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any other than its original (Platonic) sense, he has himself
employed it to translate Vorstellung, in a specimen he
gives of a rendering of a passage in Kant s "Prolego
mena" in a letter addressed to Haywood, published in
Gwinner s
"
Biography of Schopenhauer." This he pro
bably did because some eminent English and French philo
sophers had taken the word in this sense, thinking perhaps
that Kant s meaning would thus be more readily under
stood. As however he uses the word idea everywhere
else exclusively in its original (Platonic) sense, I have pre
ferred to avoid needless confusion by adhering to his own
declaration and definition. Besides, many English writers
of note have protested against any other sense being given
to it, and modern German philosophers have more and
more returned to the original meaning of the term.
Some readers may take exception at such expressions as
a priority, motivation, aseity ; for they are not, strictly
speaking, English words. These terms however belong to
Schopenhauer s own characteristic terminology, and have
a distinct and clearly denned meaning ; therefore they had
to be retained in all cases in which they could not be
evaded, in order not to interfere with the Author s intention :
a necessity which the scholar will not fail to recognise,
especially when I plead in my defence that fidelity and
accuracy have been my sole aim in this work.
"
If moreover Carlyte s words, He who imports into his
own country any true delineation, any rationally spoken
word on any subject, has done well," are true, I may also be
absolved from censure, if I lay before the public this version
of some important utterances of a great thinker, in the
hope that it may be an assistance in, and an incitement to,
a deeper study of all Schopenhauer s works.
May, 1888.
THE TRANSLATOR.