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philosophy 4-第2章

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〃But a billion dollars is inconceivable;〃 retorted the boy。  〃No mind

can take in a sum of that size; but it exists。〃



〃Put that down! put that down!〃 shrieked the other boy。  〃You've struck

something。  If we get Berkeley on the paper; I'll run that in。〃  He

wrote rapidly; and then took a turn around the room; frowning as he

walked。  〃The actuality of a thing;〃 said he; summing his clever

thoughts up; 〃is not disproved by its being inconceivable。  Ideas alone

depend upon thought for their existence。  There!  Anybody can get off

stuff like that by the yard。〃  He picked up a cork and a foot…rule;

tossed the cork; and sent it flying out of the window with the

foot…rule。



〃Skip Berkeley;〃 said the other boy。



〃How much more is there?〃



〃Necessary and accidental truths;〃 answered the tutor; reading the

subjects from his notes。  〃Hume and the causal law。  The duality; or

multiplicity; of the ego。〃



〃The hard…boiled ego;〃 commented the boy the ruler; and he batted a

swooping June…bug into space。



〃Sit down; idiot;〃 said his sprightly mate。〃



Conversation ceased。  Instruction went forward。  Their pencils worked。

The causal law; etc。; went into their condensed notes like Liebig's

extract of beef; and drops of perspiration continued to trickle from

their matted hair。









II







Bertie and Billy were sophomores。  They had been alive for twenty years;

and were young。  Their tutor was also a sophomore。  He too had been

alive for twenty years; but never yet had become young。  Bertie and

Billy had colonial names (Rogers; I think; and Schuyler); but the

tutor's name was Oscar Maironi; and he was charging his pupils five

dollars an hour each for his instruction。  Do not think this excessive。

Oscar could have tutored a whole class of irresponsibles; and by that

arrangement have earned probably more; but Bertie and Billy had

preempted him on account of his fame or high standing and accuracy; and

they could well afford it。  All three sophomores alike had happened to

choose Philosophy 4 as one of their elective courses; and all alike were

now face to face with the Day of Judgment。  The final examinations had

begun。  Oscar could lay his hand upon his studious heart and await the

Day of Judgment likeI had nearly said a Christian!  His notes were

full: Three hundred pages about Zeno and Parmenides and the rest; almost

every word as it had come from the professor's lips。  And his memory was

full; too; flowing like a player's lines。  With the right cue he could

recite instantly: 〃An important application of this principle; with

obvious reference to Heracleitos; occurs in Aristotle; who says〃 He

could do this with the notes anywhere。  I am sure you appreciate Oscar

and his great power of acquiring facts。  So he was ready; like the wise

virgins of parable。 Bertie and Billy did not put one in mind of virgins:

