Studies in Theology; Theism. Cosmic Theism Or, the Theism of Nature (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1890 Excerpt: ...meanings, or merely tacit variations, and where axioms are either ignored or misconceived. Seeming disagreement, where there is in fact no disagreement, is not nnfrcquently more harmful or obstructive to the discovery of truth and to final accord than actual and recognized disagreement, the most absolute and radical. We ask attention to the definition of the following terms: Mind, matter, force, subject, object, time, eternity, absolute, infinite, conditioned, unconditioned, cause, effect, efficient cause, final cause, ontological, cosmological, biological, personal, ultimate, evolntion, involution, causation. It is presumed that but few persons will find sufiicient interest in a discussion of this kind who do not have a generally correct understanding of these terms, but a generally correct understanding is hardly sutfieient. The demand is for exactness. DEFINITION or CERTAIN Tmms. 227 We proceed to a definitive statement. Mind--By mind we understand a being, that is, a substantive existence, which exhibits mental phenomena, intellection, volition, self-consciousness, etc. Vhere these phenomena exist, they posit mind. Their absence posits the absence of mind. For fuller explanation I quote the carefully considered and exhaustive definition of Sir 'V111. Hamilton: " Mind is to be understood," says this erudite author, "as the subject of the various internal phenomena of which we are conscious, or the subject of which consciousness is the general phenomenon. Consciousness is, in fact, to mind what extension is to matter or body. Though both are phenomena, yet both aIe essential qualities; for we can neither conceive mind without consciousness nor body without extension. Mind can be defined only a postemlori--that is, only from its man...