Preisaufgaben.
I. Arabisches Wörterbuch.
Die frantösischc Regierung hat durch Ordonnanz vom 29. November 1852 einen Preis Ttir das beste arabiseb - französisch und französisch - arabische Wörterbuch ausgeselzt , um den sich Jeder, Franzose oder Ausländer, be¬
mühen kann. Die Worte der Bekanntmachung lauten folgeodennassen : Deux prix de 5000 fr. ehacun sont institues en faveur de I'auteur ou des auteurs des deux meilleurs dictionnaires fran^ais-arabe et arabe-fran^ais rediges au point de vue de l'idiome algerien.
Ces prix seront deccrnes sur le rapport d'une commission speciale com- posee des interpretes principaux do 1' armee d'Afrique ct des professeurs d'arabe aux chaires publiques.
Ne pourront faire partie de la commission les interprötes ou professeurs qui se porteraient eandidats pour obtenir l'un des prix.
En aucun cas, la commission ne pourra se composer de moins de cinq membres.
Si , par une circonslance quelconqne et notamment par suite de 1' elimi¬
nation prononcee par le paragraphe 2 du present article , ce nombre n'etait pas attcint , le ministre m reserve la faculte de completer la commission par teli membres qu'il jugera convenables.
Le vote de la commission aura lieu au scrutin secret. En aucun cas, les prix ne pourront etre partages.
L'n delai de deux annees, ö partir du ler Janvier 1853, est occorde aux concurrents pour terminer leur travail, qui devra etre, en consequence, remis au gouvernenr general do l'Algerie au plus tard le 31 december 1854.
La somme accordee comme prix sera ordonnancee au profit des ayant- droit immediatement apres remise au departement de la guerre dC cinquante exemplaires de chacun de leurs dictionnaires.
M. le ministre de l'instruction publique a bien voulu promettre, en outre, de prendre ä ces dictionnaires nne souscription , an moment de leur publication.
Die Arbeiten sind an das Kriegsministerium uder an das .Ministerium des ölfentlichen Unterrichts einzusenden.
II. Indische Philosophie.
Die Lösung der folgenden Preisaufgabe eignet sich ganz besonders Tür deutscbe Gelehrte, da cs sicb darum bandelt die pantheistiscben Grundsätze der indiscben Philosophie mit philosophischen Gründen zu widerlegen.
Kürze und Anschaulichkeit scheinen Haupterfordernisse der Bearbeitung zu sein. Wir theilen das Ausschreiben in seiner ganzen Ausrübrlichkeit mit.
To all who may be disposed to compete for a Prize of Three Hundred Pounds sterling to be awarded to tbe Composer of the best English Essay on the Hindu System of Philosophy to be deposited as hereinafter appointed, before the 31st day of December, One thousand Eight hundred arid fifty-four.
270 Preisaufgaben.
Whereas a Member of the Civil Service of the Honorable East India Company, on the Bengal Establishment, bas placed in tbe banking bouse of Messrs. Hoare, in Fleet Street, London, in the names of The Most Reverend John Bird, Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Tbe Right Reverend Charles James, Lord Bishop of London, and tbe Right Reverend Samuel, Lord Bishop of Oxford, as his Trustees, tbe sura of Three Hundred Pounds Sterling, to the intent that the said sum may be paid by them, as a prize, to the Com¬
poser, in the English language, of the best Essay on the subject specified in the accompanying „ Proposal of a Prize of L. 300, for tbe best Essay in refutation of tbe errors of Hindu Philosophy, according to tbe Vedanta, Nyaya, and Sankhya Systems," to be written and composed in strict con¬
formity witb tbe rules and declarations contained in such proposal.
Now the said Trustees hereby give notice that they have, al the request of Ihe donor, nominated and appointed tbe Reverend William Hodge Mill, D. D., Regius Professor of Hebrew, in the University of Cambridge; the Reverend WiHiam Wbewell , D. D., Master of Trinity College, in the same university, and Horace Huyman Wilsoo, Esq., Boden Professor of Sanskrit, in the University of Oxford, of examine such essays as may be senl in hy Candidates for tbe said prize , and lo adjudge and determine to which of such Candidates the said prize ought to be given. And tbe said Trustees do hereby require that every Candidate for Ihe said prize, shall on or before Ihe thirty first day of December, one thousand, eight hundred, and fifty-four, deposit, or cause to be deposited, his essay ia an envelope al tbe office of tbe Incorporated Society for the propagation of tbe Gospel in Foreign Parts, No. 79, Pall Mall, London, and to write oo tbe eovelope containing the same, the following address: —
„Essay on the Hindu systems of Philosophy."
To tbe Examiners
(To tbe care of tbe Secretary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.) 79, Pall Mall , London.
