234 Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path
abstract concept, by itself, has just as little reality as a per-
cept by itself. Percepts are the part of reality that is given
objectively, concepts are the part that is given subjective-
ly (through intuition, see page 89 ff.). Our mental organi-
zation tears reality into these two factors. One factor is
apparent to perceiving; the other to intuition. Only the
union of the two—the percept integrating itself lawfully
into the universe—is full reality. If we consider mere per-
ception alone, we do not have reality, only disconnected
chaos; if, on the other hand, we consider only the lawful-
ness of percepts, we are dealing merely with abstract con-
cepts. Abstract concepts contain no reality. Reality lies in
thinking observation that does not one-sidedly examine
either concepts or percepts by themselves, but rather con-
siders the union of both.
Not even the most orthodox subjective idealist denies
that we live in reality and are rooted in it by our real ex-
istence. Such idealists only deny that our cognition—our
ideas—can reach that real life. Monism, in contrast,
shows that thinking is neither subjective nor objective,
but a principle that spans both sides of reality. When we
observe with thinking, we execute a process that itself be-
longs to the order of real events. Through thinking, we
overcome, in experience itself, the one-sidedness of mere
perceiving. We cannot piece together the essence of real-
ity with abstract, conceptual hypotheses (purely concep-
tual reflections); welive in reality by finding ideas to
match our percepts. Monism does not seek to add any-
thing to experience that is not experienceable (transcen-
dental), but it sees the Real in concepts and percepts.
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