New-York tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1841-1842, 1841-04-29
From the Ncw-i ~rh
THE ORIENTAL PHILOSOPHY.
ypon THE FRENCH OF VICTOR COUSIN.

No.
III; ;,ve.,icotion we must set aside the Vedas,
and even the first Mmana School for these are nothing more
than sous and theological monuments We must also set
inside Boodhsm for If Indian It's origin is Chinese In
ito devcoDrsen Beside the Boodhs books not trans
lated There remain to be anayzed-1 The Ncdana Pin
losophy The Maya Philosophy; g. The Vaishcs'ka I'm
losophy and L. The Sanlhya Schools And where IN
these different systems do find the four fundamental e
unents of the history of Philosophy
begin with Scns,Ialism and is this celebrated system
found in India 1t 1t easily in the atom's'lc
physics of the Vashesika School but find 1t complete
with its foundations, processes and conclusions, In the
sapkbya of Kapia and shall your intelligence
while briefly aRalyze this Ssnkhyu sensuasn and NIX
with the analysis hasty reflections
Tn India all systems of Philosophy have aim namely
the sovereign good either in this world or the other or
possible in both. Suck the aim Of the Sankhya. And
how the sovereign good obtained according to tins system
Not by the practice of Religion not by the calculations OF
ordinary Prudence but by Science And how do VIC arrive
n, Sc;cpce7 or. in other words what are the of
knowledge? According Kapilu. there are wo Pmlo-
sophca means of knowledge wit Sensation the per-
ception of cutward objects, and Induction or inference
Surely we ought to know this system Among US ii pre-
tends to be very modern and here is In India But as
in India things are mixed the School of Kapa admits
is tho testimony of men, tradition and the Vedas 1t
worthy remark that the Vasheska Philosophy REJECTS
tradition and branch of the Sankhya the Tscharwakas
admits no source of knowledge beside Sensation Though
Kaplu admits three he makes bur little OF the third
and he reaches conclusions different from those OF the
Voaas that he obviously did hold their authority very
sacred But his School has escaped the lot OF the Bood'Sis
According Kupa there twenty-five principles of
things which compose Universal Science shall not
them all; but make she spirit of kapila under
stood will cite Of them The first principle is Moua
Prakrt Matter, eternal, without form parts-thc
material universal cause which produces and is pro-
duced' From thi. principle all the others derived.
The second principle Intelligence the first production
of Nature which itself produces other principles. There
fore the first Intelligence Intelligence occupies
the second rank from Matter, of which is fux
damenta attribute Hence the Physics and Cosmology of
Kapa. / shall neglect them and pass the twenty
fifth principle the Soul From the combination of seventeen
anterior principles forth animated by
tcnuty and subtiy of compromise, says Cole
brook between Il material and mmascrial soul This
soul is lodged in the BRAIN and extends under the skull like
spreading fame Here, then thought which has been
held up as a marvellous modern discovery; and with it is
found the principle Of Irritation and E.c,a,on Two
branches of Sankhy Philosophy w.t. the Tcharwakas
and the Lokayacas do distinguish the soul from the
body They think the organs of the vital functions
constitute the soul and though intelligence and sensbiy
are in the elements Of the body taken separately
yet they appear in them when combined form
organized body The faculty Of thought is the modification
of these associated elements, Just substances, wien
mixed together, acquire certain exciting and irritating
quality which they had separately So long there is
q BODY there is thought together with susceptibility
pleasure and pain, which disappear when the body is
more.
gladly acknowledge that the School Kapla contains
many excellent observations method
errors and thai class of wise precep which every where
recommend the writings of the Scnsuasi School kapa
has analysed with skill and sagacy all the physical and
moral obstacles which oppose the perfection Of intelligence
He ;orycight physical. and xty-two moral
obstacles. According him, there things which
satisfy the Intelligence and in which repose
and above these eight things which elevate and perfect
it. kapa recommends be docilc pupils OF Nature,
which through sensation furnishes the materials OF all
thoughts no, passive pupils who hold the words
OF the teacher, but pupil, who intcrrogae and sku draw
from the teacher words the most luminous ard extended
positions 1t is by relying Nature and experimental data
thai Man, by the power of induction NAV reach legitimate
knowledge And here is placed delightful comparison in
the style of Oriental genius Kapla compares Man and
Nature, their effort and nutua need Of ocb be
in reaching the truth to blind man and cripple He saws
the spectacle of Nature always instructive, lu, we come
her only when penetrate her depths, not
by Immediate observation but BY sklfu experiments Ma.
obeys when know how command her. The
naretf and freedom of Kapilas language reminds one OF
Bacon.
Sensuasm finds great difficulty with the idea OF Cause.
Kapla also has underworld destroy IT, and in the history
of Philosophy his argument is the an.eceden of that of
Encsdcmus and Hume He says there proper
OF and that what call only apparently