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OTHER FORMS AND MEANS OF KNOWLEDGE.
817
This argument may be formulated as follows:When one Means of Cognition has no cognisable object other than that of another Means of Cognition, then it cannot be a distinct Means of Cognition; -e.g. a seventh Means of Cognition-Nogation' has no cognisable object apart from what is cognised by Perception; hence the assumption of such a distinct Means of Cognition would be failing in the fulfilment of the wider condition.-(1671)
The Opponent urges the 'inadmissibility of the Reason adduced in this argument
TEXTS (1672-1673).
" AS A MATTER OF FACT, IN THE CASE OF EVERYTHING WHICH IS ALWAYS existent IN ITS OWN FORM, AND non-existent IN THE FORM OF OTHER THINGS,-IT IS ONLY A CERTAIN ASPECT THAT IS COGNISED THROUGH CERTAIN MEANS AT CERTAIN TIMES; AND IT IS ONLY WHEN THE existent (POSITIVE) ASPECT IS TO BE COGNISED THAT PERCEPTION AND THE REST COME IN; AND WHEN THE non-existent (NEGATIVE) ASPECT IS TO BE APPREHENDED, THE OPERATION OF THE NON-APPEARANCE OF PERCEPTION AND THE REST' (I.E. NEGATION)
COMES IN.”— (1672-1673)
COMMENTARY.
“There would have been no object left to be cognised by Negation if objects had only one aspect; as a matter of fact, however, objects have two aspects—they are existent (positive) in their own form, and non-existent (negativo) in the form of other things, there thus being two aspects of every object, there is only a certain aspect of it that is cognised through a certain Means, all aspects are not cognised by all Means of Cognition.
"This game idea is further explained- It is only when the Positive aspect, etc. etc. When the Positive aspect of the Object is apprehended, then there is the operation of the five Means of Cognition, Perception and the rest, and not of Negation; when however it is the Negative aspect that is meant to be apprehended, then there is operation of the non-appearance of Perception, etc.',-i.e. of 'Negation'."-(1672-1673)
Our Reason would have been 'inadmissible' if one and the same thing had both (positive and negative) characters; as a matter of fact however the presence of two characters in the same object is incongruous. This is what is shown in the following