The Silesian Horseherd - Questions of the HourMüller, F. Max (Friedrich Max)
Religion
The Silesian Horseherd - Questions of the Hour
Müller, F. Max (Friedrich Max)
Christianity; Church history; Logos (Christian theology); Logos (Philosophy); Religion
“But you say that we have no right whatever to speak of a mind. That is
possible, but everything depends upon what we understand by the term
‘mind.’ Is not mind, that is to say, a recipient, essential to our seeing
and hearing? The eye can no more see than a camera obscura. True seeing,
hearing, and feeling are not perceptible through the organs of sense, but
through the recipient, for without it the organs of sense could make no
resistance, could not receive, could not perceive. This unknown element
which lies beyond the senses, this recipient must be there. It is true he
cannot be named. Perhaps it would have been better to have called him
‘_x_’ or the Unknown; but when we know what is meant, why not call it mind
or spirit, that is, breath? You call it a soul-phantom. Well, good, but
without such a soul-phantom we cannot get on; you would have to consider
yourself a mere photographic apparatus, and I do not believe that you do.
“Of course you can still say that the mind is a development, a
self-evolving phenomenon. Rightly understood that is quite true, but how
misleading that word ‘evolution’ has been in these latter days. Darwin
certainly brought much that is beautiful and true to the light of day. He
demonstrated that many of the so-called species are not independent
creations, but have been developed from other species. That means that he
has corrected the earlier erroneous nomenclature of Natural History and
has introduced a more correct classification. He has greatly simplified
the work of the Creator of the world. Of that merit no one will deprive
him, and it is a great merit. And those who believed that every species
required its own act of creation, and had to be finished by the Creator
separately (as was the established opinion in England, and still is in
some places), cannot be grateful enough to Darwin for having given them a
simpler and worthier idea of the origin of the earth and of its animal and
vegetable kingdoms.
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account