The Star in the West

242 THE STAR IN THE WEST 99 left Farmer Stubbs ' field ' ? while the instructed swain should not blush to reply that Halley's Comet , being the sole measure of time in use on his farm was 133 ° S. , entering Capricorn , at the very moment of the blow being struck ." Scepticus goes on to state that H. G. Wells has put his finger on the very spot whence all research must begin : and that is , “ the illusionary nature of the time - idea ." 2 “ You would say that of two men born on a day , dying on a day , one may be young , the other old . . . he lives the longest who remembers most ." Mysticus considers the de finition insufficient unless the “ vividness of each impression " is added to the " number of impressions . Scepticus then shows that it would be possible in thought to construct a scale of vividness from a to n, by which we could erect a formula to express all that a man is . “ For example , he might be : 10 a +33125 b + 890 c + 800112 658 e +992 f + .. + + .n , and , if we can find the ratio of a : b : c : d : e:f : n, we can resolve the equation into a single term , and compare man and man .' It therefore follows that “ all states of conscious ness are single units , or time marks , by which we measure intervals .” So that Time is wholly and solely founded on experience , or response to stimulus ; and in no way on any à priori judgement as postulated by Kant . Berkeley has shown us that it is impossible to form an abstract idea of motion distinct from the body moving ,' also that “ motion being only an idea , it . 2 lbid . 1 Time , vol . ii, p . 273 . 4 Ibid . vol . ii, p . 274 . 3 Ibid . vol . ii, p . 273-274 . 5 Principles of Human Knowledge , p . 11 .