A Candid Examination of Theism

by George John Romanes

[6]. The Argument from Consciousness.

[7]. The Argument for a First Cause.

[CHAPTER II].

THE ARGUMENT FROM THE EXISTENCE OF THE HUMAN MIND.

[8]. Introductory.

[9]. Examination of the Argument, and the independent coincidence of my views regarding it with those of Mr. Mill.

[10]. Locke's exposition of the Argument, and a re-enunciation of it in the form of a Syllogism.

[11]. The Syllogism defective in that it cannot explain Mind in the abstract. Mill quoted and answered. This defect in the Syllogism clearly defined.

[12]. The Syllogism further defective, in that it assumes Intelligence to be the only possible cause of Intelligence. This assumption amounts to begging the whole question as to the being of a God. Inconceivability of Matter thinking no proof that it may not think. Locke himself strangely concedes this. His fallacies and self-contradictions pointed out in an Appendix.

[13]. Objector to the Syllogism need not be a Materialist, but assuming that he is one, he is as much entitled to the hypothesis that Matter thinks as a Theist is to his hypothesis that it does not.