Page:Philosophical Review Volume 14.djvu/134

118 has the air of being quite purely speculative; at first sight it appears to be a reasoned system of propositions regarding Being and Becoming, without reference to the conferring of any practical benefits upon humanity. But the appearance is specious. The interest which all the Brahmanical systems,—and Brahmanism has produced every important form and differentiation of metaphysical systems,—take in their several attempts to solve the problems of philosophy, is, after all, centered in religion and in the conduct of life. To quote from a modern writer (Mr. Kishori Lal Sarkar), "The Hindu System of Moral Science is a part and parcel of the general metaphysical system of the Hindus." And, again, as to the Hindu system of self-culture: "The principles of Yoga apply to the highest spheres of contemplative and religious life and to the humblest objects of worldly pursuit." Even science is, in the judgment of these thinkers, incomplete, unless it is coupled with that knowledge which is born of the feelings of dependence and of love. And returning to the western world, we find Deussen maintaining that we must distinguish between "an historical definition" of philosophy, which would attempt to conform itself to all the systems that have hitherto appeared, and an "ideal definition," which would define the goal to which all philosophical efforts, of all times and lands, have been more or less consciously directed. This ideal definition is distinguished by these two characteristics: (1) Philosophy stands related to—we might say, takes a lively interest in—the totality of all existence; it is universal rather than particular; it regards the trunk and roots, rather than the branches of human knowledge. But (2) it is not the external appearances, the phenomena as such, which philosophy wishes to explain; the rather does it strive to penetrate the innermost being of Nature, the 'self' or Ãtman of the Vedănta, the of Plato, the Thing-in-itself of Kant. Therefore all philosophy is von Hause aus und wesentlich metaphysical; it is thus intimately and essentially allied with the search after a rational ground for the moral and religious experience. This enforced tenderness, as it were, which philosophy has quite uniformly shown for the practical interests of morality and