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THE SCIENCE OF THOUGHT.
being would exist either as a knower, or as an object of knowledge. But not as a knower, for in that case the separation would mean nothing; nor yet as an object of knowledge, for as an object of knowledge it would only enjoy knowability, but not knowingness, or cognisance.
Secondly, the soul separated from consciousness can exist only either as a knower, or as devoid of knowledge. But in the former case consciousness adds nothing to it, and may be ignored; and in the latter it is inconceivable how a thing whose nature is ignorance* can ever become a knower by its union with consciousness. It is thus clear that consciousness is nothing but the nature or function of the soul ; in other words, the soul is a substance which is characterised by knowledge or consciousness.
CHAPTER V.
Every living being is endowed with the capacity for infinite knowledge, because (1) all things are
* If any one would seriously reflect on the difference between a living being and a looking glass in respect of knowledge, he would not be long in discovering that the former is capable of feeling the states of his consciousness, i.e., the modifications of the substance of his being, while the latter is not. Hence the image in the glass is not perceived by the glass, while an impression in consciousness is immediately cognized by the soul.
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