THE NEW WINE
219
by unthinking
things are thought to have a natural
subsistence
of their own distinct from being
perceived
by spirits . This ... is the very root of Scepticism ...
For how can it be known that
the things which
are
perceived
are conformable
to those which
are not per
ceived , or exist
without the mind . ” ? Shortly
before
arriving at this conclusion
, he had already
stated that
as “
the
infinite
divisibility of matter ” was now uni
versally
allowed
by the most
approved
and consider
able
philosophers
, hence it follows
that
there
are an
infinite
number of parts in each particle
of matter which
are
not
perceived
by
sense .
“ ...
In
proportion ,
therefore , as the sense is rendered
more acute , it per
ceives a greater
number
of parts in the object , that is ,
the
object
appears
greater , and
its
figure
varies
.
In
other words the Self
of
the Idealist
as
the Not
-
self
of
the Materialist
,
is
purely
maya
,
i.e.
,
motion
.
But
a
still
more
important contradiction
creeps
in
here
,
and curious
to
say
,
the very monster
Berkeley
set out
with lance
in
rest
to
overthrow
,
proves but
a
Quixotic
windmill which
sends our gallant knight rolling
in
the
very
dust
in
which
he
had
hoped
to
lay
low
the
sceptical
and monstrous
giant
.
Thus
in
the place
of
disproving
scepticism
he
unconsciously cleared
the
way for the greatest
of
all
sceptics
-
David Hume
.
"
3
1
Berkeley
,
throughout
“
The
Principles
,"
as
well
as
the
“
Dialogues
;”
overlooks
the Newtonian law
of
gravity alto
gether
,
though
he
supposes
that
he
himself
is
not
the only
thinking entity
in
the world
,
his arguments
lead
one
to
infer
that
he
is.
As
an
Idealist
he
proves that nothing
can exist except
in
mind
;
then finding
he
has overlooked
the question
of
God
,
as
an
Animist adds
:
that all things
,
he
himself
included
,
cannot
exist except
in
the mind
of
some Divine Being
,
failing
(
perhaps
purposely
)
to
see that
such
a
Being was
also but
a
figment
of
his mind
.
2
Ibid
.
p
.
79
.
3
Ibid
.
p
.
55
.