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EXAMINATION OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE PERMANENCE OF THINGS. 253
be that of Identity; as the two have been admitted to be different. Nor can the relation be that of being produced out of it; because, in fact, the effects are produced out of the auxiliaries themselves. If then, it be accepted that the conditions are produced out of the thing, then, as the appearance of the conditions would be contingent upon the thing itself, all the conditions would be produced simultaneously, and this would imply the simultaneous appearance of all the effects also; as the Cause (in the shape of the Permanent Thing) along with the conditions would be always present.-(401-402)
TEXT (403).
IF IT BE HELD THAT THERE IS NEED FOR A FURTHER AUXILIARY, THEN THERE WOULD BE AN INFINITE REGRESS. FROM THIS IT FOLLOWS THAT, ON ACCOUNT OF THE ABSENCE
OF RELATION, THE EFFECT CANNOT BE PRODUCED EVEN ONCE. (403)
COMMENTARY.
If it be held that "for the producing of the said conditions' also there is need for other auxiliaries; so that the conditions appear successively and hence there can be no simultaneous appearance of the effects ",-this cannot be right; as in this way, there would be an Infinite Regress. For instance, for these auxiliaries also, there would have to be postulated further auxiliaries for the bringing about of other conditions; of that condition again, which would be different, there would be no relationship, and if it were to be produced out of the same, then all effects would be produced simultaneously; and if a further auxiliary were needed for that, the same difficulties would again present themselves. Thus there being this infinite regress, no relationship between the Thing and the Condition could be established; and when this cannot be established, then the effect would be produced not from the Permanent Thing, but from the Condition itself.-(403)
TEXTS (404-405).
IF THE RELATION BETWEEN THE TWO (THE PERMANENT THING AND THE CONDITIONS) WERE HELD TO BE THAT OF 'INHERENCE' (SUBSISTENCE), THEN ALSO THE FOLLOWING HAS GOT TO BE CONSIDERED:IS THE INHERENT' THING SO REGARDED BECAUSE IT IS HELPFUL? OR NOT SO? IF THE FORMER ALTERNATIVE IS ACCEPTED, THEN
IT COMES TO BE THE SAME AS THE RELATION OF BEING PRODUCED FROM IT, AND THIS HAS JUST BEEN REJECTED.-(404-405)
COMMENTARY.
It might be argued that "the relation between the condition and the Permanent Entity is not that of being produced from it, but that of inhering
