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Sup- posing, then, the phenomenon of cognition to be purely subjective, and to become objective for itself, we should have what would constantly lead us into error; for the human reason would be infected with a radical vice, which would oblige it to view these phenomena as means of per- ceiving the truth, whereas they are only eternal sources of deception. 153 There may arise a doubt in this correspondence of general with particular truth, as to which is the principle ; that is, whether general truth is truth by means of partic- ular truths, or the contrary. " All the diameters of a circle are equal ;" this is a general truth. If we suppose a circle to exist, all its diameters will be equal. We have already seen that the certainty of the general truth neither does nor can reach us through the particular truth ; but neither, on the other hand, does the particular stand in need of the general ; so that it seems, that even when we abstract all intelligence, capable of perceiving this general truth, the existing circle will not cease to have all its diameters equal. prev next |