Whether such a conflict of the living, as takes place and is settled in War, is subject to general laws, and whether these are capable of indicating a useful line of action, will be partly investigated in this book; but so much is evident in itself, that this, like every other subject which does not surpass our powers of understanding, may be lighted up, and be made more or less plain in its inner relations by an inquiring mind, and that alone is sufficient to realise the idea of a THEORY. CHAPTER IV. Methodicism In order to explain ourselves clearly as to the conception of method, and method of action, which play such an important part in War, we must be allowed to cast a hasty glance at the logical hierarchy through which, as through regularly constituted official functionaries, the world of action is governed. _Law_, in the widest sense strictly applying to perception as well as action, has plainly something subjective and arbitrary in its literal meaning, and expresses just that on which we and those things external to us are dependent. As a subject of cognition, _Law_ is the relation of things and their effects to one another; as a subject of the will, it is a motive of action, and is then equivalent to _command_ or _prohibition_. _Principle_ is likewise such a law for action, except that it has not the formal definite meaning, but is only the spirit and sense of law in order to leave the judgment more freedom of application when the diversity of the real world cannot be laid hold of under the definite form of a law. As the judgment must of itself suggest the cases in which the principle is not applicable, the latter therefore becomes in that way a real aid or guiding star for the person acting. Principle is _objective_ when it is the result of objective truth, and consequently of equal value for all men; it is _subjective_, and then generally called _maxim_ if there are subjective relations in it, and if it therefore has a certain value only for the person himself who makes it. _Rule_ is frequently taken in the sense of _Law_, and then means the same as _Principle_, for we say “no rule without exceptions,” but we do not say “no law without exceptions,” a sign that with _Rule_ we retain to ourselves more freedom of application. In another meaning _Rule_ is the means used of discerning a recondite truth in a particular sign lying close at hand, in order to attach to this particular sign the law of action directed upon the whole truth. Of this kind are all the rules of games of play, all abridged processes in mathematics, &c. _Directions_ and _instructions_ are determinations of action which have an influence upon a number of minor circumstances too numerous and unimportant for general laws.