MONADO- MONONISM AN ESSAY THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE RAMA-CHANDRA SEN, Ex- Inspector of Schools, Oude, CHICAGO. SCOTT, FORESMAN & CO., 1897. VALUABLE PHILOSOPHICAL WORKS. GERMAN PHILOSOPHICAL CLASSICS FOR ENGLISH READERS AND STUDENTS. Issued under the Editorial Supervision of Prof. GEO. S. MORRIS, Ph. D. DEVOTED TO A CRITICAL EXPOSITION OF THE MASTER- PIECES OF GERMAN THOUGHT. THE VALUE OF THE SERIES. " The publication of these handbooks marks an epoch in the history of philosophical studies in this country." — Boston Advertiser. "These excellent books, as remarkable for ability as for clear- ness, will do much to clear the way, and make the mastery of the German systems a comparatively easy task." — The Examiner, N. Y. "A most important service to the cause of Philosophy in this country is being done by this series of Philosophical Classics." — The Critic, New York. 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MONADOMONONISM AN ESSAY THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE RAMA-CHANDRA SEN, Ex-Inspector of Schools, Oudc, AUTHOR OF •CREDENCE RULES THE WORLD,*' "CRIME— ITS NATURE, CAUSE AND CURE,'* "YOGA-SIKSHA, ; * '"HUMAN LIFE," ETC. REVISED E CHI ' r SCOTT, FORESMAN & CO., 181)7. ^ Copyright, 1897. By R. Norman Foster. > •ECOHD COPY. J^/CC :ie that was forwarded to him for publication in India. The courtesy of an acknowledgment of the receipt of this pamphlet, with any criticisms relating to it. would be appreciated fully by Rama Chandra Sen, 3S is u Benares City, India.' 1 R. Norman Foster. PREFACE. "Pi i is Philosophy of Existence is only the Philosophy of Evolution and of Involution, based upon Monad- ology. It pretends to give the genesis of existence — to show how every form of evolved existence is more or less imperfect— and to infer how perfection cannot be the final consummation of evolution. It ventures inferentially to realize, as far as possible, the nature and the attributes of God — and it attempts to explain what man by nature is ; what, by right self-effort, he can become, without any belief in moral responsibility, in sin or death, in hell or heaven; and in what rela- tion he sta;nds to God. This philosophy of existence gives the law of self-development, of self-control, of self-sacrifice, of self-prolongation — and, in this law, it implicitly gives the law of all true reform — individual or educational, domestic or moral, social or political. kosmic or religious. That this constructive philosophy, in so concise a form, should be free from fault, is very far from probable. But it is given out, as it is, with a view to invite fair criticism, and to elicit higher thought. R. C. SEN. Benares, August. 1894. THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE. ALL EXISTENCE CONSCIOUS. Every kind of existence, from its all-perfect to its most imperfect form, is more or less conscious of its own existence, and of its own powers and forces. Conscious existence, as it is all-perfect, perfect or im- perfect, has a conserving power and a conserving force, supremely intense, perfectly intense, or imper- fectly intense. All-perfect conscious existence has a supreme conserving power and a supreme conserving force. ALL-PERFECT, ABSOLUTE. As absolute cause, this all-perfect conscious existence absolutely radiates, as it were from a supreme focus, its own redundant energy, into the vast infinite, as supreme on-flow of its own supreme conserving power and its own supreme conserving force, in the shape of a conscious unconditioned noumenon — all-pervading Feeling, with its unconditioned phenomenon -all- pervading Force. PE r f ect, unconditioned. The most unconditioned, undifferentiated con- ns noumenon the supreme noumenal on-ilow of all-perfect conscious existence is Feeling. Feeling ernal and co-infinite with all-perfect. conscious It has a perfect conserving power, by 7 TH E PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE fectl serves itself, and through which " K()r , t , [tis.indestruetible -and is, in itself, n0men ° n ' ' ! Feeling has. as functions homogeneous, throughout. feeling f ts g OW n refect conserving power, the powers of t ^i,,,, o repulsion, of attractive repulsion or re- ££ ^ of ? e . active repulsion. The censer^ „r^r nf feeling— its tendency to peisist attractive now ei 01 leeim^, ■> i udinen, of Pleasure; while its re-ac«,ve. , epo,- ve power-its tendency «o change-is the r— on Feeling, as conscious noumenon. ,s d.rectlj il^s I. a.l Sown powers, as wel. a, of ,,s own con&ciuu rudimentary state. peculiar pleasure or paim n he - ^ pleasure is F^^'^ Secondary. Both L que nt ly in imperfect ^"^ ous higher forms, m finer and ne ' ^.^ vanish altogether in AU-Pertert ^ What self-consciousness and its chttere • tKp seauel When spacial distance will app ear in the sequel ^ is posited, "noumenal conse ^ e •'-•---!