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1201； Von sechs theosophischen Puncten； V。 7； § 3； p。 1537； Von wahrer Gelassenheit； chap。 i。
§ 1…7； pp。 1661…1663； Von g？ttlicher Beschaulichkeit； chap。 i。 § 23…26； pp。 1742； 1743； Von
der Geburt und Bezeichnung allor Wesen； chap。 xvi。 § 49； p。 2391； Vom übersinnlichen Leben； §
41； 42； p。 1696 ＇see Law's translation＇。
23。 Von der Menschwerdung Jesu Christi； Pt。 I。 chap。 v。 § 14 p。 1323； Von den drei Principien
g？ttlichen Wesens； chap。 x。 § 43； p。 470。
24。 Von g？ttlicher Beschaulichkeit； chap。 iii。 § 11； p。 1757。
25。 Infra； p。 213。
26。 Morgenr？the； chap。 viii。 § 15…20； pp。 78； 79； chap。 x。 § 38； p。 112； chap。 xiii。 § 69…91；
pp。 162…166； chap xi。 § 5…13； pp。 119； 120。
27。 177 Fragen von g？ttlicher Offenbarung； III。 § 2…5； 10…16； pp。 3591…3595。
28。 Von g？ttlicher Beschaulichkeit； chap。 iii。 § 12； 14； pp。 1757； 1758
29。 Rixner： Handbuch d。 Gesch。 d。 Philos。 Vol。 II。 Appendix； p。 108； § 5 （from Boehme's
Morgenr？the； chap。 ii。 § 16； pp。 30； 31； § 33； p。 34）。
30。 Morgenr？the； chap。 xxiii。 § 11； 12； pp。 307； 308 （cf。 Rixner： Handb。 d。 Gesch。 d。 Philos。
Vol。 II。 Appendix； p。 108； § 5）； Theosophische Sendbriefe； I。 § 5； p。 3710。
31。 Morgenr？the； chap。 iii。 § 29； 30； p。 43 ＇see Law's translation＇。
32。 Von g？ttlicher Beschaulichkeit； chap。 iii。 § 13； p。 1758； Morgenr？the； chap。 x。 § 55； 60；
58； pp。 115； 116 （chap。 xi。 § 4； p。 118）。
33。 Morgenr？the； chap。 iii。 § 36…38； 47； pp。 44…46 ＇see Law's translation＇。
34。 Von g？ttlicher Beschaulichkeit； chap。 i。 § 33； p。 1745； chap。 ii。 § 29； p。 1754； chap。 iii。 §
15； 18…24； 27； 29； pp。 1758…1761； Von den drei Principien g？ttlichen Wesens； chap。 viii。 § 5；
p。 433； Mysterium Magnum； oder Erkl？rung des ersten Buchs Mosis； chap。 xix。 § 28； pp。 2830；
2831。
35。 Von g？ttlicher Beschaulichkeit； chap。 i。 § 23…39； pp。 1742…1746； chap。 ii。 § 1…13； 15…30；
pp。 1747…1754。
Section Two： Period of the Thinking Understanding
Chapter I。 — The Metaphysics of the Understanding
A 1。 DESCARTES。
René Descartes is a bold spirit who re…commenced the whole subject from the very beginning
and constituted afresh the groundwork on which Philosophy is based； and to which； after a
thousand years had passed； it once more returned。 The extent of the influence which this man
exercised upon his times and the culture of Philosophy generally； cannot be sufficiently expressed；
it rests mainly in his setting aside all former pre…suppositious and beginning in a free； simple； and
likewise popular way； with popular modes of thought and quite simple propositions； in his leading
to thought and extension or Being； and so to speak setting up this before thought as its opposite。
This simple thought appeared in the form of the determinate； clear understanding； and it cannot
thus be called speculative thought or speculative reason。 There are fixed determinations from
which Descartes proceeds； but only of thought； this is the method of his time。 What the French
called exact science； science of the determinate understanding； made its appearance at this time。
Philosophy and exact science were not yet separated； and it was only later on that this separation
first took place。
To come to the life of Descartes — he was born in 1596； at La Haye in Touraine； of an ancient
and noble race。 He received an education of the usual kind in a Jesuit school； and made great
progress； his disposition was lively and restless； he extended his insatiable zeal in all directions；
pursued his researches into all systems and forms； his studies； in addition to ancient literature；
embraced such subjects as philosophy； mathematics； chemistry； physics； and astronomy。 But the
studies of his youth in the Jesuit school； and those studies which he afterwards prosecuted with the
same diligence and strenuous zeal； resulted in giving him a strong disinclination for learning derived
from books； he quitted the school where he had been educated； and yet his eagerness for learning
was only made the keener through this perplexity and unsatisfied yearning。 He went as a young
man of eighteen to Paris； and there lived in the great world。 But as he here found no satisfaction；
he soon left society and returned to his studies。 He retired to a suburb of Paris and there occupied
himself principally with mathematics； remaining quite concealed from all his former friends。 At last；
after the lapse of two years； he was discovered by them； drawn forth from his retirement； and
again introduced to the great world。 He now once more renounced the study of books and threw
himself into the affairs of actual life。 Thereafter he went to Holland and entered the military service；
