Hence， too， when the Fathers， seeing that the content of the Christian Religion can only be grasped after the speculative form， did， within the teaching of the Church， produce thoughts of a highly speculative nature， the ultimate justification of these was not found in Thought as such， but in the teaching of the Church. Philosophic teaching here finds itself within a strongly bound system and not as thought which emanates freely from itself. Thus with the scholastics， too， Thought does not construct itself out of itself， but depends upon hypotheses； and although it ever rests more and more upon itself， it never does so in opposition to the doctrine of the Church. Both must and do agree， since Thought has to prove from itself what the Church has already verified.
c. Philosophy proper distinguished from Popular Philosophy.
Of the two departments of knowledge allied to Philosophy we found that the one， that of the special sciences， could not be called a philosophy in that it， as independent seeing and thinking immersed in finite matter， and as the active principle in becoming acquainted with the finite， was not the content， but simply the formal and subjective moment. The second sphere， Religion， is deficient in that it only had the content or the objective moment in common with Philosophy. In it independent thought was an essential moment， since the subject had an imaginary or historical form. Philosophy demands the unity and intermingling of these two points of view； it unites the Sunday of life when man in humility renounces himself， and the working-day when he stands up independently， is master of himself and considers his own interests. A third point of view seems to unite both elements， and that is popular Philosophy. It deals with universal objects and philosophizes as to God and the world； and thought is likewise occupied in learning about these matters. Yet this Philosophy must also be cast aside. The writings of Cicero may be put under this category； they contain a kind of philosophy that has its own place and in which excellent things are said. Cicero formed many experiences both in the affairs of life and mind， and from them and after observing what takes place in the world， he deduced the truth. He expresses himself with culture on the concerns most important to man， and hence his great popularity. Fanatics and mystics may from another point of view be reckoned as in this category. They give expression to a deep sense of devotion， and have had experiences in the higher regions. They are able to express the highest content， and the result is attractive. We thus find the brightest gleams of thought in the writings of a Pascal - as we do in his Pensées But the drawback that attaches to this Philosophy is that the ultimate appeal - even in modern times - is made to the fact that men are constituted such as they are by nature， and with this Cicero is very free. Here the moral instinct comes into question， only under the name of feeling； Religion now rests not on what is objective but on religious feeling， because the immediate consciousness of God by men is its ultimate ground. Cicero makes copious use of the consensus gentium； in more modern times this appeal has been more or less left alone， since the individual subject has to rest upon himself. Feeling is first of all laid hold of， then comes reasoning from what is given， but in these we can appeal to what is immediate only. Independent thought is certainly here advanced；the content too， is taken from the self； but we must just as necessarily exclude this mode of thinking from Philosophy. For the source from which the content is derived is of the same description as in the other cases. Nature is the source in finite sciences， and in Religion it is Spirit；but here the source is in authority； the content is given and the act of worship removes but momentarily this externality. The source of popular Philosophy is in the heart， impulses and capacities， our natural Being， my impression of what is right and of God； the content is in a form which is of nature only. I certainly have everything in feeling， but the whole content is also in Mythology， and yet in neither is it so in veritable form. The laws and doctrines of Religion are that in which this content always comes to consciousness in a more definite way， while in feeling there still is intermingled the arbitrary will of that which is subjective.
Introduction B. Relation of Philosophy to Other Departments of Knowledge.
