Preface

might reach the use of the powers of his understanding German: Verstand; refers to the faculty of reason and logical thought as much as is humanly possible. However, very few people think of this, and most turn scholarship into a mere work of memory, fleeing from reflection German: Nachsinnen; deep, meditative thought more than they would from a snake. Therefore, everything is hateful to them that requires reflection and brings them to a ready use of their understanding; on the other hand, they find pleasant whatever they can grasp like a fairy tale while half-asleep, leaving them with the same way of thinking they have shared with unlearned people since childhood. One cannot, however, recognize the powers of the human understanding in any other way than through experience, by using them. In such a manner, those who only compile the thoughts of others, having never practiced the art of invention German: Erfinden; in this context, the ability to discover new ideas or logical proofs, nor having grasped a single demonstrated—that is, right thoroughly executed—truth in their entire lives, can know little or nothing of the powers of the understanding and their use, unless they have read something about it in suitable books. But books in this mat-