第10部分(第1/7 页)

insisted　upon；　and　the　very　dogmatic　opinions　asserted；　must　be　examined。　At　no　time　so　much　as

in　our　own；　have　such　general　principles　and　notions　been　advanced；　or　with　greater　assurance。　If

in　days　gone　by；　history　seems　to　present　itself　as　a　struggle　of　passions；　in　our　time　—　though

displays　of　passion　are　not　wanting　—　it　exhibits　partly　a　predominance　of　the　struggle　of　notions

assuming　the　authority　of　principles；　partly　that　of　passions　and　interests　essentially　subjective；　but

under　the　mask　of　such　higher　sanctions。　The　pretensions　thus　contended　for　as　legitimate　in　the

name　of　that　which　has　been　stated　as　the　ultimate　aim　of　Reason；　pass　accordingly；　for　absolute

aims；　—　to　the　same　extent　as　Religion；　Morals；　Ethics。　Nothing；　as　before　remarked；　is　now　more

mon　than　the　plaint　that　the　ideals　which　imagination　sets　up　are　not　realised　—　that　these

glorious　dreams　are　destroyed　by　cold　actuality。　These　Ideals　—　which　in　the　voyage　of　life

founder　on　the　rocks　of　hard　reality　—　may　be　in　the　first　instance　only　subjective；　and　belong　to

the　idiosyncrasy　of　the　individual；　imagining　himself　the　highest　and　wisest。　Such　do　not　properly

belong　to　this　category。　For　the　fancies　which　the　individual　in　his　isolation　indulges；　cannot　be　the

model　for　universal　reality；　just　as　universal　law　is　not　designed　for　the　units　of　the　mass。　These　as

such　may；　in　fact；　find　their　interests　decidedly　thrust　into　the　background。　But　by　the　term

“Ideal；”　we　also　understand　the　ideal　of　Reason；　of　the　Good；　of　the　True。　Poets；　as　e。g。

Schiller；　have　painted　such　ideals　touchingly　and　with　strong　emotion；　and　with　the　deeply

melancholy　conviction　that　th