ON LIFE AND ORGANISATION. 305 



mode in which these steps are taken. In Metaphysical inquiry, 

 the mind examines through her self-consciousness, her own con- 

 stitution, and the necessary truths and principles of reason — that 

 is, knowledge and existence. She does so in the full assurance 

 that her constitution is in exact accordance with these necessary 

 truths and principles. In the Mathematical she also examines, hy 

 means of her self-consciousness, necessary truths ; for the element- 

 ary data of the mathematician are merely necessary truths in 

 relation to number, space, and limit. She proceeds in such in- 

 quiries with perfect confidence in the stability of her data, because 

 her own constitution is in exact accordance with all truth. It thus 

 appears that metaphysics and mathematics, dealing with necessary 

 truths, require, for their successful prosecution, merely an aptitude 

 for seizing their fundamental elements ; and the correct appli- 

 cation of the logical and inductive processes of the intellect to 

 these elements. But, in experimental or observational inquiry, 

 the mind must act through the senses. In dealing with matter, in 

 all its forms, the mind cannot dispense with those channels of in- 

 formation, through which alone, according to her constitution, she 

 is enabled to apprehend external nature. The so-called facts of 

 Observational or Experimental science reach the mind, therefore, 

 through the senses, and are consequently characterised by all the 

 ambiguity inseparable from their medium. They are apparent, 

 not real ; they are phenomena, not noumena. They differ from 

 the elements of metaphysical and mathematical knowledge, which 

 are necessary and immediate truths, in this respect, that they 

 must be interpreted — that is, reduced to a thinkable form, or in- 

 troduced to the sphere of necessary truth. The process of reduction 

 to a thinkable form must be effected in every instance of expe- 

 rimental or observational inquiry, from that of the most elementary 

 phenomena up to those of the solar system. It constitutes the 

 inductive method, in its ordinary acceptation ; by means of which 

 alone mind advances in 11m midst of surrounding phenomena, and 

 reduces them to the absolute truths of Force — Space — Time — - 

 Number — and Limit. Be it observed, however, that this dis- 

 tinction between metaphysical ami mathematical inquiry, <<n the 

 one hand, and experimental ami observational on the other, does 

 ih't consist in the immediate apprehension uf noumena in the caso 



