第78章

类别:其他 作者:William James字数:2166更新时间:18/12/21 17:13:49
Meanwhilethepracticalneedsandexperiencesofreligionseemtomesufficientlymetbythebeliefthatbeyondeachmanandinafashioncontinuouswithhimthereexistsalargerpowerwhichisfriendlytohimandtohisideals。Allthatthefactsrequireisthatthepowershouldbebothotherandlargerthanourconsciousselves。Anythinglargerwilldo,ifonlyitbelargeenoughtotrustforthenextstep。Itneednotbeinfinite,itneednotbesolitary。Itmightconceivablyevenbeonlyalargerandmoregodlikeself,ofwhichthepresentselfwouldthenbebutthemutilatedexpression,andtheuniversemightconceivablybeacollectionofsuchselves,ofdifferentdegreesofinclusiveness,withnoabsoluteunityrealizedinitatall。[364]Thuswouldasortofpolytheismreturnuponus——apolytheismwhichIdonotonthisoccasiondefend,formyonlyaimatpresentistokeepthetestimonyofreligiousexperienceclearlywithinitsproperbounds。[Comparep。130above。] SuchanotionissuggestedinmyIngersollLectureOnHumanImmortality,BostonandLondon,1899。 Upholdersofthemonisticviewwillsaytosuchapolytheism(which,bytheway,hasalwaysbeentherealreligionofcommonpeople,andissostillto-day)thatunlesstherebeoneall-inclusiveGod,ourguaranteeofsecurityisleftimperfect。 IntheAbsolute,andintheAbsoluteonly,ALLissaved。Iftherebedifferentgods,eachcaringforhispart,someportionofsomeofusmightnotbecoveredwithdivineprotection,andourreligiousconsolationwouldthusfailtobecomplete。Itgoesbacktowhatwassaidonpages129-131,aboutthepossibilityoftherebeingportionsoftheuniversethatmayirretrievablybelost。Commonsenseislesssweepinginitsdemandsthanphilosophyormysticismhavebeenwonttobe,andcansufferthenotionofthisworldbeingpartlysavedandpartlylost。Theordinarymoralisticstateofmindmakesthesalvationoftheworldconditionaluponthesuccesswithwhicheachunitdoesitspart。Partialandconditionalsalvationisinfactamostfamiliarnotionwhentakenintheabstract,theonlydifficultybeingtodeterminethedetails。Somemenareevendisinterestedenoughtobewillingtobeintheunsavedremnantasfarastheirpersonsgo,ifonlytheycanbepersuadedthattheircausewillprevail——allofusarewilling,wheneverouractivity-excitementrisessufficientlyhigh。Ithink,infact,thatafinalphilosophyofreligionwillhavetoconsiderthepluralistichypothesismoreseriouslythanithashithertobeenwillingtoconsiderit。Forpracticallifeatanyrate,theCHANCEofsalvationisenough。Nofactinhumannatureismorecharacteristicthanitswillingnesstoliveonachance。Theexistenceofthechancemakesthedifference,asEdmundGurneysays,betweenalifeofwhichthekeynoteisresignationandalifeofwhichthekeynoteishope。[365]Butallthesestatementsareunsatisfactoryfromtheirbrevity,andIcanonlysaythatI hopetoreturntothesamequestionsinanotherbook。 TertiumQuid,1887,p。99。Seealsopp。 TheroadbywhichWilliamJamesarrivedathispositionofleadershipamongAmericanphilosopherswas,duringhischildhood,youthandearlymaturity,quiteascircuitousandunpredictableaswerehisfather’sideasonthetrainingofhischildren。ThatSwedenborgiantheologianforesawneitherthecareerofnovelistforhissonHenry,northatofpragmatistphilosopherfortheolderWilliam。Thefather’smigrationsbetweenNewYork,EuropeandNewportmeantthatWilliam’seducationhadvarietyifitdidnothavefixeddirection。From13to18hestudiedinEuropeandreturnedtoNewport,RhodeIsland,tostudypaintingundertheguidanceofJohnLaFarge。Afterayear,hegaveupartforscienceandenteredHarvardUniversity,wherehismostinfluentialteacherswereLouisAgassizandCharlesW。Eliot。 In1863,WilliamJamesbeganthestudyofmedicine,andin hejoinedanexpeditiontotheAmazon。Beforelong,hewrote: “IfthereisanythingIhate,itiscollecting。”Hisstudiesconstantlyinterruptedbyillhealth,JamesreturnedtoGermanyandbeganhearinglecturesandreadingvoluminouslyinphilosophy。HewonhismedicaldegreeatHarvardin1870。ForfouryearshewasaninvalidinCambridge,butfinally,in1873,hepassedhisgravestphysicalandspiritualcrisesandbeganthecareerbywhichhewastoinfluencesoprofoundlygenerationsofAmericanstudents。From1880to1907hewassuccessivelyassistantprofessorofphilosophy,professorofpsychologyandprofessorofphilosophyatHarvard。In1890,thepublicationofhisPrinciplesofPsychologbroughthimtheacknowledgedleadershipinthefieldoffunctionalpsychology。TheselectionofWilliamJamestodelivertheGiffordlecturesinEdinburghwasatonceatributetohimandarewardfortheuniversitythatsponsoredtheundertaking。Theselectures,collectedinthisvolume,havesincebecomefamousasthestandardscientificworkonthepsychologyofthereligiousimpulse。DeathendedhiscareeronAugust End