The Star in the West

230 THE STAR IN THE WEST 1 possible and its extension zero ; for the intension of reason and its forms are alike built up by experience , that of the race ( H. Spencer ).] Having postulated metaphysical knowledge , Kant then proceeds to subdivide it into two headings : 1, Analytic ; 2, Synthetic judgements ; the first Crowley would identify with ( verbal propositions ), the second with ( real ]. First Kant states : “ All analytic judge ments are based entirely on the principles of contra diction ... and are ... à priori ” (p. 13 ), e.g. “ Every body is extended ," ... " No body is unextended ," e.g. , “ Gold is a yellow metal .” “ Now , to know this , I require no further experience beyond my conception of gold , which contains the proposition that this body is yellow and a metal " ( p . 13 ). ( But , answers Crowley , what of the proposi tion “ Gold is a trivalent base ? None of these things are analytic . Thus gold must be reducible to the noumenon , and so disappear .) In the second proposition Kant says : That though there are synthetic judgements à posteriori , “ there are also others of an à priori certainty ,” which “ can never have their source solely ... in the principle of contradiction ” ( p . 13 ). “ Judgements of experience are always synthetic . It would be absurd to found an analytic judgement on experience ” (p . 14 ). [ Crowley at once answers , “ All judgements are founded on experience . This primary fallacy of à priori validity is clearly the root of the great follies which follow . 1 + 1 = 2 cannot be doubted , but it is a definition , and means nothing , being arbitrary . But 2 + 2 = 4 is a synthetic conception .] Similarly under this synthetic heading , Kant tackles “ Mathematical judgements , illustrating his concep