing。Hedoesnotdrawanewlinebetweenobjectandsubject,butsimplyendeavourstoshowthatthedilemmawasduetocertainassumptionsaboutthenatureof’ideas。’Therealhadbeenaltogetherseparatedfromthephenomenal,ortruthdivorcedfromfact。Youcanonlyhavedemonstrationsbygettingintoaregionbeyondthesensibleworld;whilewithinthatworld——thatis,theregionofordinaryknowledgeandconduct——youaredoomedtohopelessuncertainty。Anescape,therefore,mustbesoughtbysomethoroughrevisionoftheassumedrelation,butnotbyfallingbackupontheexplodedphilosophyoftheschools。ReidandhissuccessorswerequiteasmuchaliveasLocketothedangeroffallingintomerescholasticlogomachy。They,too,willinsomesensebaseallknowledgeuponexperience。ReidconstantlyappealstotheauthorityofBacon,whomheregardsasthetruefounderofinductivescience。ThegreatsuccessofBacon’smethodinthephysicalsciences,encouragedthehope,alreadyexpressedbyNewton,thatasimilarresultmightbeachievedin’moralphilosophy。’21*Humehaddonesomethingtocleartheway,butReidwas,asStewartthinks,thefirsttoperceiveclearlyandjustlythe’analogybetweenthesetwodifferentbranchesofhumanknowledge。’Themindandmatteraretwoco-ordinatethings,whosepropertiesaretobeinvestigatedbysimilarmethods。Philosophythusmeansessentiallypsychology。Thetwoinquiriesaretwo’branches’ofinductivescience,andtheproblemistodiscoverbyaperfectlyimpartialexaminationwhatarethe’fundamentallawsofmind’revealedbyanaccurateanalysisofthevariousprocessesofthought。
  ThemainresultofReid’sinvestigationsisgivenmostpointedlyinhisearlyInquiry,andwasfullyacceptedbyStewart。Brieflyitcomestothis。Noonecandoubtthatwebelieve,asafact,inanexternalworld。Webelievethattherearesunandmoon,stones,sticks,andhumanbodies。Thisbeliefisacceptedbythescepticaswellasbythedogmatist,althoughthescepticreducesittoamereblindcustomor’associationofideas。’NowReidarguesthatthebelief,whateveritsnature,isnotandcannotbederivedfromthesensations。Wedonotconstructthevisibleandtangibleworld,forexample,simplyoutofimpressionsmadeuponthesensesofsightandtouch。Toprovethis,heexamineswhataretheactualdataprovidedbythesesenses,andshows,ortriestoshow,thatwecannotfromthemaloneconstructtheworldofspaceandgeometry。Hence,ifweconsiderexperienceimpartiallyandwithoutpreconception,wefindthatittellsussomethingwhichisnotgivenbythesenses。Thesensesarenotthematerialofourperceptions,butsimplygivetheoccasionsuponwhichourbeliefiscalledintoactivity。Thesensationisnomoreliketherealityinwhichwebelievethanthepainofawoundisliketheedgeoftheknife。Perceptiontellsusdirectlyandimmediately,withouttheinterventionofideas,thatthereis,asweallbelieve,arealexternalworld。
  Reidwasavigorousreasoner,andcredithasbeengiventohimbysomedisciplesofKant’sdoctrineoftimeandspace。Schopenhauer22*saysthatReid’s’excellentwork’givesacomplete’negativeproofoftheKantiantruths’;
  thatistosay,thatReidprovessatisfactorilythatwecannotconstructtheworldoutofthesense-givendataalone。But,whereasKantregardsthesensesassupplyingthematerialsmouldedbytheperceivingmind,Reidregardsthemasmerestimuliexcitingcertaininevitablebeliefs。AsaresultofReid’smethod,then,wehave’intuitions。’Reid’sessentialcontentionisthatafairexaminationofexperiencewillrevealcertainfundamentalbeliefs,whichcannotbeexplainedasmeremanifestationsofthesensations,andwhich,bytheveryfactthattheyareinexplicable,mustbeacceptedasan’inspiration。’23*
  Reidprofessestodiscoverthesebeliefsbyaccuratelydescribingfacts。
