The Philosophy of the Practical: Economic and EthicCroce, Benedetto
Philosophy
The Philosophy of the Practical: Economic and Ethic
Croce, Benedetto
Economics; Ethics; Will
But it will be said that we have here considered the case, in which,
while the real situation is known, there is a hypocritical pretence
of not knowing it, in order to deceive others and maybe oneself, and
that we have justly here declared that in such a case the will and
the intention were inseparable. But there is another case, in which,
though the situation of affairs be not known, yet it is necessary both
to will and to act at once. Here the concrete will is separated at
the beginning from the intention: the will is what it _can_ be, the
intention is as the action _would wish_ to be.
But this instance is equally or even more inconceivable than the
preceding. It has been clearly established that if we do not know, we
cannot will. Before arriving at a resolution, man tries to see clearly
in and about him, and so long as the search continues, so long as the
doubt is not dissipated, the will remains in suspense. Nothing can
make him resolve, where the elements for coming to a resolution are
wanting; nothing can make him say to himself "I know," when he does not
know; nothing can make him say "it will be as if I knew," because that
"as if I knew" would introduce the arbitrary method into the whole of
knowledge, and would cause universal doubt to take the place of doubt
circumscribed. This would disturb the function of knowledge itself,
against which an act of real felony would be committed. From nothing
nothing is born.
[Sidenote: _Illusions among the cases that are cited._]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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