TAINE'S STUDENT CORRESPONDENCE AND NOTEBOOKS 217 



Taine's methodological solution of abstraction here took on a 

 metaphysical dimension, combining elements of Aristotelianism 

 and Platonism, of nominalism and realism: 



*These are abstractions, but they correspond to the general 

 forms of reality and are not, as Aristotle says of them, simple ideal 

 analogies. These are abstractions in the spirit as in Being, and in 

 this respect I am a nominalist and Aristotelian. But these are real 

 unities in the spirit as in Being, and in this respect I am a realist, 

 Hegelian and Platonist.'^i 



He summed up his position as follows: 



'Thus our opinion partakes of three systems: The general forms 

 are abstractions (Aristotle). They are real unities in Being and 

 actual (Plato). But Aristotle is wrong in saying that these are 

 analogical abstractions; Plato, that these are distinct unities and 

 exist in themselves; Hegel, that the Universe is to be reduced to a 

 successive birth of determinations.' ^2 



The ^Eternal AxiorrC 



Asked by a professor to reduce his postulate of causality to 

 syllogistic form, Taine stated it in the form of a syllogism in 

 'Darii', i.e, a universal affirmative major premise, a particular 

 affirmative minor premise, and a particular positive conclusion. 

 The argument would run as follows: 



'It is admitted (major) that the same cause always produces the 

 same effects. Now (minor), taking into consideration in the body 

 nothing but its weight, I see that there follows, from this single 

 property, the fact that it falls with such and such an acceleration. 

 I conclude that everywhere and always this effect will result from 

 this cause, that is to say that, falling freely, every body with weight 

 falls and will fall according to this mode of movement. 



'More generally: if two facts are stripped of all the adjacent 

 ones, reduced to themselves, if I begin to perceive a relation 

 between them, it must derive from nothing but their nature. This 

 relation is universal, because everywhere that they are their nature 

 will be. It is necessary because it is contradictory to think that they 

 should not have the relation which is in their nature. Therefore, in 

 order to find a law, it suffices to exclude from consideration the 

 particular element in a particular case, and to apply oneself to the 

 single abstract element.' ^^ 



