如何研究中古哲学 10页

LecturetobedeliveredonMay16,1944attheFourthInstituteofBiblicalandPost-BiblicalStudies.HowToStudyMedievalPhilosophyLEOSTRAUSS“HowToStudyMedievalPhilosophy”wasavailabletotheeditorsinProfessorStrauss’soriginaltypescript,withadditions,correctionsandalterationsaddedinpencilinhisownhand.WearegratefultoHeinrichandWiebkeMeierfortheirmostgeneroushelpindecipheringProfessorStrauss’shandwritingandtoHillelFradkinforhelpwithregardtoHebrewandArabicwords.Afewminorchangesbytheeditorsinspellingandpunctuationhavenotbeennoted.Weraisethequestionofhowtostudymedievalphilosophy.Wecannotdiscussthatquestionwithoutsayingsomethingabouthowtostudyearlierphilosophyingeneralandindeedabouthowtostudyintellectual’history*ingeneral.Inasense,theanswertoourquestionisself-evident.Everyoneadmitsthat,ifwehavetostudymedievalphilosophyatall,wehavetostudyitasexactlyandasintelligentlyaspossible.Asexactlyaspossible:wearenotpermittedtoconsideranydetailhowevertrifling,unworthyofourmostcarefulobservation.Asintelligentlyaspossible:inourexactstudyofalldetails,wemustneverlosesightofthewhole;wemustnever,foramoment,overlookthewoodforthetrees.Butthesearetrivialities,althoughwehavetoaddthattheyaretrivialitiesonlyifstatedingeneralterms,andthattheyceasetobetrivialitiesifonepaysattentiontothemwhileengagedinactualwork:thetemptationstoloseoneselfincuriousandunexploreddetailsontheonehand,andtobegenerousasre-gardsminutiaeontheother,arealwayswithus.Wetouchuponamorecontroversialissuewhenwesaythatourunderstand-ingofmedievalphilosophymustbehistoricalunderstanding.Frequentlypeo-plerejectanaccountofthepast,notsimplyasunexactorunintelligent,butasunhistorical.Whatdo’theymeanbyit?Whatoughttheytomeanbyit?’AccordingtoasayingofKant,itispossibletounderstandaphilosopherbetterthanheunderstoodhimself.Now,suchunderstandingmayhavethegreatestmerits;butitisclearlynothistoricalunderstanding.Ifitgoessofarastoclaimtobe(hetrueunderstanding,itispositivelyunhistorical.[ThemostoutstandingexampleofsuchunhistoricalinterpretationwhichwehaveinthefieldofthestudyofJewishmedievalphilosophy,isHermannCohen’sessayonMaimonides’ethics.CohenconstantlyrefersstatementsofMaimonides,notto\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n