127. 146 CHAPTER IIIVAIREA

146 CHAPTER IIIVAIREA

elements of the latter. Thirdly: the consciousness, that is aroused by it, is not contradicted by a subsequent one. And fourthly and lastly : in the actor there is no conscious- ness of the imitated as distinct from that of himself. For, in that case the acquisition of the psychic state of the historic person, which is the most essential constituent of the æsthetic configuration, would be impossible.

DRAMATIC PRESENTATION IS NOT AN ILLUSORY OBJECT. That object is illusory which, because of the possession of some quality, which is common to another object of greater value, gives rise to the consciousness of the latter, because of the needy attitude of the observer. Every determinate consciousness is made up of the objective and the subjective elements, i. e. partly of the stimulus received from outside and partly of the material from the stock of memory. Hence the difference between the right knowledge and illusion lies in this that, while in the fermer the objective elements predominate, in the latter, the subjective elements preponderate.' Hence the latter is negatived by a subsequent closer observation, as in the case of consciousness of silver at the sight of brilli- ance of mother-of-pearl. Therefore, when the question, whether the dramatic presentation is ildusory, is raised, the point of inquiry is, whether the dramatic presentation as an æsthetic object is an object, which, because of the possession of some external quality, the look, for instance, of the represented historic person or scene, gives rise to the consciousness of the latter, exactly as mother-of-pearl does that of silver. The spectator with æsthetic suscepti- bility will at once say 'no' to it. For, he does not supply a greater portion of what forms æsthetic conscious- ness from the stock of memory. He is simply a passive recipient of all that enters into consciousness. Further, e1