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" THE REVEALED WORD.”
1159
The following might be urged "Even for one who holds the view that Cognitions have forms, and the Object is productive of the Cognition, the Object would be always imperceptible; how then can it be known that the Cognition has the form of the Object ? "
True ; but the way in which it is known is this-From the presence of the Effect, it is deduced that there is a Cause for it; and the idea that Cognition serves to differentiate the Blue and other forms, is got at from positive and negative concomitance. For instance, the Eye, the Light, and the Mind functioning being common to all Visual Cognitions, the difference among the Cognitions of the Blue and others cannot be due to these; hence the implication is that there is some other Cause for it, this implication being derived from the negative premiss just indicated; and hence it is concluded that the said difference must be due to this other Cause. And on the basis of this it is asserted that the form having been brought about by that, it is this form that is apprehended by the Cognition.-But even this way is not available for you; because you do not regard the Word-Sound to be a Cause at all.
The following might be urged" The Eye and the other factors are themselves imperceptible; how is it known that these are present in all Visual Perceptions ?"
All this is quite true, when we are discussing the doctrine of Idealism. The Idealist holds that the peculiarities of every Cognition are all due to the immediately preceding subjective causal factors, as in the case of Dreams; and he does not regard them as due to any external or objective conditions. -But all that is being said on the present oocasion is on the understanding that the External Object does exist. If it were not so, then the first point to be urged would be-how can the External Object be proved by the Effect ? All that could be proved would be the presence of the Cause, not of anything external, objective; because it is quite possible that the said Cause may be something internal, subjective, -as in the case of Dreams.-Enough of this!
Even if the idea of the Word-Sound being productive is accepted, the incongruity remains this is what is shown by the words- If it were produced, it would be produced at all times, etc. etc.—Sa' stands for the production.
The argument is summed up in the words-Hence the Cognition of that Sound, etc. etc.'
* Or it would not be produced at all':-under the view that Sound is not productive.
*Undesirable state of things that the Cognition must be either always present, or always absent. -(2007-2509)
Hitherto the Author has admitted (for the sake of argument) that there is Embellishment of the Auditory Organ and then proceeded to consider whether or not the Object is the productive Cause of the Cognition, which consideration has led to the conclusion that the Embellishment of the Auditory Organ is absolutely useless. He now proceeds to show that the Embellishment itself of the Auditory Organ is not possible :
