16 THE WORLD-ENERGY 



such selection and reference. Rather,, in common experi- 

 ence, the process goes on without the individuaFs noticing 

 the details of the process. At the same time, however, 

 reflection shows that in every such act the selection itself 

 is necessary in order that the perception may be distinct, 

 and the reference of the object to the self is necessary in 

 order that the perception may exist at all. And thus 

 again the receptivity of the mind in perception is seen to 

 be quite as definitely active as passive; or rather, it is 

 evident that passivity is but receptivity, or reaction. 



But now this reference, whether of object to object, or 

 of an object to the self (both of which must take place in 

 every act of perception), implies a seizure of a relation; 

 and this seizure of relations does not belong to perception 

 as such, though necessarily involved in every act of per- 

 ception. The office of perception as such is to seize par- 

 ticular objects. The relation of object to object can 

 come into the consciousness in no other way than through 

 a seizing together of the objects related. And this seizing 

 together of objects is again a primary, original act of the 

 mind an act which has appropriately come to be called, 

 in English, conception. 



Individual sensuous objects are perceived. Relations 

 can only be conceived. 



But now let us note that this relation seized through 

 conception is a relation at once of identity and of differ- 

 ence. A number of objects different from one another 

 are yet found to possess some characteristic through 

 which they are all similar to one another. The several 

 objects could not be seized as several as separate 

 otherwise than through the seizure of their difference. 

 But this seizure of the difference separating object from 



