Force and matter : empirico-philosophical studies, intelligibly rendered with introduction written for the English edition / by Louis Büchner ; edited by J. Frederick Collingwood.

  • Büchner, Ludwig, 1824-1899.
Date:
1881
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Force and matter : empirico-philosophical studies, intelligibly rendered with introduction written for the English edition / by Louis Büchner ; edited by J. Frederick Collingwood. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ment—whose force, however, has at all times been striking enough, and is so still—we may console ourselves with the words of Mole- schott : The false doctrine of greed for enjoyment can scarcely find so many followers, as the dominion of priests of all colours has exacted unfortunate victims.^ But, in conclusion, we must be permitted to disregard all such questions of morality or utility. The highest and only fixed point of view adopted in our investiga- tions is that of truth. Nature does not exist for the sake of religion, morality, or man, but for its own. What can we do but accept it as it is ? Should we not expose ourselves to just derision, were we like little children to cry because our bread is not buttered thickly enough? Empirical investigation of nature, says Cotta, has no other object but to discover truth, whether according to human conceptions it be consolatory or the reverse, beautiful or ugly, logi- cal or illogical, rational or foolish, necessary or miraculous. Could any rational being ever seriously think of issuing a prohibi- tion against the progress of natural science and its just participa- tion in the discussion of philosophical questions—for no other reason but because the last results of such investigations are not such as may, perhaps, by the individual be considered agreeable to himself and others ? That truth is not always pleasant, not always conso- latory, not always lovely, is as well known as the old experience of the almost total absence of internal or external reward which its followers meet with. Or the reward at least is in no proportion with the difficulties which the individual has to encounter on such road. Externally it ever and everywhere, where truth had to combat re- ceived opinions, consisted in personal danger and persecution ; and the uncertainty of its internal reward has been well expressed by a Persian poet :— But no I set aside mind, brealc'asunder its chains! Be a fool! for the fool alone doth enjoy life. Like the nightingale by the rose such a heart ever rejoices, For it escaped, torture of knowledge, thy sting. Wierefore blessing his God, let him praise his destiny, Who thi'ough the bliss of ignorance may yet taste happiness ! To him, the poet, the nature of things appeared in its last simpli- city, and unveiled by the mass of external superadditions, by which error or calculation have rendered the clear language of nature unintelligible to the majority of mankind ; but for that rea- son also he could not escape the mental disquiet which can be felt by him only, who has travelled along certain paths of knowledge. He is assuredly right in calling him happy who lives yet in the bliss of ignorance, but he is wrong in advising him on that account ' As regards the enjoyment of life, we differ from the ancients, who in a felicitous manner harmonised their principles and actions, but by the mtemal contradiction ex- isting between our conduct and our philosophic view of nature. The hypocrisy of «elf-delusion, says Feuerbach, is the great vice of the present age.—(From Edi- tions II. to IV.