THE FACTS OF SCIENCE 75 



things outside thought. But even this strained use of the 

 term, apart from its confusion, leads us no further than 

 the statement that an unmeaning x exists among an un- 

 thinkable y and z. 



SUMMARY 



1. Immediate sense-impressions form permanent impresses in the brain 

 which psychically correspond to memory. The union of immediate sense- 

 impressions with associated stored impressions leads to the formation of 

 " constructs," which we project " outside ourselves," and term phenomena. 

 The real world lies for us in such constructs and not in shadowy things-in- 

 themselves. "Outside" and "inside" oneself are alike ultimately based 

 on sense -impressions ; but from these sense - impressions by association, 

 mechanical and mental, we form conceptions and draw inferences. These 

 are the facts of science, and its field is essentially the contents of the mind. 



2. When an interval elapses between sense-impression and exertion 

 filled by cerebral activity marking the revival and combination of past sense- 

 impressions stored as impresses we are said to think or to be conscious. 

 Other-consciousness is an inference, which, not yet having been verified by 

 immediate sense-impression, we term an eject ; it is conceivable, however, 

 that it could become an object. Consciousness has no meaning beyond 

 nervous systems akin to our own ; it is illogical to assert that all matter is 

 conscious, still more that consciousness or will can exist outside matter. 



3. The term knowledge is meaningless when extended beyond the sphere 

 in which we may legitimately infer consciousness, or when applied to things 

 outside the plane of thought, i.e. to metaphysical terms dignified by the 

 name of conceptions although they do not ultimately flow from sense-im- 

 pressions. 



LITERATURE 



These notices being only intended to indicate easily readable matter for 

 lay students, it would be idle to provide here a list of philosophical classics. 

 I therefore refer with some hesitation to Kant's Kritik der reinen Vernunft 

 (Eng. Trans, by Max Miiller). At the same time I know no elementary 

 treatise on Kant's view of " things-in-themselves." As moderate in length 

 and easily intelligible I cite : — 



Berkeley, G. — An Essay towards a New Theory of Vision, 1709 ; A 

 Treatise concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge, 17 10 ; and 

 Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous, 17 13. (All to be found 

 in vol. i. of Wright's edition of the Works of G. B., 1843.) 

 Clifford, W. K.^ — Lectures and Essays ("Body and Mind" and "On the 

 Nature of Things-in-themselves "). Further : .Seeing and Thinking, 

 Macmillan's "Nature" Series, 2nd ed., iSSo. 

 Huxley, T. H. — Hume. Macmillan, 1879. 



