Page:Ferrier Works vol 2 1888 LECTURES IN GREEK PHILOSOPHY.pdf/119

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GREEK PHILOSOPHY.

tion between truth for all, and truth for some, or otherwise expressed, the distinction between the universal faculty in man, and the particular faculty in man. If we hold that the substance of things is to be found in that which is the truth for some, in other words, that it is to be apprehended by the particular faculty in man, in that case we shall certainly not hold that number is the substance of things; on the contrary, we shall hold that earth, or water, or air, or matter generally, is the substance of things, because this is what falls under the apprehension of the particular faculty in man. But if we hold that the substance of things is to be found in that which is the truth for all, that the essence of things centres in that which is the truth for all intelligence, in other words, that the essence of things is to be apprehended by the universal faculty in man; in that case we shall certainly not hold that earth or water, or matter generally, is the substance of things, for this is not necessarily the truth for all intellect; on the other band, we shall experience no great difficulty in holding that number is the substance of things, because number is the truth for all, and is that which falls under the apprehension of the universal faculty in man. You can thus readily understand the Pythagorean doctrine, even though you may be not quite willing to assent to it, that number is the essence of the universe, the ultimately and absolutely real. Number is this, because number is the truth of the universe for all intelligence; matter and its qualities