Arrival in Berlin--Acquaintances--Mendelssohn--Desperate Study of
Metaphysics--Doubts--Lectures on Locke and Adelung.
As I came to Berlin this time by post, I did not require to remain
outside the Rosenthaler Gate to be examined by the Jewish elders; I
proceeded without any difficulty into the city, and was allowed to take
up my quarters where I chose. To _remain_ in the city, however, was a
different thing. The Jewish police-officers--L. M. of those days was a
terrible fellow,--went every day round all the hotels and other houses
designed for the reception of strangers, made inquiry into the quality
and occupation of newcomers, as well as the probable length of their
stay, and allowed them no rest till they had either found some
occupation in the city, or were out of it again, or--the alternative
goes without saying. I had taken a lodging on the New Market with a Jew,
who was accustomed to receive in his house poor travellers that had not
much to spend, and who the following day received a visit of this sort.
The Jewish police-officer, L. M., came and examined me in the strictest
manner. I told him that I wished to enter into service as a
family-tutor in Berlin, and that therefore the length of my stay could
not be exactly determined. I appeared to him suspicious; he believed he
had seen me here before, and evidently looked on me as a comet, which
comes nearer to the earth the second time than the first, and so makes
the danger more threating. But when he saw by me a _Milloth Higgayon_ or
Hebrew Logic, drawn up by Maimonides, and annotated by Mendelssohn, he
went into a perfect rage. "Yes! yes!" he exclaimed, "that's the sort of
books for me!" and as he turned to me with a threatening look, "Pack,"
he said, "out of Berlin as quick as you can, if you don't wish to be led
out with all the honours!" I trembled, and knew not what to do; but as I
had learnt that there was a Polish Jew, a man of talent, residing in
Berlin for the sake of study, and received with esteem in the best
families, I paid him a visit.
He received me as a countryman in a very friendly manner, asked about my
home in Poland, and what had brought me to Berlin. When I told him in
reply, that from my childhood I had discovered an inclination to the
sciences, had already made myself acquainted with this and that Hebrew
work which touches upon these, and now had come to Berlin in order to be
_Maamik Bechochmah_ (to become absorbed in the sciences), he smiled at
this quaint rabbinical phrase, but gave me his full approval; and after
conversing with me for some time, he begged me to visit him often, which
I very willingly promised to do, and went away rejoicing in spirit.
The very next day I visited my Polish friend again, and found with him
some young people belonging to a prominent Jewish family, who visited
him often, and conversed with him on scientific subjects. They entered
into conversation with me, found much amusement in my jargon, as well as
in my simplicity and open-heartedness; in particular they laughed
heartily at the phrase, _Maamik Bechochmah_, of which they had heard
already. All this gave me courage, and they assured me that I should not
find myself mistaken in the expectation of being able to be _Maamik
Bechochmah_ in Berlin. And when I made known my fear about the
above-mentioned police-officer, they made me pluck up courage by
promising to obtain protection for me from their family, so that I might
remain in Berlin as long as I chose.
They kept their word, and Herr D---- P----, a well-to-do man of
excellent character, of many attainments and fine taste, who was an
uncle of these young men, not only paid me much attention, but also
procured for me a respectable lodging, and invited me to the Sabbath
dinner. Others of the family also sent me meals at my room on fixed
days. Among these was a brother of these young men, in other respects an
honourable man, who was not without attainments. But as he was a zealous
Talmudist, he inquired earnestly whether with my inclination towards the
sciences I had not quite neglected the Talmud; and as soon as he
learnt, that I was so _Maamik Bechochmah_ as to neglect the study of the
Talmud, he gave up sending me my meals.
As I now had permission to remain in Berlin, I thought of nothing but
how to carry my purpose into effect. Accidentally one day I went into a
butter-shop, and found the dealer in the act of anatomising a somewhat
old book for use in his trade. I looked at it, and found, to my no small
astonishment, that it was Wolff's _Metaphysics, or the Doctrine of God,
of the World, and of Man's Soul_. I could not understand, how in a city
so enlightened as Berlin such important works could be treated in this
barbarous fashion. I turned therefore to the dealer, and asked him, if
he would not sell the book. He was ready to part with it for two
groschen. Without thinking long about it I gave the price at once, and
went home delighted with my treasure.