^::j:r:^:icrwhiie^ou m enai power, "as the cuDeo u Bibili , o. all noumena. evohroon ^^^ THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE () depends. The most un-conditioned, undifferentiated phenomenon the supreme phenomenal on-llow of all- perfect conscious existence is Force. Force is co- eternal and co-infinite with all-perfect conscious exist- ence. It has a perfect conserving force, by which it perfectly conserves itself, and through which it inti- mately blends itself with its conscious un-conditioned noumenon feeling. It is indestructible — and is. in itself, homogeneous, throughout. Force has, as func- tion of its own perfect conserving force, a perfect re- sisting force. It is indirectly conscious, through its own conscious un-conditioned noumenon — feeling, of its own conserving and its own resisting force. When spacial distance is posited, * k phenomenal conserving force" varies inversely as the square of the distance; while ••phenomenal resisting force n works under ^ the law of the equality of Action and Re-action." Force, it will appear, is the ultimate, on which the possibility of all phenomenal evolution depends. As ultimate, it is in a sense unknowable — yet. though unknowable, it is more certain than any other phenomenon, as it is the ultimate, on which the possibility of all phenom- ena depends. EMPERFECT, CONDITIONED. 0U8 unconditioned noumenal feeling, as un- conditioned cause, unconditionally conditions itself as well as its unconditioned phenomenal force into vari- ous grade-, rising, in the vast infinite, one above an- other, towards the supreme focus and. in every grade. the conscious un-conditioned feeling, in itself, attracts own order of conscious feeling- i conscious IO THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE conditioned noumenal whole." and repulses the rest of the conscious feeling; as well as re-acts and posits its corresponding order of forces, as u a conditioned phenomenal whole," at a neutral position, as its own conditioned phenomenal body, and repulses the rest of the force— while this corresponding order of forces, as a conditioned phenomenal whole, by its own con- serving force, preserves its own neutral position, and resists its being pushed in or pushed out of that neutral position. Every conscious conditioned noumenal whole, therefore, has its own conditioned phenomenal bodv. through which it seeks its own peculiar pleas- ure or shuns its own peculiar pain. IMPERFECT, MODIFIED. And every ; ' conscious conditioned noumenal whole, ' ? as efficient cause, deflects itself directly through its own conditioned phenomenal body, and so modifies itself, at a certain definite position in infinity, as Wk a conscious modified noumenon" — similarly deflecting, at the same time," its own conditioned phenomenal body, as reactive effect of its own reactive power, and re-conditioning it, at a neutral position from the modified noumenon, as the re-conditioned phenom- enon or body of the conscious modified noumenon. It is through this re-conditioned phenomenal body that its conscious modified noumenon proximately seeks its own peculiar pleasure or shuns its own peculiar pain, and ulteriorly intensifies itself into a newly modified noumenon. Every conscious modified noumenon, then, has its own phenomenal body. A modified vitality has a conserving power to preserve, and an attractive THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE II power to intensify its own existence: as well as a re- active power to posit its own useful body, at a neutral position from itself, and a repulsive power to repulse all that is injurious to itself or to its own body, be- yond the neutral position. Every conscious conditioned vitality, therefore, is some conscious modified noume- non, while its conditioned body is some re-conditioned phenomenon. As life consists of modified noumenal actions so adjusted as to balance all re-conditioned phenomenal actions — and. since definite structure (body) is only a means of making possible this better adjustment, it follows that conscious modified noume- nal or vital activity is the determining cause of con- ditioned phenomenal structural activity. All embry- onic growth illustrates this principle. Every form of conditioned existence, therefore, is a conscious nou- menon. intimately connected with its own phenomenal bodv. But, as every conscious noumenon conditions its own phenomenal body, existence, therefore, is mere noumenon — mere feeling — mere consciousnt A conscious modified noumenon is * w a reactive thing. per Tin\ \i. SELF-CONSCIOl SN1 Im otional self-consciousness perceives im- tice between self and another self: 2o TflE PHILOSOPH\ OF EXISTENCE and, by its own retentive power, unities all emotional relations between self and another self, as good to another self, into an imperfect unity, without cancel- ing their plurality, distinguishing itself obscurely from them all. BRUTE. A brute is an emotional organism, higher than plant. Brute consists of monads of imperfect emotion, with monads of imperfect cognition and of imperfect sense less imperfect than in plant, apparently united with a single sensuous body of corresponding atoms of very tine earth — all the monads being so inter-dependent as observe a common organism. A brute can there- fore know nothing perfectly. In a brute, its monads of imperfect emotion are capable of remote self-pleas- ure, through the higher powers of their affections ; its body consists of plant-atoms transformed by the greater intensity of its higher monads of imperfect emotion into brute-atoms, capable of deflecting and so intensify- ing all its monads towards a focus; and its environ- ment