Part Four

Origin of Pure Ideas, which derive nothing
from Feeling

CHAPTER 5

Observation on the origin of the ideas of truth, justice and beauty

629. Among pure ideas, in addition to those I have dealt with, are the very important ideas of truth, justice and beauty. They should really be discussed here, but in this treatise on ideology it is sufficient for me to indicate their source, which is always being.

For me, these three ideas constitute the supreme principle of three extremely important sciences: the idea of truth constitutes the principle of logic, the idea of justice the principle of moral science, and the idea of beauty the principle of callology. However, not wishing to repeat the same things in many places, I leave to each science the analysis of the principal idea which forms its base, and the demonstration that the idea of being is called, under different relationships, either 'truth', 'justice' or 'beauty' and thus becomes the supreme criterion, or first and certain rule, for judging all truths, all actions and every kind of beauty.

Moreover, because on occasion I have had to discuss these sciences, I have not neglected to analyse and deduce these three ideas. The reader who wishes to know how I assign their origin can easily consult the places and treatises where I have discussed them.(91)

(91) I speak about TRUTH as the basis of logic in Section 6 of this work. I have dealt with JUSTICE as the basis of moral science in Principles of Ethics, and the idea of BEAUTY as principle of callology in Saggio sull'Idillio e sulla nuova letteratura italiana, vol. 1, Opuscoli Filosofici, Milan, 1827.