TWO THEORIES OF KNOWLEDGE 55 



These defects of Kantianism were early recog- 

 nised by Schopenhauer, who also appears to have 

 realised that what was wanted was another and 

 a new key to unlock the gateway of Knowledge. 



Knowledge was in essence an affirmation or 

 series of affirmations about a real World distinct 

 from the Knower. It was surely now obvious that 

 the warrant for such affirmations and the source of 

 their validity must come from somewhere beyond 

 the cognitive faculty itself. The source upon 

 which men again and again have seemed to fall 

 back is Sensation ; but Sensation being transitory 

 and dependent for its existence upon its being felt 

 can really give us no help. Some other, some self- 

 existent thing is wanted, and with considerable 

 insight Schopenhauer suggested that the key was 

 to be found in the Will. 



But this theory, though it has lately attracted 

 considerable attention, can hardly be claimed as 

 offering any definite prospect of a solution. Its 

 cardinal defect is that it still fails to show how 

 the sensible arises. It is supposed to be generated 

 out of pure Volition, but no causal nexus, no direct 

 connection of any kind is immediately apparent 

 between the two, and Schopenhauer in developing 

 his theory did nothing to supply the want. The 

 doctrine cannot therefore be regarded as more 



