250 • MAN AND THE WORLD. 



Time must resolve Itself into the assertion that we 

 cannot think Space and Time exhausted and limited 

 by successive additions of spaces and times. But 

 this tells us nothing as to whether the real world is 

 infinite, when not In relation to our present modes 

 of thinking it. 



This brings out, secondly, the robust assumption, 

 on which the inference of the infinity of the world 

 from the infinity of our conceptions is based. It 

 assumes a complete agreement between reality and 

 thought, In virtue of which an infinity, which is true 

 primarily of our ideas, may be safely transferred to 

 the real world. But our experience in dealing with 

 Scepticism (ch. ill.) ought to have left us very 

 sceptical' as to the ease with which such a corre- 

 spondence can be effected. And even if we hope 

 and believe that concord between thought and 

 reality will be ultimately attained, this faith will 

 afford but one more reason for regarding the asser- 

 tion of their present correspondence with grave 

 suspicion. The Infinity contained in our conceptions 

 of Space and Time, therefore, so far from leading 

 on to the infinity of the real world as a matter of 

 course, militates rather in favour of the conclusion 

 that the real world is limited in Space and had a 

 beginning In Time. 



And this presumption Is confirmed by the strongest 

 positive reasons. The doctrine of the Infinity of 

 Space and Time turns out. In the first place, to be 

 vicious in its origin and based upon an abuse of the 

 faculty of abstraction. And further, it cannot even 

 claim the undivided support of the necessities of 

 thought. On the contrary, it is In the sharpest 

 conflict with some of the strongest necessities of 

 our thought. The Infinity of Space and Time 