  Hefindsthemthereasachemistfindsanelement。The’intuition’ismadebysubstitutingfor’ideas’amysteriousandinexplicableconnectionbetweenthemindandmatter。24*Thechasmexistsstill,butitissomehowbridgedbyaquasi-miracle。Admitting,therefore,thatReidshowsagaptoexistinthetheory,hisresultremains’negative。’Thephilosopherwillsaythatitisnotenoughtoassertaprincipledogmaticallywithoutshowingitsplaceinareasonedsystemofthought。Thepsychologist,Ontheotherhand,whotakesReid’sownground,mayregardthestatementonlyasausefulchallengetofurtherinquiry。Theanalysishithertogivenmaybeinsufficient,butwhereReidhasfailed,otherinquirersmaybemoresuccessful。Assoon,infact,asweapplythepsychologicalmethod,andregardthe’philosophyofmind’asan’inductivescience,’itisperilous,ifnotabsolutelyinconsistent,todiscover’intuitions’whichwilltakeusbeyondexperience。Thelineofdefenceagainstempiricismcanonlybeprovisionalandtemporary。Inhismainresults,indeed,Reidhadtheadvantageofbeingonthesideof’commonsense。’Everybodywasalreadyconvincedthatthereweresticksandstones,andeverybodyispreparedtohearthattheirbeliefisapprovedbyphilosophy。
  Butadifficultyariseswhenasimilarmethodisappliedtoadoctrinesincerelydisputed。Tothestatement,’thisisanecessarybelief,’itisasufficientanswertoreply,’Idon’tbelieveit。’Inthatcase,anintuitionmerelyamountstoadogmaticassumptionthatIaminfallible,andmustbesupportedbyshowingitsconnectionwithbeliefsreallyuniversalandadmittedlynecessary。
  DugaldStewartfollowedReiduponthismainquestion,andwithlessforceandoriginalityrepresentsthesamepointofview。HeacceptsReid’sviewofthetwoco-ordinatedepartmentsofknowledge;thescienceofwhichmind,andthescienceofwhichbody,istheobject。Philosophyisnota’theoryofknowledge’oroftheuniverse;but,asitwasthencalled,’aphilosophyofthehumanmind。’’Philosophy’isfoundeduponinductivepsychology;anditonlybecomesphilosophyinawidersenseinsofaraswediscoverthatasafactwehavecertainfundamentalbeliefs,whicharethusgivenbyexperience,thoughtheytakeusinasensebeyondexperience。Jeffrey,reviewingStewart’slifeofReid,intheEdinburghReviewof1804,makesasignificantinferencefromthis。Bacon’smethod,hesaid,hadsucceededinthephysicalsciences,becausetherewecouldapplyexperiment。Butexperimentisimpossibleinthescienceofmind;andthereforephilosophywillneverbeanythingbutaplaythingorausefulvarietyofgymnastic。StewartrepliedatsomelengthinhisEssays,25*fullyacceptingthegeneralconception,butarguingthattheexperimentalmethodwasapplicabletothescienceofmind。Jeffreyobservesthatitwasnowadmittedthatthe’profoundestreasonings’hadbroughtusbacktotheviewofthevulgar,andthis,too,isadmittedbyStewartsofarasthecardinaldoctrineof’thecommonsense’philosophy,thetheoryofperception,isadmitted。
  Fromthis,again,itfollowsthatthe’notionsweannextothewordsMatterandMindaremerelyrelative。’26*Weknowthatmindexistsasweknowthatmatterexists;or,ifanything,weknowtheexistenceofmindmorecertainlybecausemoredirectly。Themindissuggestedby’thesubjectsofourconsciousness’;
  thebodybytheobjects’ofourperception。’But,ontheotherhand,wearetotally’ignorantoftheessenceofeither。’27*Wecandiscoverthelawseitherofmentalormoralphenomena;butalaw,asheexplains,meansinstrictnessnothingbuta’generalfact。’28*Itisidle,therefore,toexplainthenatureoftheunionbetweenthetwounknowablesubstances;wecanonlydiscoverthattheyareunitedandobservethelawsaccordingtowhichonesetofphenomenacorrespondstotheother。Fromamisunderstandingofthisariseallthefallaciesofscholasticontology,’themostidleandabsurdspeculationthateveremployedthehumanfaculties。’29*Thedestructionofthatpseudo-sciencewasthegreatgloryofBaconandLocke;andReidhasnowdiscoveredthemethodbywhichwemayadvancetotheestablishmentofatrulyinductive’philosophyofmind。’
