§ 100. In Conception there is attained a universality of intellectual
action in so far as the empirical details are referred to a _Schema_, as
Kant called it. But the _necessity_ of the connection is wanting to it.
To produce this is the task of the thinking activity, which frees itself
from all representations, and with its clearly defined determinations
transcends conceptions. The Thinking activity frees itself from all
sensuous representations by means of the processes of Conception and
Perception. Comprehension, Judgment, and Syllogism, develop for
themselves into forms which, as such, have no power of being perceived
by the senses. But it does not follow from this that he who thinks
cannot return out of the thinking activity and carry it with him into
the sphere of Conception and Perception. The true thinking activity
deprives itself of no content. The abstraction affecting a logical
purism which looks down upon Conception and Perception as forms of
intelligence quite inferior to itself, is a pseudo-thinking, a morbid
and scholastic error. Education will be the better on its guard against
this the more it has led the pupil by the legitimate road of Perception
and Conception to Thinking. Memorizing especially is an excellent
preparatory school for the Thinking activity, because it gives practice
to the intelligence in exercising itself in abstract ideas.
§ 101. The fostering of the Sense of Truth from the earliest years up,
is the surest way of leading the pupil to gain the power of thinking.
The unprejudiced, disinterested yielding to Truth, as well as the effort
to shun all deception and false seeming, are of the greatest value in
strengthening the power of reflection, as this considers nothing of
value but the actually existing objective circumstances.
--The indulging an illusion as a pleasing recreation of the
intelligence should be allowed, while lying must not be tolerated.
Children have a natural inclination for mystifications, for masquerades,
for raillery, and for theatrical performances, &c. This inclination to
illusion is perfectly normal with them, and should be permitted. The
graceful kingdom of Art is developed from it, as also the poetry of
conversation in jest and wit. Although this sometimes becomes
stereotyped into very prosaic conventional forms of speech, it is more
tolerable than the awkward honesty which takes everything in its simple
literal sense. And it is easy to discover whether children in such play,
in the activity of free joyousness, incline to the side of mischief by
their showing a desire of satisfying their selfish interest. Then they
must be checked, for in that case the cheerfulness of harmless joking
gives way to premeditation and dissimulation.--
§ 102. An acquaintance with logical forms is to be recommended as a
special educational help in the culture of intelligence. The study of
Mathematics does not suffice, because it presupposes Logic. Mathematics
is related to Logic in the same way as Grammar, the Physical Sciences,
&c. The logical forms must be known explicitly in their pure independent
forms, and not merely in their implicit state as immanent in objective
forms.