COSMIC PHILOSOPHY 



one aspect. Here again we see exemplified what 

 our sketch of the Newtonian discovery in the 

 previous chapter taught us, — namely, the value 

 of that objective method which, instead of ignor- 

 ing an unexplained residuum, recognizes it as 

 justifying further research. The unexplained 

 residuum in the present case was the coexist- 

 ence of an element of necessity in a given be- 

 lief with an experiential origin for the belief. 

 Following the subjective method, Hume denied 

 the necessity, Kant denied the experiential ori- 

 gin. But the objective method, recognizing the 

 coexistence of the two as a fact to be accounted 

 for, and employing a psychological analysis in- 

 accessible to Hume and Kant, discovers that 

 the necessity of the belief and its experiential 

 origin are but two sides of the same fundamen- 

 tal fact. 



From the origin and justification of our be- 

 lief in causation, let us now pass to the contents 

 of the belief. Since there is nothing in the be- 

 lief that has not been given in experience, let 

 us endeavour to state what is and what is not 

 given in our experience of an act of causation. 

 In the first place sequence is clearly given in the 

 phenomenon. " Even granting that an effect 

 may commence simultaneously with its cause," 

 this view is in no way practically invalidated. 

 As Mr. Mill says, " Whether the cause and its 

 effect be necessarily successive or not, the be- 

 ll 20 