although they had burned considerable midnight oil; it had not been to

throw light upon Philosophy 4。  In them the mere word Heracleitos had

raised a chill no later than yesterday;the chill of the unknown。  They

had not attended the lectures on the 〃Greek bucks。〃  Indeed; profiting

by their privilege of voluntary recitations; they had dropped in but

seldom on Philosophy 4。  These blithe grasshoppers had danced and sung

away the precious storing season; and now that the bleak hour of

examinations was upon them; their waked…up hearts had felt aghast at the

sudden vision of their ignorance。  It was on a Monday noon that this

feeling came fully upon them; as they read over the names of the

philosophers。  Thursday was the day of the examination。  〃Who's

Anaxagoras?〃  Billy had inquired of Bertie。  〃I'll tell you;〃 said

Bertie; 〃if you'll tell me who Epicharmos of Kos was。〃  And upon this

they embraced with helpless laughter。  Then they reckoned up the hours

left for them to learn Epicharmos of Kos in;between Monday noon and

Thursday morning at nine;and their quailing chill increased。  A tutor

must be called in at once。  So the grasshoppers; having money; sought

out and quickly purchased the ant。



Closeted with Oscar and his notes; they had; as Bertie put it; salted

down the early Greek bucks by seven on Monday evening。  By the same

midnight they had; as Billy expressed it; called the turn on Plato。

Tuesday was a second day of concentrated swallowing。  Oscar had taken

them through the thought of many centuries。  There had been

intermissions for lunch and dinner only; and the weather was exceedingly

hot。  The pale…skinned Oscar stood this strain better than the

unaccustomed Bertie and Billy。  Their jovial eyes had grown hollow

to…night; although their minds were going gallantly; as you have

probably noticed。  Their criticisms; slangy and abrupt; struck the

scholastic Oscar as flippancies which he must indulge; since the pay was

handsome。  That these idlers should jump in with doubts and questions

not contained in his sacred notes raised in him feelings betrayed just

once in that remark about 〃orriginal rresearch。〃



〃Nineteneleventwelve;〃 went the little timepiece; and Oscar rose。



〃Gentlemen;〃 he said; closing the sacred notes; 〃we have finished the

causal law。〃



〃That's the whole business except the ego racket; isn't it?〃 said Billy。



〃The duality; or multiplicity of the ego remains;〃 Oscar replied。



〃Oh; I know its name。  It ought to be a soft snap after what we've had。〃



〃Unless it's full of dates and names you've got to know;〃 said Bertie。



〃Don't believe it is;〃 Billy answered。  〃I heard him at it once。〃 (This

meant that Billy had gone to a lecture lately。) 〃It's all about Who am

I? and How do I do it?〃  Billy added。



〃Hm!〃 said Bertie。  〃Hm!  Subjective and objective again; I suppose;

only applied to oneself。  You see; that table is objective。  I can stand

off and judge it。  It's outside of me; has nothing to do with me。 That's

easy。  But my opinion ofwell; mywell; anything in my nature〃



〃Anger when it's time to get up;〃 suggested Billy。



〃An excellent illustration;〃 said Bertie。  〃That is subjective in me。

Similar to your dislike of water as a beverage。  That is subjective in

you。  But here comes the twist。  I can think of my own anger and judge

it; just as if it were an outside thing; like a table。  I can compare it

with itself on different mornings or with other people's anger。  And I

trust that you can do the same with your thirst。〃



〃Yes;〃 said Billy; 〃I recognize that it is greater at times and less at

others。〃



〃Very well; There you are。  Duality of the ego。〃



〃Subject and object;〃 said Billy。  〃Perfectly true; and very queer when

you try to think of it。  Wonder how far it goes?  Of course; one can

explain the body's being an object to the brain inside it。  That's mind

and matter over again。  But when my own mind and thought; can become

objects to themselvesI wonder how far that does go?〃 he broke off

musingly。  〃What useless stuff!〃 he ended。



〃Gentlemen;〃 said Oscar; who had been listening to them with patient;

Oriental diversion; 〃I〃



〃Oh;〃 said Bertie; remembering him。  〃Look here。  We mustn't keep you

up。 We're awfully obliged for the way you are putting us on to this。

You're saving our lives。  Ten to…morrow for a grand review of the whole

course。〃



〃And the multiplicity of the ego?〃 inquired Oscar。



〃Oh; I forgot。  Well; it's too late tonight。  Is it much?  Are there

many dates and names and things?〃



〃It is more of a general inquiry and analysis;〃 replied Oscar。  〃But it

is forty pages of my notes。〃  And he smiled。

   〃Well; look here。  It would be nice to have to…morrow clear for

review。  We're not tired。  You leave us your notes and go to bed。〃



Oscar's hand almost moved to cover and hold his precious property; for

this instinct was the deepest in him。  But it did not so move; because

his intelligence controlled his instinct nearly; though not quite;

always。  His shiny little eyes; however; became furtive and

antagonisticsomething the boys did not at first make out。



Oscar gave himself a moment of silence。  〃I could not brreak my rule;〃

said he then。  〃I do not ever leave my notes with anybody。  Mr。

Woodridge asked for my History 3 notes; and Mr。 Bailey wanted my notes

for Fine Arts 1; and I could not let them have them。  If Mr。 Woodridge

was to hear〃



〃But what in the dickens are you afraid of?〃



〃Well; gentlemen; I would rather not。  You would take good care; I know;

but there are sometimes things which happen that we cannot help。 One

time a fire〃



At this racial suggestion both boys made the room joyous with mirth。

Oscar stood uneasily contemplating them。  He would never be able to

understand them; not as long as he lived; nor they him。  When their

mirth Was over he did somewhat better; but it was tardy。  You see; he

was not a specimen of the first rank; or he would have said at once what

he said now: 〃I wish to s
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