The Philosophy of F. H. Jacohi. 153 



the latter Jacobi denominated " faith," and he doubtless enjoyed the 

 same assurance of his " faith " as of his material possessions. Yet 

 it was Jacobi who cast upon this assurance the reproach of being 

 unphilosophical. That reproach commends the modesty of the 

 philosopher more than his logical powers. It must be set dowu 

 as his weakness that he dared not maintain as legitimate the 

 firmest convictions of his soul, simply because the method by 

 which he reached them was not philosophically orthodox in his 

 day. 



The best use of philosophy is, doubtless, to regulate human 

 conduct ; and that which is unphilosophical should accordingly be 

 abandoned. Why not, then, abandon every thing which is given 

 us by the intuition of reason and from no better source? Why 

 not give up the notion of an external world ? Simply because 

 the universal conviction of the race makes it impossible. Men do 

 not wait for the formal decisions of philosophers upon questions 

 which find uniform answers in their own clearest intuitions. No 

 contradiction of this decision would command their respect. 

 Again, why not abandon the notion of a First Cause presiding 

 over the universe and governing it according to the intelligent de- 

 terminations of an unrestrained volition ? The answer is to the 

 same effect as the former, Because all races and tribes under the 

 sun hold some faith in a god to whom they are responsible and 

 expect to give account. The argument from common consent 

 must not be despised. Philosophy cannot ignore it without itself 

 being rejected. It rests upon intuitions which are universal and 

 necessary, and which no authority is competent to gainsay. 



Jacobi allows a logical validity to the pantheism of Spinoza, 

 but it affords no satisfaction to the desires of his soul. His spirit 

 rejects pantheism, while his reason accepts the demonstration on 

 which it rests. His spirit, on the one hand, clings to the " faith," 

 which his understanding cannot approve. Fully conscious of 

 this paradox, Jacobi declared, " There is light in my heart, but 

 when I attempt to bring it into my understanding, it goes out.'' 

 What loyalty to the conclusions of a syllogism built upon false 

 premises and doing violence to the strongest and purest intuitions 

 of the soul ! A weaker " faith " would have surrendered to so strong 



