14. It is, as we have seen, on the twofold level of objective endowments and subjective strengthening that Christianity has acted upon the depths of philosophic thought. As a general rule, the effects of what we have termed a dissociated Christian regime take the form of a disastrous disturbance of the balance normally required between these two levels, let us say between object and inspiration.

In one instance, a thinking which has turned its back on higher lights is still encumbered with Christian data, which have begun to crumble; no longer living in a body of thought consonant with their true meaning and drawing their inspiration from a brand of reason that has grown increasingly sluggish, they have become distorted and corrupt. So it is that at each decisive turning of modern rationalism we are able to detect a materialization of truths and notions of Christian origin.

In the second instance, quite the opposite occurs. Here a Christian inspiration, deprived of the objective norms and nutriments which it needs by nature, has run amok and lays waste the field of rational speculation. (The more grandiose this inspiration remains the more severe will its ravages be.) Though for differing reasons and in varying degrees, we should have to mention in this connection, a Böhme, a Jacobi, possibly a Schelling, a Kierkegaard, and a Nietzsche. I recognize full well that their achievement is replete with precious stimulations and constitutes a testimony of lofty significance; the claims of truth, however, compel me to state that it represents a corruption of philosophy as such. Its uncommonly violent tastes can be traced to this very fact.