is the sphere of its own prolongation of self into a family of imperfect selfs — the brute of imperfect emotions identifying its own good through or with the good of its own environing family of selfs. As monads of imperfect sense, brute lives the life of a moving mineral, looking out only for its immediate self-pleas- ure, through its immediate percepts; and as monads of imperfect cognition, it lives the life of a moving plant, looking out for its mediate self-pleasure, through mediate percepts — but. as monads of imperfect emotion, it lives its own proper life, looking out for THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE 21 its emotional self-pleasure, through the good of its own family of selfs. The individual identity of a brute remains throughout life the same, as similar monads and their atoms step into the exaet place of the de- parted monads and atoms. Brute feels all the peculiar imperfect pleasures or pains of its imperfect emotions. its imperfect cognitions, and its imperfect sensations. Brute is of different orders, according as its emotional self-consciousness is more or less imperfect — and the Otional self-consciousness of brute becomes less and = imperfect. as more and more monads of imperfect emotion converge nearer and nearer towards a focus. The least imperfect brute is an imperfect focal region ill elemental, mineral and vegetal monads and their ms intimatelv connected, through feeling and force, with all. below or above. IMPERFECT REFLECTION MONADIC OR ATOMIC. q. When monads of imperfect emotion, as efficient cause, deflect themselves through their corresponding ms, and so modify themselves towards a focus. and . over and over again, through their pleas- urable feelings, this focal region becomes integrated. by repetition and fusion, into a monadic region of im- perfect reflections, conditioning its own phenomenal body oi -ponding atoms of more or less line fire. Imperfect reflections imperfectly perceive certain pleasures in relation to other selfs to be finally painful or justly bad. and certain pains, to be finally pleasurable or justly good. 22 THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE [MPERFECT REFLECTIVE SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS. Imperfect reflective self-consciousness perceives im- perfect similarity between self and other selfs: and. by its own unifying power, unities all reflectional re- lations between self and other selfs. as just to other s, into an imperfect unity, without canceling their alitv. distinguishing itself more or less faintly from them all. MAN. Man is a reflective organism, higher than brute. Man consists of monads of imperfect reflection, with monads of imperfect emotion, of imperfect cognition and of imperfect sense less imperfect than in brute. apparently united with a single sensuous body of cor- responding atoms of super-tine earth — all the monads subserving a common organism. Man. as man. can therefore know nothing perfectly or exhaustively — he can know only a little of this and a little of that, more or less imperfectly. In man. his monads of imperfect reflection are capable of very remote self-satisfaction, through the higher powers of their sympathies ; his body consists of brute-atoms transformed by the higher intensity of his monads of imperfect reflection into man-atoms, capable of deflecting and so intensifying all his monads towards a focus; and his environment is the sphere of his own prolongation of self into a world of similar selfs the man of imperfect reflections pro- lively identifying his own good through or with the good of his environing world of selfs. As monads of imperfect sense, man lives the life of a moving THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE 23 mineral, looking out only for his immediate self-pie ure, through his immediate percepts; and. as monads of imperfect cognition, man lives the life of a moving plant, looking out for his mediate self-pleasure, through his mediate percepts. So long as man is an individual being, his immediate or his mediate self-pleasure is the end of all his actions. As monads of imperfect emotion, man lives the life ol a higher brute, looking out for his emotional self -pleasure, through the good of his own family of selfs. But, as monads of imper- fect reflection, man becomes by degrees an integrated member of a profession, of a society, of a race, of a country, or of a world of similar selfs. looking out for his reflective self-satisfaction progressively through the refined satisfactions of his wider and wider envi- ronment. When all the monads of man work harmo- niously, every monad then works for itself as well as for all the others — but. in case of conflict, the lower monad must invariably give place to the higher— and. if it does not. it is because the lower monad, as the older, is more intense than the higher. Man may therefore know the better — yet. from habit, prefer the WOrS at the moment the most desired. Action would exactly follow the dictates of a higher monad, if these dictates were, by habit, as intense as those of a lower monad. All the actions of a reflecting monad are governed by the law of self-interest, moving in the line of self-realization and are good or bad. as its motive is more or