COSMIC. PHILOSOPHY 



its inquiries the method of science, which, in 

 contrast to the other, is called the Objective 

 Method. To describe these different methods, 

 and thus to arrive at a clear notion of the prac- 

 tical distinction between a metaphysical and a 

 scientific philosophy, is the object of the pre- 

 sent chapter. 



The subjective method rests upon the as- 

 sumption that the possibilities of thought are 

 coextensive or identical with the possibilities 

 of things. Having built upon some subjective 

 foundation, assumed as axiomatic, a given order 

 of conceptions, it assumes that the order of 

 phenomena must correspond to it. It is satis- 

 fied with confronting one thought with another 

 thought, and does not trouble itself to confront 

 the thought with the phenomenon. If its hy- 

 pothesis is made up of congruous elements, it 

 takes it for granted that the internal congruity 

 must be matched by an external congruity. It 

 applies to the order of conceptions a logical, 

 not an experimental test. If its conclusions flow 

 inevitably from its premises, it proclaims the 

 conclusions as true, forgetting that the premises 

 need testing as much as the inferences. ,It is 

 ever on its guard against fallacies of ratiocina- 

 tion, but ever unprotected against fallacies of 

 observation. If a conclusion is "invoJved in 

 the idea,** according to the current phrase, it 

 assumes without challenge that it is also con- 

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