It  is  true  that  a  known  object  is  in  or  for  con-
sciousness or  knowledge,  though  even  here  the
question  is  always  open,  What  is  the  nature  of
each  object  known,  and  what  are  the  kinds  of
objects?  Are  these  modes  of  matter  or  mind,
or  is  there  only  one  kind  of  object  known  to
consciousness  ?  But,  admitting  that  a  known
object  is  always  an  object  for  consciousness,  it
does  not  follow  that  a  known  object  is  all  that
exists,  or  that  that  which  may  become  an  object
of  knowledge  at  a  future  time  has  absolutely  no
reality.  It  has  as  yet  no  known  reality ;  but  we
are  not  entitled  on  this  ground  to  assert  that
reality  there  is  not,  because  reality  known  to  us
is  always  necessarily  an  object  for  consciousness.
This  would  be  to  assume  the  very  point  at  issue,
that  there  is  no  reality  in  nature  or  fact  apart
from  known  reality.  Nay,  it  is  true  that  known
reality  falls  out  of  the  known  or  knowing,  as  in
the  case  of  memory.  A  past  object  that  has  been
known  by  us  is,  or  may  be,  existent  now,  though
it  has  fallen  out  of  our  perception,  even  know-
ledge. We  should  be  guilty  of  unwarrantable
dogmatism  in  saying  either  that  the  object  does


72  KNOWING  AND   BEING.
