Page:Mind (New Series) Volume 15.djvu/316

 302 JOHN DEWEY: the smell's intention is unfulfilled, the discrepancy may throw one back, in reflexion, upon the original situation. Interesting developments then occur. The smell meant a rose ; and yet it did not (so it turns out) mean a rose ; it- meant another flower, or something, one can't just tell what. Clearly there is something else which enters in ; something else beyond the odour as it was first experienced determined the validity of its meaning. Here then, perhaps, we have a transcendental, as distinct from an experimental reference ? Only if this something else makes no difference, or no detectable difference in the smell itself. If the utmost observation and reflexion can find no difference in the smell quales which fail and those which succeed in executing their intentions, then there is an outside controlling and disturbing factor, which since it is outside of the situation, can never be utilised in knowledge ; and hence can never be employed in any con- crete testing or verifying. In this case, knowing depends upon an extra-experimental or transcendental factor. But this very transcendental quality makes both confirmation, and refutation, correction, criticism, of the pretensions or meanings of things, impossible. For the conceptions of truth and error, we must, upon the transcendental basis, substi- tute those of de facto success or failure. Sometimes the in- tention chances upon one, sometimes upon another. Why or how, the gods only know and they only if to them the extra-experimental factor is not extra-experimental, but makes a concrete difference in the concrete smell. But for- tunately the situation is not one to be thus described. The factor which determines control of intention as to its success or failure, does institute a difference in the thing which means the object, and this difference is detectable, once at- tention, through failure, has been called to the need of its discovery. At the very least, it makes this difference : the smell is infected with an element of uncertainty of meaning and this as a part of the thing experienced, not for an observer. This additional awareness will at least bring about an additional wariness. Meaning is more critical, and opera- tion more cautious. But we need not stop here. Attention may be fully directed to the subject of smells. Smells may become the object of knowledge. They may take, pro tempore, 1 the place 1 The association of science and philosophy with leisure, with a certain economic surplus is not accidental. It is practically worth while to postpone practice ; to substitute theorising, to develop a new and fascin- ating mode of practice. But it is the excess achievement of practice which makes this postponement and substitution possible.