And the Trostees further require that each Essay be accompanied by a sealed Letter containing Ibe name and address of Ibe Composer thereof, having a mollo or sentence written on tbe outside of tbe said Letter, and Ibe same motto or sentence at the bead of the Essay, to tbe intent tbat, so soon as the said Examiners , or such otber persons as Ihe Trustees may hereafter nominate to be Examiners shall have decided on the best Essay, they may open the sealed Letter, and declare tbe name of the successful Candidate.
Dated Ibis twenty-ninth day of December, in the year of onr Lord One thousand eight bnndred and fifty-two.
Signed: J. B. Cantnar,
„ C. J. London,
„ S. 0x0 n.
Proposal ofa Prize ofL. 300, for tbe best Essay in Refutation
of the Errors ofHindu Philosophy according to the Vedanta,
Nyaya and Sankhya Systems.
I beg to offer a Price of L. 300 as under, for tbe best Statement and
Preisaufgaben.
Rerulation, in English, of the Fundamental Errors (opposed to Christian Theism) of the Vedanta, Nyaya and Sankhya Philosophies'), as set forth in the standard native authorities, in the Sanskrit language, treating of tbose systems; together with a demonstration (supported by such arguments, and conveyed in sach a form and manner as may be most likely to prove con¬
vincing to learned Hindus imbued with tbose errors), of tbe following funda¬
mental of Christian Theism , viz. : —
First. — Of tbe real, and not merely apparent or illusory, distinctness of God from all other spirits, and from matter: and of the creation (in tbe proper sense) of all other spirits, and of matter, by God, in opposition to tbe Vedanta.
Second. — Of the non - eternity of separate souls , and their creation by God, in opposition to tbe Nyaya and Sankhya.
Third. — Of tbe creation of matter , in opposition to tbe tenet of its eternity in tbe shape of atoms, (as maintained in the Nyaya and Vaiseshika Schools,) or in tbe shape of Prakrit! , (as maintained by tbe Sankhya.)
Fourth. — Of tbe moral character and moral government of God ; and of the reality and perpetuity of the diference between moral good and evil ;
with reference to such dogmas of the above Systems as are opposed to
tbose doctrines.
Tbe refutation of tbe above mentioned Hindu errors shonld (at it seems to the proposer) proceed upon a double basis, viz. : — First, the disproof of the grounds on which tbe native authors claim divine authority for tbe founders of the severaj philosophical schools; and for the Vedas, in so far as tbose schools profess to be founded thereon. Secondly, a demonstration of the contrariety of tbose doctrines to reason , or to the best conclusions to which reason leads.
Witb tbe view of occasioning tbe least offence to the native reader on the tbresbbold of tbe controversy, it might perhaps be best tbat tbe branch of the argument subversive of tbe divine authority of tbe Indian sages, and of tbe Vedas , shonld be preceded by the otber branch , in wbicb Ibe errors forming the subject of refutation are shown lo be in themselves destitute of any grounds of reasoa. Bnt oo restrictioo is meaot to be placed oo the essayist's discretion io arranging his topics.
Tbe erroneous systems in question embody the best solutions which Hindu philosophers bave been able to frame of tbe Mysteries of human existence.
When, therefore, these theories are controverted, Ibe difficulties which they were considered to neutralize, will again occur to the Hindu's mind, as demaodiog solution, e. g. Their theory of the eternity of sonls , and of the present state belog one of retribntion for good or bad deeds done io former stages of existence , obviates , io their idea , tbe charge of partiality to which they conceive the Supreme Being would , on Ibe other hypothesis , be obnoxious, oo acconot of tbe nnequal distribution of bis gifts in tbe present life. Hence the objections (founded on the above or other difficulties) which
1) See Mr. R. T. Colebrooke's Miscellaneous Essays (published by Messrs^
W. H. Allen and Co., Leadenhall Street, London, 1837), VoL L, pp. 227— S77.
272 Preisaufgaben.
Hindu writers or reasoners raise to tbe non-eternity and creation of souls and otber doctrines of Christian Tbeism must be encountered as they arise.
With tbe view of doing the fuHest justice of the subject, and ensuring most effectually the end proposed, viz., tbe conviction of tbe acute adherents of the errors in question , (whose belief is founded on the reasonings as well as the authorilg of their own writers,) the Essay must bear constant re¬
ference to the specific grounds on which tbe native authors base their doctrines, and to tbe arguments and illustrations by which they defend them.
All important statements should be supported by references to tbe native authors.
As native authors make use of frequent illustrations , either to set their tenets in a clear light , or to defend them , it might be useful tbat the same practice , in so far as it answers the former purpose , should be employed by tbeir oppooents , te illustrate their own views,
Tbe treatise should be so constructed as to show tbe English reader, ia detail, what tbose grouads , arguments aod illastrationa are, by which the Indiao authors support tbeir systems. This might be done by putting these arguments, and so forth, into the moutb of one speaker, who should state them fully, while bis opponent wonld refute them; or any otker preferable course migbt be adopted , at tbe option of tbe Essayist.
