The history of the theory of knowledge or epistemology would have been very different if instead of the word "data" or "givens," it had happened to start with calling the quali- ties in question "takens." Not that the data are not existential and qualities of the ultimately "given" that is, the total subject-matter which is had in non-cognitive experiences. But as data they are selected from this total original subject-mat- ter which gives the impetus to knowing} they are discriminated for apurpose: that, namely, of affording signs or evidence to define and locate aproblem, and thus give aclew to its resolution.