Page:Philosophical Review Volume 1.djvu/376

360 K. thinks he has refuted rationalism as well as empiricism, and thus established positivism. But the refutation of an exclusive rationalism may lead either to positivism or to a synthesis of the two. The true view is the latter. The remainder of the article is a criticism of K.'s irrational positivism. The contents of the process of nature are relatively irrational, but the absolutely irrational appears in the form of indeterminate sequence and change. For this is a violation of the law of identity. The principle of ideality is reason and of reality is will. Causality is neither rational nor irrational but a synthesis of both, of reason and will.

I. Intellectual Development: That an addition has been made to the stock of knowledge is nowhere denied. The question in dispute is whether the race has grown in mental power. All mental activities are conditioned by the constitution of the brain. If, then, a development could be proved for this organ, the above question would have to receive an affirmative answer. But owing to the objections raised against the law of inheritance, R. surrenders this line of argument for the following: Our knowledge is intuitive and deductive. The deductive method being merely a method of proof is incapable of development. All intuitive cognition depends on the pure forms of the mind, space, time, substance, causality, etc., by means of which the material offered by the senses is combined into a unity. Our intuitions of space and time discover a marked advance. Our conception of the universe has been enlarged so as to embrace the notion of an infinite number of solar systems. On the other hand, the microscope reveals to us wonderful microcosms. Chemistry divides matter into molecules which are further subdivided until we have an infinite individualization. The physicist conceives such particles as being in constant motion, and thus arrives at the notion of infinitely small spaces of time. A similar progress may be ascribed to the forms of the intellect. Apparently disparate phenomena have been combined into new unities, physics gathering all causes under the concept of physical energy.

An improvement of the brain runs parallel with this intensification of mental powers, and such acquired qualities are transmitted to subsequent generations. Though the advance is temporarily retarded by unfavorable conditions there is, nevertheless, a gradual elevation of human intelligence.

II. The Progress of Human Happiness: Passive happiness invariably ends in surfeit and disgust. Free, unhindered activity is the only