Note 72 — THE MONIST. (continued 2)

In a note to this passage was appended a quotation from a pamphlet by Dr. E. Cobham Brewer as a practical instance of the objective being, on the antiquated subject-object plane, actually superseded. Suppose a very remote star to become extinct, the “vibrations” would continue to “travel” towards a spectator situated on our planet for years, it may be for centuries. So that the spectator, ultimately, “sees” that which does not even exist. Dr. Brewer’s comment, which cannot be considered any contribution to a satisfactory rationale, is: “the objects, however, must have existed, or no messenger could have been sent from their courts.” Evidently, in this case, that which is sent is, at least, as good as the sender—is, in fact, the self-same thing. Only, in that case, what of the extinct object?