"Materialistic monism is nowadays the working hypo- 

 thesis of every scientific explorer in every department, 

 whatever other beliefs or denials he may, more or less 

 explicitly and more or less consistently, superadd. Material- 

 istic monism only becomes false when put forward as a 

 complete philosophy of the universe, because it leaves out of 

 sight the conditions of human knowledge, which the special 

 sciences may conveniently disregard, but which a candid 

 philosophy cannot ignore." 



" The legitimate materialism of the sciences simply means 

 temporary and convenient abstraction from the cognitive 

 conditions under which there are ' facts ' or { objects ' for us 

 at all ; it is * dogmatic materialism ' which is metaphysics of 

 the bad sort." D. G. Ritchie. 



" Our metaphysics is really like many other sciences only 

 on the threshold of genuine knowledge : God knows if it 

 will ever get further. It is not hard to see its weakness in 

 much that it undertakes. Prejudice is often found to be the 

 mainstay of its proofs. For this nothing is to blame but 

 the ruling passion of those who would fain extend human 

 knowledge. They are anxious to have a grand philosophy : 

 but the desirable thing is, that it should also be a sound 

 one." Kant. 



