298 SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE ORGANISM 



Fundamental Difficulties 



At this point we are led to some rather difficult con- 

 siderations. The categories allow of statements regarding 

 so-called objectivity which cannot be denied, which must 

 be admitted as soon as their meaning is understood : in 

 this logical sense they are a priori, i.e. prior to ordinary 

 experience. Even the concept of objectivity itself, with its 

 relation to subjectivity, is due to them. But the categories 

 are not prior to ordinary experience in the temporal sense : 

 they are awaked during the process of conscious experience, 

 but are logically a priori, since they are " awaked " only 

 and are not induced or inferred. They are independent of 

 the amount of ordinary experience. 



So far there is hardly any difficulty of a serious character. 



The question now arises : Are the categories properties 

 which are inherent in the conscious Ego in such a way that 

 the Ego is forced to conceive Givenness with their aid 

 exclusively ? Is the Ego in possession of certain innate 

 properties ? This view, recently styled rather inappropri- 

 ately the theory of " psychologism," l was held by many of 

 Kant's successors ; it is much in vogue nowadays, and Kant 

 himself must be said to have made certain concessions to 

 it, at least in the first edition of the Kritik, though his 

 chief intentions went in another direction. 



Without any doubt I feel forced to apply the categorical 

 system when I conceive the Given and in particular Nature ; 



1 This name would be good with reference to ordinary psychology as an 

 inductive science. But it is a little ambiguous, as the name "psychology ''' 

 also might be used in a very wide sense, embracing the knowledge of every- 

 thing that is related to mental life in any sense, including episteiuology, 

 ethics, and aesthetics. 