less large: and its environing sphere of action, more oi- less wide. In imperfect man. all difference ol opinion as to what is good arises only - f THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE From difference of standard monadic or atomic. Good is therefore only a relative term. Strictly speaking. the question of good is only an emotional question, not subject to the lower canon of cognition, but subject to the higher canon of reflection. Reflective justice is direct court of appeal. Virtue is an organized good oi the highest order of its kind, and is therefore abso- lute, and has an indefinite career; while vice is an or- ized good of a lower order of its kind, modifiable by an organized good of a higher order of the kind— and is therefore relative in character, and definite in career. The personal identity of a man depends upon spontaneous re-constitution or upon organic unity of development. Man feels all the peculiar imperfect pleasures or pains of his imperfect reflections, his im- perfect emotions, his imperfect cognitions and his im- perfect sensations. Man is of different orders, accord- ing as his reflective self-consciousness is more or less imperfect — and the reflective self-consciousness of man becomes less and less imperfect, as more and more monads of imperfect reflection converge nearer and nearer towards a focus. The least imperfect man is an imperfect focal region of all elemental, mineral, jetal and animal monads and their atoms — intimate- lv connected, through feeling and force, with all, lie- low or above. Man's duty towards all lower exist- ences is to study their essential natures, and so to con- trol them, as well as to help them to help themselves, and to be just and kind to them -while his duty to- wards all higher existences is to reflect upon their su- ior natures, to aspire after them, and to realize THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE 25 them. Man's duty towards self will appear in the sequel, SI MMAU Y. 10. There appears thus to be no end to the evolu- tion of higher and higher forms of imperfect self-con- scious existence. And in this evolution, ad infinitum, we sec. that the higher a monad in an imperfect indi- vidual is. the liner is its atomic body; the larger, its motive ; and the wider, its sphere of action the higher and higher imperfect individual identifying its own d through or with the good of its wider and wider environment. AW 1 also see. that "the world of atoms" is an exact correlate of "the world of monads. 1 ' And we therefore infer, that "the world of monads'' is as logically and mathematically uniform in its workings - "the world of atoms." Hence, the perfect uni- formity of nature- monadic or atomic. PERFECT SKNSK MONADIC OK ATOMIC. 11. When monads of monadic elements, as perfect efficient cause, so deflect themselves through their corresponding atomic elements, as to meet at this or that focus, they intensify and transform then into monads of perfect sense, conditioning phenomenal bodies oi 1 >onding atoms of more 01" less fine earth-supra. PER I \x T SENSE-SEL1 -CONSCIOl SNESS. Perfei E-consciousness perceives unalter- able agreeable to self ; and. by its own superior unifying power, unifies them ect unity, witho their plurality, THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE distinguishing itself plainly from them all. From the perfect uniformity of nature, it appears possible that, as in the world of imperfect sense, so in the world of perfect sense, where all sense-perceptions as agreeable to self are transparent, there are four kinds of beings of perfect sense, according as their perfect sense-self- consciousness is more or less perfect. IMPERFECT SUPER-EMOTION MONADIC OR ATOMIC. This perfect sense-consciousness indirectly causes monads of imperfect emotion to converge, as efficient cause, through their corresponding atoms, towards a focal region, called the monadic region of imperfec* super-emotion, conditioning a phenomenal body of corresponding atoms of more or less fine super-air. IMPERFECT SUPER-EMOTIONAL SELF.-CONSCIOUSNKSS. Imperfect super-emotional self-consciousness per- ceives imperfect similarity between self and another self: and. bv its own unifying power, unifies all super- emotional reactions of similarity between self and an- other self into an imperfect unity, without canceling their plurality, distinguishing itself obscurely from them all. * * * PERFECT COGNITION- MONADIC OR ATOMIC. 12. When monads of perfect sense, as perfect effi- cient cause, SO deflect themselves through their corre- sponding atoms as to meet at this or that focus, they undergo sensuous death, and intensify and transform themselves into monads of perfect cognition, condi- tioning a phenomenal body of corresponding atoms of more or less line vapor-supra. THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE 2J PJ2RFECT COGNITION AL SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS. Perfect cognitional self-consciousness perceives unalterable cognitional relations of percepts, as use- ful to self: and. h\ its own superior unifying power, unities them into a perfect unity, without canceling their plurality, distinguishing itself clearly from them all. From the perfect uniformity of nature, it appears