Page:On the Fourfold Root, and On the Will in Nature.djvu/242

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the connection, and professes independent research; yet in reality it is only the ancilla disguised, and it is intended no less than its predecessor to be the servant of theology. Thus genuine, sincerely meant philosophy has an adversary under the guise of an ally in University philosophy. There fore I said long ago, that nothing would be of greater benefit to philosophy than for it to cease altogether to be taught at universities; and if at that time I still admitted the propriety of a brief, quite succinct course of history of philosophy accompanying logic—which undoubtedly ought to be taught at Universities—I have since withdrawn that hasty concession in consequence of the following disclosure made to us in the Göttingischen Gelehrten Anzeigen of the 1st January, 1853, p. 8, by the Ordinarius loci[1] (one who writes History of Philosophy in thick volumes): "It could not be mistaken that Kant's doctrine is ordinary Theism, and that it has contributed little or nothing towards trans forming the current views on God and his relation to the world."—If this is the state of the case, universities are in my opinion no longer the right place even for teaching history of philosophy. There designs and intentions reign paramount. I had indeed long ago begun to suspect that history of philosophy was taught at our universities in the same spirit and with the same granum salis[2] as philosophy itself, and it needed but very little to make my suspicions certainty. Accordingly it is my wish to see both philosophy and its history disappear from the lecture list, because I desire to rescue them from the tender mercies of our court-councillors.[3] But far be it from me to wish to see our professors of philosophy removed from their thriving business at our Universities. On the contrary, what I should like would be to see them promoted three degrees higher in dignity and raised to the highest faculty as pro-

  1. Wikisource translation: ecclesiastic of the place
  2. Wikisource translation: grain of salt
  3. Hofräthe. A title of honour often given for literary and scientific merit in Germany, and common among university professors. [Tr.'s note.]