At the very first reading I was in raptures with the book. Not only this
sublime science in itself, but also the order and mathematical method of
the celebrated author,--the precision of his explanations, the exactness
of his reasoning, and the scientific arrangement of his exposition,--all
this struck a new light in my mind.
With the Ontology, the Cosmology, and the Psychology all went well; but
the Theology created many difficulties, inasmuch as I found its dogmas,
not only not in harmony, but even in contradiction, with the preceding
propositions. At the very beginning I could not assent to Wolff's
argument _a posteriori_ for the existence of God in accordance with the
Principle of Sufficient Reason; and I raised the objection to it, that,
inasmuch as, according to Wolff's own confession, the Principle of
Sufficient Reason is abstracted from particular cases of experience, the
only point which can be proved by it is, that every object of experience
must have its sufficient reason in some other object of experience, but
not in an object beyond all experience. I also compared these new
metaphysical doctrines with those of Maimonides, or rather of Aristotle,
which were already known to me; and I could not bring them into harmony
at all.
I resolved therefore to set forth these doubts in the Hebrew language,
and to send what I wrote to Herr Mendelssohn, of whom I had already
heard so much. When he received my communication, he was not a little
astonished at it, and replied to me at once, that in fact my doubts were
well founded, that I should not however allow myself to be discouraged
on their account, but should continue to study with the zeal with which
I had begun.
Encouraged by this, I wrote in Hebrew a dissertation in which I brought
into doubt the foundations of Revealed as well as of Natural Theology.
All the thirteen articles of faith, laid down by Maimonides, I attacked
with philosophical arguments, with the exception of one, namely the
article on reward and punishment, which I conceded merely in its
philosophical interpretation, as referring to the natural consequences
of voluntary actions. I sent this dissertation to Mendelssohn, who was
not a little amazed, that a Polish Jew, who had scarcely got the length
of seeing the Metaphysics of Wolff, was already able to penetrate into
their depths so far, that he was in a position to shake their results by
means of a correct Ontology. He invited me to visit him, and I accepted
his invitation. But I was so shy, the manners and customs of the
Berliners were so new to me, it was not without fear and embarrassment,
that I ventured to enter a fashionable house. When therefore I opened
Mendelssohn's door, and saw him and other gentlefolks who were there, as
well as the beautiful rooms and elegant furniture, I shrank back, closed
the door again, and had a mind not to go in. Mendelssohn however had
observed me. He came out and spoke to me very kindly, led me into his
room, placed himself beside me at the window, and paid me many
compliments about my writing. He assured me, that, if I went on in this
way, I should in a short time make great progress in Metaphysics; and he
promised also to resolve my doubts. Not satisfied with this, the worthy
man looked after my maintenance also, recommended me to the most
eminent, enlightened and wealthy Jews, who made provision for my board
and other wants. Their tables I was at liberty to enjoy when I chose,
and their libraries were open to my use.
Especially worthy of mention among these gentlemen was H----, a man of
many attainments and excellent disposition, who was a particular friend
and disciple of Mendelssohn. He took great pleasure in my conversation,
often discussed with me the most important subjects in Natural Theology
and Morals, on which I expressed my thoughts to him quite frankly and
without disguise. I went over with him in a conversational way all the
systems known to me that are generally denounced, and defended them with
the greatest pertinacity. He met me with objections; I answered them,
and brought in my turn objections against the opposite systems. At first
this friend regarded me as a speaking animal, and entertained himself
with me, as one is apt to do with a dog or a starling that has been
taught to speak a few words. The odd mixture of the animal in my
manners, my expressions, and my whole outward behaviour, with the
rational in my thoughts, excited his imagination more than the subject
of our conversation roused his understanding. By degrees the fun was
turned to earnest. He began to give his attention to the subjects
themselves; and as, notwithstanding his other capabilities and
attainments, he had no philosophical head, and the liveliness of his
imagination generally interfered with the ripeness of his judgment, the
results of our conversations may be readily imagined.
