PROP. III.————
known by itself. Object (whatever the object may be, for this of course is not fixed by any necessary law of reason) plus subject is the minimum scibile per se.
Importance of the words "by itself," or per se6. It is of importance to attend to the words by itself or per se. Object plus subject is not the knowable least or minimum scibile without any qualification, because the objective part of knowledge, which is, of course, less than both the objective and subjective parts, can undoubtedly be known; and the subjective part of knowledge (the ego), which is, of course, less than both the objective and subjective parts, can also be known. But object plus subject is the least that can be known by itself or per se, or in an isolated state; because the objective cannot be known without the subjective, or the subjective without the objective. Hence object plus subject is the minimum scibile per se. Suppose, for the sake of illustration, that a grain was the ponderable least. To remove all ambiguity, it would be necessary to add "by itself." Because the half-grain would also be ponderable-it would be ponderable along with the other half. But (on the supposition) it would not be ponderable by itself. Therefore to avoid all misconstruction, we should require to say that the grain was the ponderable least "by itself." So in regard to the unit or minimum of cognition.
7. It matters not how many elements or factors