probable that, as in the world of perfect sense, so in the world of perfect cognitions, where all cognitions or relations of percepts as useful to self are transpar- ent, there are four kinds of beings of perfect cognition, according as their cognitional self-consciousness is more or less perfect. This perfect cognitional con- sciousness indirectly causes monads of imperfect re- flection to converge, as efficient cause, through their corresponding atoms, towards a focal region, called the monadic region of imperfect super-reflection, con- ditioning a phenomenal body of corresponding atoms of more or less tine super-tire. IMPERFECT SUPER-REFLECTIVE SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS. Imperfect super-relleetive self-consciousness per- ceives imperfect difference between finite and infinite and. by its own unifying power, unities all super-reflective relations of difference between finite and the infinite self into an imperfect unity, with- out canceling their plurality, distinguishing itself most imperfectly from them all. SPIRIT. A spirit i> a perfect cpgnitional being of the high* kind. Spirit i - of monads of perfect cognition, J s THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE as well as of monads of imperfect emotion and of im- perfect reflection less imperfect than in a being of per- fect sense of the highest order, with new monads of imperfect super-reflection, apparently connected with a single body of atoms of super-tine vapor-supra. A spirit, as spirit, can therefore know perfectly only all his perfect cognitional relations, but he can know nothing perfectly of his imperfect emotions, his im- perfect reflections and his imperfect super-reflections. In a spirit, his body consists of atoms of Wk beings of perfect sense" of the highest order, transformed by the superior intensity of his monads of perfect cogni- tion into spirit-atoms of super-fine vapor-supra, capa- ble of deflecting and so intensifying all his monads to or towards a focus ; his motive of self-satisfaction is larger than that of a being of perfect sense of the highest order : and his sphere of action, wider, ex- tending to the entire Kosmos — the spirit of perfect jnitions identifying his own good progressively through or with the good of his environing Kosmos. The personal identity of a spirit depends upon organic unity of development. A spirit feels all the perfect pleasures of his perfect cognitions, as well as all the imperfect pleasures and pains of his imperfect emo- tions, his imperfect reflections and his imperfect super- reflections. Spirit is of different orders, according as his super-reflective self-consciousness is more or less imperfect and this imperfect super-reflective self- consciousness of spirit becomes less and less imper- fect, as more and more monads of imperfect super-re- flection converge nearer and nearer toward a focus. THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE 20 The least imperfect spirit is a perfect or quasi-perfect focus of all inferior monads and their atoms inti- mately connected, through feeling and force, with all. below or above. PERFECT EMOTION- MONADIC OR ATOMIC. 13. When monads of perfect cognition, as perfect efficient cause, so deflect themselves through their cor- responding atoms as to meet at this or that focus, they undergo cognitional death, and intensify and transform themselves into monads of perfect emotion, condition- ing a phenomenal body of corresponding atoms of more or less line air-supra. PERFECT EMOTIONAL SELF-C< )NSCIOUSNESS. Perfect emotional self-consciousness perceives un- alterable emotional relations of goodness between self and another self: and. by its own superior unifying power, unifies them into a perfect unity, without can- celing their plurality, distinguishing itself very clearly from them all. From the perfect uniformity of nature, it appears highly probable that, as in the world of perfect cognitions, so in the world of perfect emotions, where all emotions or relations of goodness veen -elf and another self are transparent, there four kinds of perfect emotional beings, according as their emotional self-consciousness is more or : . perfect. IMI'l.Kl I at SUPER-REFLECTIVE FAITH MONADIC ok ATOMIC. This perfect emotional consciousness indirectly can 39 THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE monads of imperfect super-rjeflection to converge, as efficient cause, through their corresponding atoms, to- wards a local region, called the monadic region of im- perfect super-reflective faith, conditioning a phenom- enal body of corresponding atoms of more or less tine ether. IMPERFECT FAITH-SHLF-CONSCIOUSNKSS. Imperfect faith-self-consciousness perceives imper- fect similarity between finite and infinite existence; and. by its own unifying power, unifies all super-re- flective relations of similarity between finite self and the infinite self into an imperfect unity, without can- celing their plurality, distinguishing itself very imper- fectlv from them all. ANGEL. An angel is a perfect emotional being of the high- est kind. Angel consists of monads of perfect emo- tion, as well as of monads of imperfect reflection and of imperfect super-reflection less imperfect than in a perfect cognitiona 1 spirit of