The Persistence of Force. 95 



worthless. The thing denoted by the word, when the 

 dry light of criticism falls on it, recedes, like a ghost, 

 beyond the limits of intelligence into the shades of 

 the unsearchable. 



SECTION IV. 

 CAN WE PREDICATE PERSISTENCE IN ANY KNOWABLE MODE ? 



In endeavouring to fix with precision what is meant 

 by Force in Mr. Spencer's ultimate principle, we reach 

 no satisfactory result. Directing our criticism to the 

 predicate of his proposition, let us inquire whether 

 persistence is predicated in any mode that may form 

 -a basis for real knowledge. 



Persistence, in Mr. Spencer's use of terms, means 

 continued existence ; for he tells us we cannot think 

 existence except as continued. We may, then, take 

 the forms A is, and, A continues to be, as equivalents. 

 Assuming their equivalence, we write the law of per- 

 sistence in the form, A continues to be A a predica- 

 tion of continued identity. If this predication hold 

 good universally, we may transform it into the indi- 

 vidual instance This A continues to be this A. A 

 piece of coal lies before me; I write This piece of 

 coal continues to be this piece of coal. The coal Ls 

 put into the fire and this piece of coal ceases to be 

 this piece of coal. The^ predication is proved to be ; 



