Page 301 of 1391

At twenty years of age, a selection must be made of the more

promising disciples, with whom a new epoch of education will

begin. The sciences which they have hitherto learned in fragments

will now be brought into relation with each other and with true

being; for the power of combining them is the test of speculative

and dialectical ability. And afterwards at thirty a further

selection shall be made of those who are able to withdraw from

the world of sense into the abstraction of ideas. But at this

point, judging from present experience, there is a danger that

dialectic may be the source of many evils. The danger may be

illustrated by a parallel case:-Imagine a person who has been

brought up in wealth and luxury amid a crowd of flatterers, and

who is suddenly informed that he is a supposititious son. He has

hitherto honoured his reputed parents and disregarded the

flatterers, and now he does the reverse. This is just what

happens with a man's principles.