The Kernel and the Husk/Definitions

by Edwin Abbott Abbott

 

DEFINITIONS

i. Reality

1. Absolute reality cannot be comprehended by men, and can only be apprehended as God or in God by a combination of Desire and Imagination, to which we give the name of Faith.

2. Among objects of sensation those are (relatively) real which present similar sensations in similar circumstances.

ii. Force

"Imagined" is inserted, throughout these Definitions, as a reminder that the existence of all these objects of definition, however real, is suggested to us by the Imagination.

Force is that which is imagined to immediately produce, or tend to produce, motion.

Why "immediately"? Because a particle of "matter"—attracting, as it does, every other particle of "matter"—may be said to "tend to produce motion." Yet "matter" is not said to be force, but to "exert" force. "Matter" is imagined to attract "matter" through the medium of force, or "mediately." But force is imagined to act "immediately." Hence the insertion of the word.

iii. Cause and Effect

When one thing is imagined to produce, or tend to produce, a second, the first is called the Cause of the second, and the second the Effect of the first.

iv. Spirit

Spirit, i.e. Breath or Wind, is a metaphorical name—implying subtleness, invisibility, ubiquitousness and life-giving power—given to the ultimate Cause of Force; and hence sometimes to the Cause of beneficent Force in the Universe, i.e. God; sometimes to the Cause of Force in the human individual; more rarely to the Cause or Causes of maleficent Forces in the Universe.

v. Matter

The existence of Matter has never been proved; and it is nothing but a hypothesis. All the phenomena called "material" might be explained, without Matter, by the hypothesis of a number of centres of force. The raison d'être of Matter is the notion of tangibility. But scientific men now tell us that no atom ever touches another. If this be so, scientific tangibility disappears and the raison d'être of Matter disappears, with it. But it is so natural a figment that we shall all probably talk about it, and most of us probably will believe in it, until human nature is very much changed.

Matter cannot be defined positively except by repeating, in some disguise, the word to be defined, as thus:—

Material, or Matter, is a name given to an unascertained and hypothetical "material," "matter, "substance" or "fundamental stuff," of which we commonly imagine all objects of sensation to be composed.

vi. Nature

1. Nature means sometimes the (1) ordinary, or (2) orderly course of things apart from the present and direct intervention of human Will; sometimes the (3) ordinary or (4) orderly course of humanity; sometimes the (5) ordinary or (6) orderly course of all things.

2. Law of Nature is a metaphorical name for a frequently observed sequence of phenomena (apart from human Will), implying, to some minds, regularity; to others, absolute invariability.

3. Miracle means a supposed suspension of a Sequence, or Law, of Nature; Marvel, or Mighty Work, means a rare Sequence of Nature, in which great Effects are produced by Causes seemingly, but not really, inadequate.

4. "Supernatural" is the name given, in these letters, to the existence of a God; and to His creation and continuous development of all things: the divine action being regarded, not as contrary to Nature, but as above Nature; not as suspending the sequences of Nature, but as originating and supporting them.

vii. Will

The Will is the power of giving to some one of our desires, or to some one group of compatible desires, permanent predominance over the rest.

An addition might be suggested: "the power of controlling our desires." But we appear never to control our desires except by enthroning some one desire (or group of desires)—whether it be the desire to gain power, to ruin an enemy, to do right, or to serve God.

viii. Attention

Attention is the power by which we impress upon our mind that which is present.

ix. Memory

Memory is the power by which we retain or recall to our mind that which is past.

x. Imagination

Imagination is the power by which we combine or vary the mental images retained by Memory, often with a view to finding some unity in them; and by which we are enabled to image forth the future through anticipating its harmony with the past and present.

xi. Reason

Reason (or, as some prefer to call it in this limited sense, Understanding) is the power by which we compare, and, from our comparisons, draw inferences or conclusions. By means of it we compare the suggestions of the Imagination with the suggestions of Experience, and accept or reject the former in accordance with the result of our comparison.

xii. Hope

Hope is desire, of which we imagine the fulfilment, while recognizing the presence of doubt.

xiii. Faith

The following Definition appears to me to be the basis of all theology. It is no more than an emphatic restatement of the old saying, "Faith is the assurance of (or giving substance to) things hoped for." Since hope is but a weaker and more hesitant form of desire, the imaging forth of (or giving substance to) things earnestly hoped for must imply the vivid imagination of the fulfilment of things desired.

Faith (when not loosely used for Belief) is desire (approved by the Conscience) of which we imagine the fulfilment, while putting doubt at a distance.

"Faith in a friend" means a desire—as well as a belief—that he will do what you think he ought to do. "Faith" should never be used to express a belief that something undesirable or wrong will happen, e.g. "I have great faith that the boy will go wrong." "Faith" in the uniformity of Nature implies a desire that Nature should be uniform, and a feeling that it is God's will. In moments when we dread the uniformity of Nature we should say that we have a "conviction" or "expectation" of it, not that we have "faith" in it.

"Putting doubt at a distance is intended to include the different degrees of faith: in the highest faith, the "distance" is infinite.

"When "faith" is said to be "shaken," we may mean that, though the desire may remain, doubt is not "put at a distance;" or that the Conscience no longer approves of the desire; or that the desire itself is weakened.

xiv. Belief

Belief (when it is not used for Faith) means a sense, mixed with doubt, that the affirmations of our mind will harmonize with Experience.^[1]

xv. Certainty, or Conviction

Certainty, or Conviction, is a sense, unmixed with doubt, that the affirmations of our mind will harmonize with Experience.

xvi. Knowledge

1. Absolute knowledge, which is possessed by no man, would be an identity between our mental affirmations and those of the Creator; who knows all things in their Essence and Causes.

2. Knowledge (relative and ordinary) is (very often) a name loosely given to a harmony between our mental affirmations and the affirmations of the vast majority of those who have (or are thought by the majority to have) the best opportunities for observation and judgment.

It might be more usefully defined as those mental affirmations which harmonize with our nature and environment, i.e. with our spiritual and material experience.

xvii. Illusions and Delusions

Illusions are mental affirmations not harmonizing with immediate experience, but preparatory for absolute knowledge. Delusions are mental affirmations not harmonising with experience, nor preparatory for absolute knowledge.

THE END

RICHARD CLAY AND SONS, LONDON AND BUNGAY.

1. Some might prefer "harmonize with experience or with fact." But "harmony with fact" can never be proved: you can only prove harmony with your experience, or with the general experience, of the fact; or with experience of what others say about the fact.