A few examples will be sufficient to give an idea of the manner in which
I conducted a discussion at the time, of the ellipses in my diction
arising from my deficiency in expressions, and of the way in which I
illustrated everything by examples. I endeavoured once to make
Spinoza's system intelligible,--to show that all things are merely
accidents of a single substance. My friend interrupted me and said,
"But, good heavens! are not you and I different men, and do we not each
possess an existence of our own?" "Close the shutters," I called in
reply to his objection. This strange expression threw him into
astonishment; he did not know what I meant. At last I explained myself.
"See," said I, "the sun shines through the windows. This square window
gives you a square reflection, and the round window a round reflection.
Are they on that account different things, and not rather one and the
same sunshine?"
On another occasion I defended Helvetius' system of self-love. He
brought against it the objection, that we surely love other persons as
well as ourselves. "For instance," said he, "I love my wife;" and to
confirm this he gave her a kiss. "That proves nothing against me," I
replied. "For, why do you kiss your wife? Because you find pleasure in
doing it."
Herr A---- M---- also, a good honest fellow, and at that time a wealthy
man, allowed me free access to his house. Here I found Locke in the
German translation, and I was pleased with him at the first hasty
glance, for I recognised him as the best of the modern philosophers, as
a man who had no interest but the truth. Accordingly I proposed to the
tutor of Herr A---- M----, that he should take lessons from me on this
admirable work. At first he smiled at my simplicity in proposing, that
I, who had scarcely got the length of seeing Locke, should give lessons
to him whose native tongue was German, and who had been brought up in
the sciences. He acted, however, as if he found nothing offensive in the
matter, accepted my proposal, and fixed an hour for the lessons. I
presented myself at the time appointed, and began the lessons; but as I
could not read a word of German correctly, I told my pupil to read aloud
paragraph by paragraph in the text, and that then I should give him an
exposition of each. My pupil, who pretended to be in earnest, consented
to this also, to carry on the joke; but how great was his astonishment
when he found, that no joke was to be played in the matter, that in fact
my expositions and remarks, though delivered in my own peculiar
language, evinced a genuine philosophical spirit.
It was still more amusing, when I became acquainted with the family of
Widow Levi, and made the proposal to her son, the young Herr Samuel
Levi,[53] who is still my Maecenas, that he should take lessons from me
in the German language. The studious youth, incited by my reputation,
was resolved to make a trial, and wished me to explain Adelung's _German
Grammar_. I, who had never seen Adelung's Grammar, did not allow myself
to be at all disconcerted on this account.[54] My pupil was obliged to
read Adelung bit by bit, while I not only expounded it, but added
glosses of my own. In particular I found a good deal to take exception
to in Adelung's philosophical explanation of the parts of speech; and I
drew up an explanation of my own, which I communicated to my intelligent
pupil, by whom it is still preserved.
As a man altogether without experience I carried my frankness at times a
little too far, and brought upon myself many vexations in consequence. I
was reading Spinoza. His profound thought and his love of truth pleased
me uncommonly; and as his system had already been suggested to me by the
Cabbalistic writings, I began to reflect upon it anew, and became so
convinced of its truth, that all the efforts of Mendelssohn to change my
opinion were unavailing. I answered all the objections brought against
it by the Wolfians, brought objections against their system myself, and
showed, that, if the _nominal definition_s of the Wolfian Ontology are
converted into _real definitions_, conclusions the very opposite of
theirs are the result. Moreover, I could not explain the persistency of
Mendelssohn and the Wolfians generally in adhering to their system,
except as a political dodge and a piece of hypocrisy, by which they
studiously endeavoured to descend to the mode of thinking common in the
popular mind; and this conviction I expressed openly and without
reserve. My friends and well-wishers, who for the most part had never
themselves speculated on philosophical subjects, but blindly adopted the
results of the systems prevailing at the time as if they were
established truths, did not understand me, and therefore also were
unable to follow me in my opinions.
Mendelssohn, whose usual course was to tack, did not wish to oppose my
love of inquiry, secretly even took pleasure in it, and said, that at
present indeed I was not on the right road, but that the course of my
thoughts must not be checked, because, as Descartes rightly remarked,
doubt is the beginning of thorough philosophical speculation.