The Monist, Vol. 3, 1892-1893 : $b A quarterly magazineVarious
Philosophy
The Monist, Vol. 3, 1892-1893 : $b A quarterly magazine
Various
Philosophy -- Periodicals
In the very nature of things, the line of demarcation between the three
modes of evolution is not perfectly sharp. That does not prevent its
being quite real; perhaps it is rather a mark of its reality. There is
in the nature of things no sharp line of demarcation between the three
fundamental colors, red, green, and violet. But for all that they are
really different. The main question is whether three radically different
evolutionary elements have been operative; and the second question is
what are the most striking characteristics of whatever elements have been
operative.
I propose to devote a few pages to a very slight examination of these
questions in their relation to the historical development of human
thought. I first formulate for the reader’s convenience the briefest
possible definitions of the three conceivable modes of development
of thought, distinguishing also two varieties of anancasm and three
of agapasm. The tychastic development of thought, then, will consist
in slight departures from habitual ideas in different directions
indifferently, quite purposeless and quite unconstrained whether by
outward circumstances or by force of logic, these new departures being
followed by unforeseen results which tend to fix some of them as habits
more than others. The anancastic development of thought will consist
of new ideas adopted without foreseeing whither they tend, but having
a character determined by causes either external to the mind, such
as changed circumstances of life, or internal to the mind as logical
developments of ideas already accepted, such as generalisations. The
agapastic development of thought is the adoption of certain mental
tendencies, not altogether heedlessly, as in tychasm, nor quite blindly
by the mere force of circumstances or of logic, as in anancasm, but by
an immediate attraction for the idea itself, whose nature is divined
before the mind possesses it, by the power of sympathy, that is, by
virtue of the continuity of mind; and this mental tendency may be of
three varieties, as follows. First, it may affect a whole people or
community in its collective personality, and be thence communicated
to such individuals as are in powerfully sympathetic connection with
the collective people, although they may be intellectually incapable
of attaining the idea by their private understandings or even perhaps
of consciously apprehending it. Second, it may affect a private person
directly, yet so that he is only enabled to apprehend the idea, or
to appreciate its attractiveness, by virtue of his sympathy with his
neighbors, under the influence of a striking experience or development of
thought. The conversion of St. Paul may be taken as an example of what
is meant. Third, it may affect an individual, independently of his human
affections, by virtue of an attraction it exercises upon his mind, even
before he has comprehended it. This is the phenomenon which has been
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