the highest order, with new monads of imperfect super-reflective faith, appar- ently connected with a single body of atoms of super- tine air-supra. An angel, as angel. can therefore know perfectly only all his perfect emotional relations, but an know nothing perfectly of his imperfect reflec- tions, his imperfect super-reflections and his imperfect super-reflective faith. In an angel, his body consists of spirit-atoms of the highest order, transformed by the superior intensity of his monads of perfect emotion THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE 31 into angel-atoms of super-fine air-supra, capable of de- flecting and so intensifying all his monads to or towarSs a focus; his motive of self-satisfaction is larger than that of a spirit of the highest order: and his sphere of action, wider, extending to a system of Kosmoses the angel o( perfect emotions progressively identify- ing his own good through or with the good of his en- vironing system of Kosmoses. The personal identity 111 angel depends upon spontaneous re-constitution. An angel feels all the perfect pleasures of his perfect emotions, as well as all the imperfect pleasures and pains of his imperfect reflections, his imperfect super- reflections and his imperfect super-reflective faith. Angel is of different orders, according as his faith-self- consciousness is more or less imperfect —and this im- perfect faith-self-consciousness of angel becomes less and less imperfect, as more and more monads of im- perfect faith Converge nearer and nearer towards a focus. The least imperfect angel is a perfect or quasi- perfect focus of all lower monads and their atoms intimately connected, through feeling and force, with all. below or above. PER 1 ECT REFLECTION MONADIC OR ATOMIC. I j. When monads of perfect emotion, as perfect efficient cause, so deflect themselves through their corresponding atoms as to meet at this or that focus, they undergo emotional death, and intensify and trans- form themselves into monads of perfect reflection, conditioning a phenomenal body of corresponding atoms of more or less fine tire-supra. 32 THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE PERFECT REFLECTIVE SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS, Perfect reflective self-consciousness perceives un- alterable reflective relations of justice between self and other sells: and. by its own superior power, uni- fies them into a perfect unity, without canceling their plurality, distinguishing itself most clearly from them all. From the perfect uniformity of nature, it appears very highly probable that, as in the world of perfect emotions, so in the world of perfect reflections, where all reflections or relations of justice between self and other selfs are transparent, there are four kinds of perfect reflective beings, according as their reflective self-consciousness is more or less perfect. This per- fect reflective consciousness indirectly causes monads of perfect super-reflective faith to converge, as efficient cause, through their corresponding atoms, towards a focal region, called the monadic region of imperfect super-reflective super-faith, conditioning a phenomenal body of corresponding atoms of more or less fine su- per-ether. [MPERFECT SUPER-FAITH-SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS. Imperfect super-faith-self-consciousness perceives equality between finite and infinite existence; and. by its own unifying power, unifies all super-reflective re- lations of equality between finite self and the infinite self into an imperfect unity, without canceling their plurality, distinguishing itself imperfectly from them all. THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE 33 CHERUB. A cherub is a perfect reflective being of the highest kind. Cherub consists of monads of perfect reflec- tion, as well as of monads of imperfect super-reflec- tion, and of imperfect super-reflective faith less imper- fect than in a perfect emotional angel of the highest order, with new monads of imperfect super-reflective super-faith, apparently connected with a single body of atoms of super-fine fire-supra. A cherub, as cherub, can therefore know perfectly only all his perfect re- flective relations, but he can know nothing perfectly of his imperfect super-reflections, his imperfect super- reflective faith and his imperfect super-reflective super- faith. In a cherub, his body consists of angel-atoms of the highest order, transformed by the superior in- tensity of his monads of perfect reflection into cherub- atoms of super-line rire-supra. capable of reflecting and so intensifying all his monads to or towards a focus: his motive of self-satisfaction is larger than that of an angel of the highest order: and his sphere of action, wider, extending to an entire universe the cherub of perfect reflections identifying his own good progressively through or with the good of hisenviron- ing universe. The personal identity of a cherub de- pends upon organic unity of development. A cherub feels all the perfect pleasures <>f his perfect reflections, as well as all the imperfect pleasures and pains of his imperfect super-retlections. his imperfect Miper-rellec- tive faith and his imperfect super-reflective super- faith. Cherub is of different orders, according as his 34 THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE super-faith self-consciousness is more or less imper- fect and this imperfect super-faith self-consciousnees of cherub becomes less and less imperfect, as more and more monads of imperfect super-faith converge nearer and nearer towards a focus. The least imper- fect cherub is a perfect or quasi-perfect focus of all inferior monads and atoms — intimately connected, through feeling and force, with all, below or above* PERFECT SUPER-REFLECTION MONADIC OR ATOMIC. 