The positive outcome of philosophyDietzgen, Joseph
Philosophy
The positive outcome of philosophy
Dietzgen, Joseph
Knowledge, Theory of; Logic; Philosophy
The way, the method, by which this enlightenment is produced, is the
special object of our study. We do not deny that cause and effect serve
us as a means, but only as one of many. We honor the category of cause
and effect far too much when we regard it as _the_ panacea. We have seen
that formerly other viewpoints served the same purpose and still others
exist today, some of which have a prospect of being valued more highly
in the future than cause and effect. This category serves very well for
the explanation of processes which follow one another. But there are
other phenomena which occur side by side, and these must also be
elucidated. For such a purpose, the category of genus and species is
quite as serviceable. Haeckel speaks somewhat slightingly of "museum
zoologists and herbarium botanists," because they merely classify
animals and plants according to genera and species. The modern
zoologists and botanists do not simply consider the multiplicity of
animals and plants which exist simultaneously, but also the
chronological order of the changes and transformations, and in this way
they have gained much more of a life-picture of the zoological and
botanical world, a picture not alone of its being, but also of its
growing, of arising and declining. Undoubtedly the knowledge of the
museum zoologists and herbarium botanists was meager, narrow,
mechanical, and modern science offers a far better portrait of truth and
life. Still this is no reason for overestimating the value of analysis
by cause and effect. This method supplements the category of genus and
species. It assists in enlightening, it helps in the process of thought,
but it does not render other forms of thought superfluous.
It is essential for the theory of understanding, to recognize the
special forms of thought of old and new times as peculiarities which
have a common nature. This common nature of the process of thought,
understanding, enlightenment, is a part of the universal world process,
and not greatly different from it.
The conception of a cause partly explains the phenomena of the universe;
but so does the conception of a purpose and of a species, in fact, so do
all conceptions.
In the universe all parts are causes, all of them caused, produced,
created, and yet there is no creator, no producer, no cause. The general
produces the special, and the latter in turn produces by reaction the
general.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account