New Essay Volume 3

Appendix 16. (1318)

[Interior facts and Descartes' philosophy]

Here [at this point in the quotation from St. Augustine] we have an indication that the observation of interior facts is the source of the most sublime truths. This kind of observation has been abandoned by modem philosophy, which has retained only external observation and posits the whole of human nature in the external senses. This accounts for the materialism and degradation of this philosophy.

If we compare Descartes' philosophy with that of Locke, we find that they spring from two different sources: the former depends upon some form of interior observation, and the latter on purely exterior observation. These two philosophies were destined to have their moment, and then succumb (which they did). After them, it seems natural that the world should await a philosophy which, without excluding either of the two sources, would he derived from interior and exterior observation together. Only such a true, complete philosophy, free from ideology and partiality, can satisfy present needs and the expectation of humanity. Please God I have contributed at least something, as I truly desire, to such an undertaking!

For the rest, it is worth noticing how the debility of our century contributes to draw people away from the path of interior observation on which Descartes had set them. They forget themselves so completely that eventually the phrase 'interior observation' strikes them as something new, and as a novel ray of light rousing many of them from a deep sleep.

Descartes had spoken with the greatest clarity about interior observation. He noted that we could form correct ideas about the soul only by its means; without it, nothing would remain except material, confused ideas (cf. vol. 2, 983 ss.). But it is best to hear Descartes himself warn mankind about this in his famous work on Method:

For many, the great difficulty in forming the notion of God, and even of their own soul, is that they never raise their spirit above sensible things (away from external observation) and are accustomed to consider everything with their imagination, which is a particular way of thinking valid only for material things. As a result, anything which cannot he imagined is considered by them as unintelligible. - As far as I am concerned, those who want to use their imagination in order to know such things (the soul and God), act exactly as if they wanted to use their eyes to hear sounds or scent odours.