15. When monads of perfect reflection, as perfect efficient cause, so deflect themselves through their corresponding atoms as to meet at this or that focus, they undergo reflective death, and intensify and trans- form themselves into monads of perfect super-reflec- tion, conditioning a phenomenal body of correspond- ing atoms of more or less fine super-fire-supra. PERFECT SUPER-REFLECTIVE SEEF-CONSCTOUSNESS. Perfect super-reflective self-consciousness perceives unalterable super-reflective relations of truth between finite and infinite existence; and, by its own superior unifving power, unifies them into a perfect unity, with- out canceling their plurality, distinguishing itself dis- tinctly from them all. From the perfect uniformity of nature, it appears almost certain that, as in the world of perfect reflections, so in the world of perfect super-reflections, where all super-reflections or rela- tions of truth between self and the universal self are transparent, there are four kinds of perfect super-re- THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE ^5 Elective beings, according as their super-reflective self- consciousness is more or less perfect. [MPER FECT SUPER-REFLECTIVE ULTR!A-F Mill si.li-- CONSCIOUSNESS. This perfect super-reflective consciousness indirectly causes monads of imperfect super-reilective super- faith to converge, as efficient cause, through their cor- responding atoms, towards a focal region, called the monadic region of imperfect super-reflective ultra- faith, conditioning a phenomenal body of correspond- ing atoms of more or less fine ultra-ether. Imperfect ultra-faith self-consciousness perceives imperfect iden- tity between finite and infinite existence; and. by its own unifying power, unifies all super-reflective rela- tions of identity between finite self and the infinite self into an imperfect unity, without canceling their plu- rality, distinguishing itself quasi-imperfeetlv from them all. SERAPH. A seraph is a perfect super-reflective being of the highest kind. Seraph consists of monads of perfeel super-reflection, as well as of monads of imperfect super-reflective faith and of imperfect super-reflec- tive super-faith less imperfect than in a perfect re- flective cherub of the highest order, with new mo- nads of imperfect super-rellecti\ e ultra-faith, appar ently connected with a single bodv of atoms of su- per-tine SUper-fire-SUpra. A seraph, as seraph, can 36 Till-: PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE therefore know perfectly only all his perfect super- reflective relations, but lie can know nothing perfectly of his imperfect super-reflective faith, his imperfect super-faith and his imperfect ultra-faith. In a seraph, his body consists of cherub-atoms of the highest order, transformed by the superior intensity of his monads of perfect super-reflection into seraph-atoms of super- fine super-fire-supra, capable of reflecting and so in- tensifying all his monads to or towards a focus ; his motive of self-satisfaction is larger than that of a cherub of the highest order; and his sphere of action, wider, extending to a system of universes — the seraph of perfect super-reflections identifying his own good through or with the good of his environing system of universes. The personal identity of a seraph de- pends upon spontaneous re-constitution. A seraph feels all the perfect pleasures of his perfect super- reflections, as well as all the imperfect pleasures and pains of his imperfect super-reflective faith, his im- perfect super-faith, and his imperfect ultra-faith. Seraph is of different orders, according as his ultra- faith self-consciousness is more or less imperfect— and this imperfect ultra-faith self-consciousness of seraph becomes less and less imperfect, as more and more monads of imperfect ultra-faith converge nearer and nearer towards a focus. The least imperfect seraph is a perfect or quasi-perfect focus of all subordinate monads and atoms — intimately connected, through feeling and force, with all. below or above. SUMMARY. There appears thus to be no end to the evolution of THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE 37 higher and higher forms of self-conscious existence, all more or less imperfect. In the whole range of evolving existences, there appears to be no place for an existence, wholly perfect. * lint this "Genesis of Existence" prepares US to realize what all-perfect ex- istence is. We see how every form of conditioned self-conscious existence is a mere group of converging monads with their corresponding atomic bodies we how the simplest self-conscious mineral is an im- perfect focal fegion of all elemental monads and their atoms and how every higher conditioned self-con- scious existence is an imperfect focal region or a quasi- perfect focus of all lower monads and their atoms. I'll!