10 A THEOEY OP LIFE DEDUCED 



understand things only phenomenally,, to say of the mind 

 that it will ever be able to grasp things noumenally is 

 somewhat akin to saying that the day will come when we 

 can sing the visual impression, of a painting or chisel the 

 emotional stirrings of a song.* Those who have fallen into 

 this error may find an easy way out of it, i they will but 

 try to remember that what is to-day unknown may be either 

 knowable or unknowable. The knowable includes so much 

 of that which is at present unknown as it is possible for us 

 to know in the future. How much that is, nobody will 

 dare to predict ; but it is at least certain that this part of 

 the unknown (i.e., so much as may be known in the future) 

 embraces all potential knowledge concerning phenomena. 

 The residue of the unknown is comprehended under the 

 head of the unknowable; this part of the unknown includes 

 things in their noumenal aspect. Hence what is at present 

 unknown is divisible into the knowable unknown and the 

 unknowable unknown. By the knowable unknown we mean 

 potential knowledge of phenomena ; by the unknowable 

 unknown is meant what the mind by its very constitution is 

 incapable of knowing ; namely, things in their noumenal 

 aspect. Or to express the idea in still another way, what is 

 at present known may be either phenomenally or noumenally 

 unknown ; what is phenomenally unknown is always know- 

 able, what is noumenally unknown is absolutely unknowable. 

 To this argument there are but two conceivable objections. 

 It might be said thatJJi-&B-premc Bcino'-mayL^omejiav so 

 -ansfigure and illumine the human mind as to enable it to 

 omprehend at a future day what is now totally beyond its 

 owers of comprehension, and that by reason of this 

 ossible divine interposition we are logically estopped from 



* I say advisedly somewhat akin, for the comparison is open to possible 

 jections. 



