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OTHER FORMS AND MEANS OF KNOWLEDGE.
791
TEXT (1607).
APART FROM THE Potent OBJECT, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS POTENCY', WHICH COULD BE COGNISED BY MEANS OF PRESUMPTION; AND AS FOR THE POTENT OBJECT, IT IS COGNISED THROUGH
PERCEPTION ITSELF.-(1607)
COMMENTARY
Inasmuch as Potency is nothing apart from the Potent object-- and the Potent object is cognisable by Perception,-Presumption would be apprehending what is already apprehended; and on that ground alone, it could not be regarded as a Means of Valid Cognition.
The mention of Perception' in this connection is only by way of illustration.-(1607)
The following Texts point out the objections that are applicable specially to that example of Presumption which has been cited as based upon Perception :
TEXTS (1608-1610).
IN THE CASE OF SUCH PHENOMENA AS Burning AND THE REST, THEIR
CAUSE IS ACTUALLY PERCEIVED IN THE FORM OF THE Fire AND THE REST, AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG OR UNCERTAIN IN THIS PERCEPTION; WHAT THEN COULD POTENCY' BE, APART FROM THOSE CAUSES ?-IF THE POTENCY IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT (FROM THE SAID CAUSES), THEN AS THAT POTENOY' WOULD BE WHAT BRINGS ABOUT THE EFFECT, THE object (CAUSE) ITSELF WOULD NOT BE AN ACTIVE AGENT AT ALL (IN THE BRINGING ABOUT OF THAT EFFECT); IF, ON THE OTHER HAND, THE OBJECT DOES BRING ABOUT THE EFFECT, THEN THE POTENCY WOULD NOT BE ANYTHING DIFFERENT ;BECAUSE THE CHARACTERISTIC FEATURE OF THE OBJECT' IS THAT IT SHOULD BE capable of effective action ; AND THAT THE OBJECT IS SO CAPABLE IS LEARNT FROM PERCEPTION ITSELF.-(1608-1610)
COMMENTARY.
* There is nothing wrong, etc. '-This compound is to be taken as an adverb (modifying the verb ' perceived ').
If the Potency is regarded to be something different from the object, then, in the bringing about of the effect (in the shape of the phenomenon cited), the Potency being the effective agent, the object itself would cease to be an active agent ; which would mean that the object is a non-entity; as the characteristic of the Entity is that it should be capable of effective action.
If, in order to guard against the object becoming a non-entity, it be admitted that the object does have some action in the bringing about of the