THE RELATIVITY OF ALL KNOWLEDGE. 99 



exists persistently and independently of conditions. At the 

 same time that by the laws of thought we are rigorously 

 prevented from forming a conception of absolute existence ; 

 we are by the laws of thought equally prevented from rid- 

 ding ourselves of the consciousness of absolute existence: 

 this consciousness being, as we here see, the obverse of our 

 self-consciousness. And since the only possible measure of 

 relative validity among our beliefs, is the degree of their 

 persistence in opposition to the efforts made to change them, 

 it follows that this which persists at all times, under all cir- 

 cumstances, and cannot cease until consciousness ceases, has 

 the highest validity of any. 



To sum up this somewhat too elaborate argument : We 

 have seen how in the very assertion that all our knowledge, 

 properly so called, is Relative, there is involved the asser- 

 tion that there exists a Non-relative. We have seen how, in 

 each step of the argument by which this doctrine is estab- 

 lished, the same assumption is made. We have seen how, 

 from the very necessity of thinking in relations, it follows 

 that the Relative is itself inconceivable, except as related to 

 a real Non-relative. We have seen that unless a real Non- 

 relative or Absolute be postulated, the Relative itself be- 

 comes absolute ; and so brings the argument to a contradic- 

 tion. And on contemplating the process of thought, we 

 have equally seen how impossible it is to get rid of the con- 

 sciousness of an actuality lying behind appearances; and 

 how, from this impossibility, results our indestructible be- 

 lief in that actuality. 



