The Star in the West

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 ,