Page:Mind (Old Series) Volume 11.djvu/113

 102 CKITICAL NOTICES : whose character is pure, calm and steadfast can attain to intellec- tual perfection". 1 Leaving the examination of specific Biblical terms, Maimonides proceeds to show that ordinary men consider matter or body the only true and full existence ; that which is neither itself a body nor a force resident in a body is to such men non-existent and inconceivable. Again, life is commonly identified with motion, although motion is not a part of the essence but a mere accident of life. Perception, again, is the most conspicuous means of acquiring knowledge. Especially is this true of sight and hearing ; and speech is the only mode of communi- cation between one mind and another. Hence God is figuratively described as active, seeing, hearing and speaking, and even the organs by which those functions are performed by man are as- cribed to Him ; for in man these functions are perfections, and they are predicated of God because we wish to assert His perfec- tion. Action and speech are also applied to God to symbolise that a certain influence has emanated from Him. This leads us to consider an important part of Maimonides's philosophy, viz., the meaning of communication betw r een God and men. Maimonides 2 agrees with the Platonic or general Greek view that prophecy or attainment of direct knowledge of the truth is a natural faculty of men which may be reached by all who sub- mit to the necessary preparation, and who can raise themselves to the requisite intellectual and moral perfection. Maimonides endeavours to show that this is the view of the Bible, but he is not successful in this attempt, and most of his Jewish successors have severely attacked him on this point. He seeks to anticipate obvious objections by declaring that men duly qualified may be miraculously withheld from prophecy by the will of God ; but this is merely a subterfuge to bade the fact that, according to Scripture, the will of God is the regular and normal condition for acquiring the prophetic spirit. Prophecy, according to Maimo- nides, is an emanation through the Active Intellect to man's rational and imaginative faculty, i.e., the faculty of receiving sense- impressions, and retaining and combining images of them. The latter part of the faculty is most active in dreams, which differ from prophetic vision in degree and not in kind. The imagination acquires such an efficiency in its action that it regards tl as if it came from without, and as if it were perceived througl : bodily senses. Granted that a man possess a brain and body in perfect health, that his passions are pure and well balanced, that his thoughts are engaged in lofty matters, that his attention is directed to the knowledge of God, such a man must be a pro- phet. If he be of the highest order, his imagination will repiv- 1 For some very acute psychological discus-ions, wlm-h space will only [n-Miiit nir to allude In, 1 may rei'er tin- reader amoiiL,' other ] i. c. 17. '-. TL'. c. 73 ; ii. c. 37, c. 40 (oprnin;.:,, : iii. -1 1-4. - ii. 160 till end of volume.