As regards the hope of a future life, if instead of the final purpose
we have to accomplish in conformity with the precept of the moral law,
we ask of our theoretical faculty of cognition a clue for the judgement
of Reason upon our destination (which clue is only considered as
necessary or worthy of acceptance in a practical reference), then in
this aspect Psychology, like Theology, gives no more than a negative
concept of our thinking being. That is, none of its actions or of the
phenomena of the internal sense can be explained materialistically; and
hence of its separate nature and of the continuance or non-continuance
of its personality after death absolutely no ampliative determinant
judgement is possible on speculative grounds by means of our whole
theoretical cognitive faculty. Here then everything is handed over to
the teleological judging of our existence in a practically necessary
aspect, and to the assumption of our continuance as a condition
requisite for the final purpose absolutely furnished by Reason. And so
this advantage (which indeed at first glance seems to be a loss) is
apparent; that, as Theology for us can never be Theosophy, or rational
_Psychology_ become _Pneumatology_--an ampliative science--so on the
other hand this latter is assured of never falling into _Materialism_.
Psychology, rather, is a mere anthropology of the internal sense,
_i.e._ is the knowledge of our thinking self _in life_; and, as
theoretical cognition, remains merely empirical. On the other hand,
rational Psychology, as far as it is concerned with questions as to
our eternal existence, is not a theoretical science at all, but rests
on a single conclusion of moral Teleology; as also its whole use is
necessary merely on account of the latter, _i.e._ on account of our
practical destination.
§ 90. _Of the kind of belief in a teleological proof of the Being of
God_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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