But when man is occupied in the study of the phenomena of his own natural being, or, in other words, is philosophising, the case is very materially altered. Here his contemplation of these phenomena does add a new phenomenon to the list already under his inspection: it adds, namely, the new and anomalous phenomenon that he is contemplating these phenomena. To the old phenomena presented to him in his given or ready-made being, for instance, his sensations, passions, rational and other states, which he is regarding, there is added the supervision of these states; and this is itself a new phenomenon belonging to him. The very fact that man contemplates or makes a study of the facts of his being, is itself a fact which must be taken into account; for it is one of his phenomena just as much as any other fact connected with him is. In carrying forth the physical sciences, man very properly takes no note of his contemplation of their objects; because this contemplation does not add, as we have said, any new fact to the complement of phenomena connected with these objects. Therefore, in sinking this fact, he does not suppress any fact to which they can lay claim. But in philosophising, that is, in constructing a science of himself, man cannot suppress this fact without obliterating one of his own phenomena; bemuse man's contemplation of his own phenomena is itself a new and separate phenomenon added to the given phenomena which he is contemplating.
Here, then, we have a most radical distinction laid
