110 THE DOCTRINE OF ENERGY 



ancient use of the term idea which confines its 

 extension into the realm of the perceptual to 

 those elements of the sensible presentation which 

 can be reproduced by the conceptual activity of 

 the subject, and which in asserting, for instance, 

 the ideality of Space, reminds us at the same time 

 that Ideality implies not merely subjectivity, but 

 the expression or representation also of some 

 aspect of those laws which regulate the system of 

 Reality. 



But is not common sense right, after all ? Do I 

 really mean to say that tables, chairs, houses, 

 mountains the whole world of my Presentment, 

 are to be regarded as shrivelled up and located in my 

 brain, or in the energetic correlative of my brain ? 

 Is the whole Universe, as known to me or conceived 

 by me, contained within a minute portion of itself 

 the brain ? Now Science does say something very 

 like this, and the logical difficulties of the position 

 are very pressing. But they cannot be got over by 

 attempting to revert to common sense, because 

 to assert that all my conceived Universe is im- 

 mediately perceived by me as it exists, would 

 seem to involve a diffusion of my intelligence 

 throughout Space which is still more inconceivable 

 and self -contradictory. Even apart from this 

 implication, the assumption of the Reality of the 



