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1、GermanLifeandLetters59:3July20060016–8777(print);1468–0483(online)ACRITIQUEOFSCHOPENHAUER’SMETAPHYSICG.A.WELLSABSTRACTSchopenhauer’smetaphysicisnotmorecrediblethanthesystemsofhiscontempo-rariesFichte,SchellingandHegel,allofwhomhecriticisedsoseverely.Butashiswritings,unliketheirs,aresolucid,theyill
2、ustrateveryclearlythemetaphysician’sendeavourtoreachknowledgethatisimmediateandindubitable,notmediatedbythesenseorgansandthebrain,asisknowledgeoftheexternalworld.Hearguesthat‘dasEinzigewirklichundunbedingtGegebeneistdasSelbstbewußtsein’,whichalonecanyield‘dieletztenundwichtigstenAufschlüsseüberdas
3、WesenderDinge’.Hehimselfwasnotreligious,butthisdoctrinehasappealedtotheologiansseekingabasisfortheirbeliefthatisindependentofexternal(historical)testimony.Inthisconnection,AlbertSchweitzerexpresslyurgedareturntotheGermanmetaphysicaltradition,inparticulartoSchopenhauer’sviewofthewillasthetranscende
4、ntrealityatthebasisofself-consciousness.Thepresentarticleargues,intheBritishempiricaltradition,thatthereisreallynoreasontodistinguishself-consciousnessandexperiencesattributabletowillfromotherkindsofexperience.Thepracticaldistinctionisthattheideaofselfdependslargelynotonthesensationsprovidedbyread
5、ilyobservablesensessuchassightandhearing,butonmuscular,articularandvisceralreceptorswhichconsti-tutealessaccessibleinternalsensorium.Schopenhauer’swritingsthrowmuchlightontheproblemsofmeta-physics,andonGermanmetaphysiciansandtheiroftenstrangespecula-tionsinparticular.Hedidnotexpecttobeunderstoodby
6、areallywidepublic,buthesoughttomakephilosophyasintelligibleaspossible,notbyremovingtheinherentdifficulties,butbyavoidingwhatheconsid-eredtobethelargemixtureofhocus-pocusinhisimmediatepredeces-sorsFichte,SchellingandHegel.Nevertheless,althoughhewrotesoclearly,hehasprovedmuchlessacceptabletothegener
7、alpublicthanHegel,manyofwhoseideashefoundquiteunintelligible.IntheprefacetothefirsteditionofhisDiebeidenGrundproblemederEthikheevenheldthathewouldbeperfectlyjustifiedwerehetosaythatanyonewhocouldreadHegel’smostac