-; SELF-EXISTING, ALL-PERFECT FOCUS. And we can now imperfectly or quasi-perfectl v realize, through our imperfect or quasi-perfect super- reflection, the self-existing, highest, supremest. sub- limest focus, where all centers of feeling and all centers of force meet together. This self-existing, highest, sublimest focus of all noumena and all phenom- ena Is. therefore, neither noumenon nor phenomenon — neither feeling nor force- -and so. its esse is alto- gether mysterious, and is quite incomprehensible by any conditioned self-conscious existence, how soever high. 'rill". MM\o\ < )| ALL-PERFECT SEL1 -( 0NS( EOl SN1 This self-existing, sublimest focus is tin- eternal, unchangeable, unchanging Motion of all-perfect self- consciousness, in which all possible form :lf-con- ireperfect. ThisMonon of all-pi jelf- all-perfect consciousness, without 38 THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE any phenomena] body whatever, as it is all-perfect. All-perfect self-consciousness perceives unalterable relations of all kinds between all noumena and all phenomena : and. by its supreme unifying power, unities them all into a perfect unity or an orderly to- tality, without canceling their plurality, distinguish- ing itself most distinctly from them all — an orderly totality which, apart from this self-existing all-perfect consciousness, would simply be nothing at all. This supreme self-existing Monon of all-perfect self-con- sciousness, as supreme conscious existence, has a supreme re-active power, the supreme re-action of which, all-pervading feeling with its all-pervading force, is its supreme, co-eternal, unconditioned on- flow. And it is this all-pervading, unconditioned feel- ing that conditions itself, through its all-pervading force, in more or less imperfect or quasi-perfect forms of consciousness, connected with more or less imper- fect or quasi-perfect forms of organism. How uncon- ditioned feeling so conditions itself, we have already seen. And it conditions itself so. that it may best at- tain its end. What its end is will appear in the sequel. THE SELF-EXISTING MONON - ITS PRIMARY ATTRIBUTES. This self-existing, all-perfect Monon, it is clear, is all-absolute -quite un-related to the entire cycle of evolution, as evolution, in which, as we have seen, ever\ form of conditioned self-conscious existence is more 01* less imperfect — more or less under the influ- ence of ignorance. This self-existing, all-absolute Monon is omniscient. as it is the supreme focus of all THE lMIIl.OSolMIY OF EXISTENCE 39 centers of feeling — is omnipotent, as it is the supreme focus of all centers of force is all-perfect, as it is omniscient and omnipotent is all-holy, as it is all- perfect (for unholiness is only imperfection or impo- tence) is all-blessed, as it is all-holy. THE SELF-EXISTING MONON HOW KNOWN. The eye of perfect super-reflective self-conscious- ness directly sees this self-existing, all-blessed Monon so clearly and so distinctly as to require no proof o its existence. Even the eye of every form of imper-f feet self-consciousness sees this self-existing Monon. inferentially. Our imperfect super-reflective eye. if we have at all developed one. sees this self-existing, all-holy Monon. through our religious sense of piety and devotion — it proceeds from u many conditioned im- perfections" to one. true, absolute perfection. Our imperfect reflective eye sees this self-existing, all- perfect Monon. through our social sense of sympathy and veneration — it proceeds from u the just corre- spondence between our inner consciousness and our outer world" to the unity of the two in one infinite soul of perfect justice, as the common ground of both. Our imperfect emotional eye sees this self-existing, all-absolute Monon. through our moral sense of affec- tion and admiration it proceeds from "one beautiful, moral law" as a disposition in our moral COnscious- $s, to the existence of one beautiful, moral law- c a higher and a higher perfect monad." ad infinitum; and (3) who. by divine love, finally be- comes u all perfect." -per sal turn, and realizes his own complete inter-communion with the all-holy Monon. THE GOD-MAN. This all-perfect man this "Jivan-mukta-purusha" — this god-man — lives above his surroundings, and is an object of loving adoration. EVOL1 Tl< >\ ITS l\ DIR 1 CT END. The dired end of the true man is the direct end ot all conditioned existence higher than man is the in- .12 1901 J.g THE PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE direct end of Nature's evolution is the summutn bonum of religion. RELIGION. Religion is pure individualism — pure prolongation of individual finite self to universal infinite self. And. in the final inter-communion of self with God — in the complete realization of the all-holy Monon, divine love is all-in-all. right self-effort, wholly nugatory. THE ONE— SELF-EXISTENT. The one-self-existent alone — all-absolute, omniscient and omnipotent — all-perfect, all-holy, and all-blessed —is the highest, supremest object of pure sacred love — of unceasing meditative worship. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 029 827 464 4