soon afterwards； in 1619 and in the first year of the Thirty Years’ War； he went as a volunteer
with the Bavarian troops； and took part in several campaigns under Tilly。 Many have found
learning unsatisfying； Descartes became a solider — not because he found in the sciences too little；
but because they were too much； too high for him。 Here in his winter quarters he studied diligently；
and in Ulm； for instance； he made acquaintance with a citizen who was deeply versed in
mathematics。 He was able to carry out his studies even better in winter quarters at Neuberg on the
Danube； where once more； and now most profoundly； the desire awoke in him to strike out a new
departure in Philosophy and entirely reconstruct it； he solemnly promised the Mother of God to
make a pilgrimage to Loretto if she would prosper him in this design； and if he should now at last
come to himself and attain to peace。 He was also in the battle at Prague in which Frederick the
Elector…Palatine lost the Bohemian crown。 Yet since the sight of these wild scenes could not
satisfy him； he gave up military service in 1621。 He made several other journeys through the rest of
Germany； and then proceeded to Poland； Prussia； Switzerland； Italy and France。 On account of
its greater freedom he withdrew to Holland； in order there to pursue his projects； here he lived in
peace from 1629 to 1644 — a period in which he composed and issued most of his works； and
also defended them against the manifold attacks from which they suffered； and which more
especially proceeded from the clergy。 Queen Christina of Sweden finally called him to her court at
Stockholm； which was the rendezvous for all the most celebrated men of learning of the time； and
there he died in 1650。 （1）
As regards his philosophic works； those which contain his first principles have in particular
something very popular about their method of presentation； which makes them highly to be
recommended to those commencing the study of philosophy。 Descartes sets to work in a quite
simple and childlike manner； with a narration of his reflections as they came to him。 Professor
Cousin of Paris has brought out a new edition of Descartes in eleven octavo volumes； the greater
part consists of letters on natural phenomena。 Descartes gave a new impetus to mathematics as
well as to philosophy。 Several important methods were discovered by him； upon which the most
brilliant results in higher mathematics were afterwards built。 His method is even now an essential in
mathematics； for Descartes is the inventor of analytic geometry； and consequently the first to point
out the way in this field of science to modern mathematics。 He likewise cultivated physics； optics；
and astronomy； and made the most important discoveries in these； we have not； however； to deal
with such matters。 The application of metaphysics to ecclesiastical affairs； investigations； etc。； has
likewise no special interest for us。
1。 In Philosophy Descartes struck out quite original lines； with him the new epoch in Philosophy
begins； whereby it was permitted to culture to grasp in the form of universality the principle of its
higher spirit in thought； just as Boehme grasped it in sensuous perceptions and forms。 Descartes
started by saying that thought must necessarily commence from itself； all the philosophy which
came before this； and specially what proceeded from the authority of the Church； was for ever
after set aside。 But since here thought has properly speaking grasped itself as abstract
understanding only； in relation to which the more concrete content still stands over on the other
side； the determinate conceptions were not yet deduced from the understanding； but taken up only
empirically。 In Descartes’ philosophy we have thus to distinguish what has； and what has not
universal interest for us： the former is the process of his thoughts themselves； and the latter the
mode in which these thoughts are presented and deduced。 Yet we must not consider the process
as a method of consistent proof； it is indeed a deep and inward progress； but it comes to us in an
ingenuous and naive form。 In order to do justice to Descartes’ thoughts it is necessary for us to
be assured of the necessity for his appearance； the spirit of his philosophy is simply knowledge as
the unity of Thought and Being。 And yet on the whole there is little to say about his philosophy。
a。 Descartes expresses the fact that we must begin from thought as such alone； by saying that we
must doubt everything （De omnibus dubitandum est