271 
would be by a process of idealization, proceeding from what is 
most nearly perfect inhuman consciousness. (Ab cognito ad 
incognitum. Hartmann follows this principle, only imperfectly. 
The notions of “ clairvoyance/ 5 of “ intellectual intuition as 
opposed to discursive thought, &c., and even of the “ Uncon- 
scious/ 5 are taken directly from the observation of human con- 
sciousness. It is not Hartmann who can lawfully bring against 
theists the charge of illogical or unjustifiable anthropomor- 
phism !) Our supposed theist, then, seeking for a term drawn 
from human analogies, by which to designate the mental 
(spiritual) light of Him in whom “is no darkness at all, might 
well be supposed to make use of the word supra-conscious, 
designating thereby a consciousness and a mode of mental action 
absolutely transcending — but not opposed to — human conscious- 
ness, or the perfect, in opposition to what in us is feeble, finite, 
imperfect. It repeatedly occurred to the writer, while study- 
ing the first edition of Hartmann’s work, and the opinion was 
repeatedly expressed by him, that it was the “ supra-conscious 
mind of Deity to which the author's inquiries and arguments 
pointed, and that by substituting in his pages the “ Supra-con- 
scious 55 for the “Unconscious/ 5 a large portion of his work 
Avould be turned into an impressive argument for the existence 
and actual, present agency in man and the universe of Him, of 
whom the prophet says: “ For Thou also hast wrought all oui 
works in us. 55 On pp. 536, 537 of the new chapter above named 
Hartmann admits the propriety of this substitution. We 
have seen/ 5 he says, “ that this unconscious clairvoyant Intelli- 
gence is infinitely exalted above the processes of human con- 
sciousness. While the former is infallible in its purposeful 
action, instantaneously apprehending in its one view all ends 
and means, and in every instance including all requisite data in 
its clairvoyant vision,— the latter, proceeding by the way of dis- 
cursive reflection, is lame, and goes, as it were, on stilts, is ever 
limited to one point, and depends on sensible perception, 
memory, and the inspirations of the Unconscious. Me shall 
therefore have to term this imconscious intelligence, which 
transcends all consciousness, a supra -conscious intelligence. 
(The Italics and capital letters are the author’s.) Elsewhere 
(p.546), the process of knowledge in the “Unconscious is 
termed “ omniscient and all-wise intuition .... of the posi- 
tive nature of which we can affirm nothing, and can only say 
that it is exalted above that which we know as consciousness, 
i. e . that, negatively defined, it is unconscious, and that, positively 
undefined , it is supra-conscious” The antithetic balancing of 
phrases in the last clauses appears to have been intended merely 
