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152 THE FOURFOLD BOOT. [CHAP. V.
Non-Judaism instead of Atheism, and Non-Jew instead of
Atheist.
Now as, according to the above, the existence of God
belongs to revelation, by which it is firmly established, it
has no need whatever of human authentication. Philo
sophy, however, is properly speaking only an idle, super
fluous attempt to let Reason that is, the human power of
thinking, reflecting, deliberating once in a while, try its
own powers unassisted, as a child is now and then allowed
to run alone on a lawn and try its strength without leading-
strings, just to see what will come of it. Tests and experi
ments of this kind we call speculation ; and it lies in the nature
of the matter that it should, for once, leave all authority,
human or divine, out of consideration, ignore it, and go its
own way in search of the most sublime, most important
truths. Now, if on this basis it should arrive at the very same
results as those mentioned above, to which Kant had come,
speculation has no right on that account to cast all honesty
and conscience forthwith aside, and take to by-ways, in
order somehow or other to get back to the domain of
Judaism, as its conditio sine qua non ; it ought rather
henceforth to seek truth quite honestly and simply by any
road that may happen to lie open before it, but never to
allow any other light than that of Reason to guide it : thus
advancing calmly and confidently, like one at work in his
vocation, without concern as to where that road may lead.
If our professors of philosophy put a different construc
tion on the matter, and hold that they cannot eat their
bread in honour, so long as they have not reinstalled G-od
Almighty on his throne as if, forsooth, he stood in need
of them this already accounts for their not relishing my
writings, and explains why I am not the man for them ;
for I certainly do not deal in this sort of article, nor have
I the newest reports to communicate about the Almighty
every Leipzig fair-time, as they have.