  ItisnotsurprisingthatStewartapproximatesinvariousdirectionstothedoctrinesoftheempiricalschool。Heleanstowardsthemwheneverhedoesnotseetheresultstowhichheistending。Thus,forexample,heisathorough-goingnominalist;30*andonthispointhedesertstheteachingofReid。HedefendsagainstReidtheattackmadebyBerkeleyandHumeupon’abstractideas。’Rosmini,31*inanelaboratecriticism,complainsthatStewartdidnotperceivetheinevitabletendencyofnominalismtomaterialism。32*
  Stewart,infact,acceptsagooddealofHorneTooke’sdoctrine,33*thoughcallingTookean’ingeniousgrammarian,notaveryprofoundphilosopher,’
  butholds,asweshallsee,thatthematerialistictendencycanbeavoided。
  Asbecomesanominalist,heattacksthesyllogismupongroundsmorefullybroughtoutbyJ。S。Mill。Uponanotheressentialpoint,heagreeswiththepureempiricists。HeacceptsHume’sviewofcausationinallquestionsofphysicalscience。Innaturalphilosophy,hedeclarescausationmeansonlyconjunction。Thesensescannevergiveusthe’efficient’causeofanyphenomenon。
  Inotherwords,wecanneverseea’necessaryconnection’betweenanytwoevents。HecollectspassagesfromearlierwriterstoshowhowHumehadbeenanticipated;andholdsthatBacon’sinadequateviewofthistruthwasamaindefectinhistheories。34*Hencewehaveacharacteristicconclusion。Hesays,whendiscussingtheproofsoftheexistenceofGod,35*thatwehavean’irresistibleconvictionofthenecessityofacause’foreverychange。
  Hume,however,hasshownthatthiscanneverbealogicalnecessity。Itmustthen,arguesStewart,beeithera’prejudice’oran’intuitivejudgment。’
  Sinceitisshownby’universalconsent’nottobeaprejudice,itmustbeanintuitivejudgment。ThusHume’sfactsareaccepted;buthisinferencedenied。Theactualcausalnexusisinscrutable。TheconvictionthattheremustbeaconnectionbetweeneventsattributedbyHumeto’custom’isattributedbyStewarttointuitivebelief。StewartinfersthatHume’sdoctrineisreallyfavourabletotheology。ItimpliesthatGodgivesustheconviction,andperhaps,asMalebrancheheld,thatGodis’theconstantlyoperatingefficientCauseinthematerialworld。’36*Stewart’ssuccessor,ThomasBrown,tookupthisargumentonoccasionoftheoncefamous’Lesliecontroversy’;andBrown’steachingwasendorsedbyJamesMillandbyJohnStuartMill。
  AccordingtoJ。S。Mill,JamesMillandStewartrepresentedoppositepolesofphilosophicthought。Ishallhavetoconsiderthisdictumhereafter。OnthepointsalreadynoticedStewartmustberegardedasanallyratherthananopponentoftheLockeandHumetradition。Likethemheappealsunhesitatinglytoexperience,andcannotfindwordsstrongenoughtoexpresshiscontemptfor’ontological’andscholasticmethods。His’intuitions’aresofarveryharmlessthings,whichfallinwithcommonsense,andenablehimtoholdwithoutfurthertroublethebeliefswhich,asamatteroffact,areheldbyeverybody。Theyareanexcusefornotseekinganyultimateexplanationinreason。Heis,indeed,opposedtotheschoolwhichclaimedtobethelegitimatesuccessortoLocke,butwhichevadedHume’sscepticismbydivergingtowardsmaterialism。ThegreatrepresentativeofthisdoctrineinEnglandhadbeenHartley,andinStewart’sdayHartley’sleadhadbeenfollowedbyPriestley,whoattackedReidfromamaterialistpointofview,byPriestley’ssuccessor,ThomasBelsham,andbyErasmusDarwin。WefindStewart,inlanguagewhichremindsusoflatercontroversy,denouncingthe’DarwinianSchool’37*fortheoriesaboutinstinctincompatiblewiththedoctrineoffinalcauses。Itmightappearthataphilosopherwhohasre-establishedtheobjectiveexistenceofspaceinoppositiontoBerkeley,wasindangerofthatmaterialismwhichhadbeenBerkeley’sbugbear。ButStewartescapesthedangerbyhisassertionthatourknowledgeofmatteris’relative’orconfinedtophenomena。Materialismisforhimavarietyofontology,involvingtheassumptionthatweknowtheessenceofmatter。TospeakwithHartleyof’vibrations,’animalspirits,andsoforth,istobeledastraybyafalseanalogy。Wecandiscoverthelawsofcorrespondenceofmindandbody,butnottheultimatenatureofeither。38*