Key of Knowledge

SR No.: 006702
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Champat Rai Jain
Publisher: ZZZ Unknown
Publication Year: 1919
Total Pages: 1204
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 25 MB

Page 99

78
THE KEY OF KNOWLEDGE.
Space and Time cannot be suppressed-testifies as much; for that consciousness of Space and Time which we cannot rid ourselves of, is the consciousness of them as existing objectively. It is useless to reply that such an inability must inevitably result if they are subjective forms. The question here is-what does consciousness directly testify? And the direct testimony of consciousness is that Time and Space are not within the mind, but without the mind; and so absolutely independent that we cannot conceive them to become non-existent even supposing the mind to become non-existent" (The First Principles).
Finally, Haeckel tries to tone down the rigid idealism of Kant by acknowledging the objective reality of Time and Space, though he ultimately leaves them out of his calculation in his monistic scheme of a matter-force world. This is, however, what he says as to Time and Space:
“Since Kant explained Time and Space to be merely · forms of perception '-Space the form of the external, Time of internal sensitivity--there has been a keen controversy, which still continues over this important problem. A large section of modern metaphysicians have persuaded themselves that this critical fact' possesses a great importance as the starting point of a 'purely idealistic theory of knowledge,' and that, consequently, the natural opinion of the normal healthy mind as to the reality of time and space has been swept aside. This narrow and ultra-idealistic conception of time and space has become a prolific source of error. It overlooks the fact that Kant only touched one side of the problem, the subjective side, in that theory, and recognized the equal validity of its objective side. Time and Space,' he said, have empirical reality, but transcendental ideality. Our modern monism is quite compatible with this thesis of Kant's, but not with the one-sided exaggeration of the subjective aspect of the problem" (The Riddle of the Universe).
This is about all that Modern Science knows of Time and Space; and even Haeckel has nothing more to say of their nature than what is to be inferred from the statement that they possess empirical reality but transcendental ideality.