224
THE STAR IN THE WEST
principle , that perceives , knows , wills , and
operates
about ideas . ” 1
This
“ human
soul " of Hume , the “
I myself ” of
Berkeley
are synonymous
terms ; in fact , they are one
with the “ purusha
” of the Yogins , and the “ magical
stone " of the philosophic alchymists
.
Hume arrives
at the conclusion
:
“ that there is a species of sceptic
ism , antecedent
to
all
study
and
philosophy
,
which
is
much
inculcated
by
Des Cartes and
others
,
as
a
sovereign
preservative
against error and precipitate
judgement
.
It
recommends
an
universal doubt
,
not
only
of
all
our former opinions and principles
,
but also
of
our very faculties
,
of
whose
veracity
,
say they
,
we
must
assure
ourselves
,
by
a
chain
of
reasoning
,
deducted
from
some original principle which cannot
possibly
be
fallacious
or
deceitful
.
But neither
is
there
any
such
original principle which has
a
prerogative
above others
that are self
-
evident and convincing
;
or
if
there were
,
could
we advance
a
step
beyond
it,
by
the use
of
those very faculties
,
of
which we are sup
posed
to
be
already
diffident
.
The Cartesian doubt
,
therefore
,
were
it
ever possible
to
be
attained
by
any
human creature
(
as
it
plainly
is
not
),
would
be
entirely
incurable
,
and
no
reasoning
could
ever bring
us
to
a
state
of
assurance
and conviction
upon
any
subject
.
And
that
,
"
a
wise
man
,
therefore
,
proportions
his
belief
to
his evidence
,
and who can say that
a
wise
adept does not
do
likewise
?
And that
“
These ultimate
springs and principles
are totally shut
up
from
human
curiosity and inquiry
”
and
“
are probably the ultimate
causes
and
principles
which
we
ever
discover
in
>
2
3
2
Ibid
.
p
.
159
.
1
Three Dialogues
,
p
.
95
.
3
Tbid
.
p
.
116
,