Witb a view to the practical utility of the Treatise , as a manual for Christian disputants , unable to consult tbe original authorities , it is further necessary tb«t the origioal Sanskrit terms representing the principal ideas on which tbe controversy turns, should be given in tbe Rowan character, in the text, or in foot notes.
Io spirit, tbe Treatise should be most kind and conciliatory, recognising cheerfully every merit and every true principle wbicb may be justly ascribed to the native authors, and encountering tbeir errors with the utmost gentleness which may be compatible with a clear indicatioa af tbiiir pernicious tendency.
The Treatise should be simple in style, ond lucid in the manner of treating the argument , adapted as far a» may be , to the Hindu habits of thinking, and instead of presupposiag in tbe Indian reader any amount of knowledge (extraaeaos to bis own systems), of wihieh he may be reasonably presumed to be ignorant, it should communicate to bim, m occasion arises, any preliminary informatioa wkick be may need.
Tbe Treatise should be of such length afi t» admit «f tbe full treatment ot saseotisl topics witbout running iita. tediou&aess. Any specolatioBs con¬
sidered hy (bc writer as interesting, ar importaat, to the European reader, but nnt lisaripg nn the pr«pos«r's primary ohject, — tbe conviction of learned Hindus, might ke thrown into an Appendix.
1 have limited the subject as above defined, (without proscribing tbat it should be parsned by tbe Essayist iato. a demonstration of tbe truth of Christianity), beoaitse tbe points which have been indicated above , form tbe pecniiar dtfBcullies »f the Hindu coa.troversy ; and are the points witb which tbose Missionaries who may be distinguished by no remarkable metaphysical
cumen , and devoid of any accurate acquaintance with tbe Indian philosophies, (though they may know tbe main features of that wbicb is popularly current).
are least capable of dealing snccessfully. When such difficulties have been cleared away, tbe remainder of tbe argument, comprising the positive proofs of our holy religion, and tbe answers to objections wbicb are not peculiar to Indian thinkers, or connected wilh their distinctive tenets, does not call for the same acuteness, or depth of Indian learning on the part of the Christian advocate.
I am desirous that tbe competition should be general, and not limited to natives of Great Britaia and Ireland.
I desire to leave il to the discretion of tbe Most Rev. and Right Rev.
Prelate* aamed in my letter, to fix such a period for receiving the Treatises of competitors, as, with reference to the difficulty of the subject, aod the fact that persans resident in India may be expected to compete, may appear sufficient. Perhaps three years, from tbe date of tbe issue of tbe notice, might be fixed as the period within which the Essays must be delivered to any person who may be appointed to receive them.
Tbe successful Candidate will be required to print 300 (opies of his Essay in a neat though unexpensive form , either in Britain or in India. Tbe Proposer of the Prize is to have the option of reprinting the Essay sub¬
sequently, at bis discretion, and of making use of it for translation into tbe Indian languages, io any way be may think, fit. Beyood reserving to bimself tbis discretion, however, the Proposer docs not wish to interfere witb the disposal of the copyright by tbe author.
Wir fügen noch hinzu, dass Sr. Excellenz, der Kiinigl. Prenss. wirkliche Geheimerath Bunsen io London , 9. Carlton Place , dem wir diese Millheilung verdanken, sich gegen uns bereit erklärt bal, die Arbeiten Deutscher Ge¬
lehrten , welche die obengeslellte Aufgabe zu lösen unternehmen , ao die beireifende Adresse gelangen zu lassen, wenn sie ihm dnrch Buchbändler¬
gelegenheit zugesendet werden.
Die Morgenländiscbe GeseUschaft in Constantinopel.
Von Prof. Fleischer.
Der k. prenssische Gesandtschafts-Attache in Coostaotinopel , Herr O.
Blau schrieb mir in seinem ersten Briefe von dorther unter d. 24. Dec.
1852: „Es ist hier eine Sociele Orientale de Constantinople im Werden, nach dem Vorbilde der asiatischea Gesellschafl zu Paris uod der D. M. G. Die vorberathenden Sitzungen zur Feststellung der Statuten dauern schon seit einigen Wochen uod sollen nocb vor Abscbluss des Jahres zu Ende kommen.
Das voo Herrn Cayol angefangene Journal «) wird von der Gesellsehaft fort¬
geführt werden." — Schoo der oäefaste Brief des Herro Consul Dr. Jtfordtnumn, Constaotinopel d. 20. Jan. 1853, brachte die Nachricht von der inzwischen
1) S. ZUchr. VII, S. 139, Z. 27 ff.
2) S. Ztsehr. VI, S. 548 ff.
