THE LOGICAL STRUCTURE OF SCIENCE 59 



every system of symbols to be tentative only, and to be 

 more or less completely abandoned as the realm of the given 

 becomes expanded and as the techniques of knowing become 

 more accurately formulated. 



The fact that the construction or discovery of symbolic 

 schemes does not seem to be subject to control by any recog- 

 nizable techniques necessitates a third aspect of the scientific 

 method which is usually called verification. If symbols are 

 loosely tied to events so far as their origin is concerned, they 

 must be fastened to events more firmly through the tech- 

 nique of testing and checking. It is the function of the 

 elaboration of symbolic schemes to disclose new points at 

 which knowledge may be tied down to the real; thus more 

 or less freely expanded symbolic systems are instruments 

 through which discoveries become possible in the realm of 

 events. But this escape of thought from the realm of the 

 given is also a source of error; symbolic schemes may be 

 falsely elaborated, with the result that they become less 

 rather than more adequate. Hence a return to the realm of 

 events is obligatory. There is presumed in every verificatory 

 act some conception of the possibility of a correlation be- 

 tween the body of symbols and the realm of events. Whether 

 this is considered to be an actual correspondence, or mirror- 

 ing, or whether it is supposed to be merely a pragmatic 

 workability, depends, again, upon one's general theory of 

 the nature of the scientific task. Whatever the theory, the 

 testing is a fact. One must admit, then, a stage in knowing 

 in which the scientist is at once aware of events, of symbols, 

 and of the applicability of the symbols to the events. 



It is, perhaps, unnecessary to point out that in concrete 

 reflection the stages of knowing are only vaguely distinguish- 

 able from one another and may vary greatly in the respective 

 parts which they play in constituting the total knowing act. 

 For the Baconian scientist the initial exploration of the 

 realm of events is the most important, if not the exclusive 

 method of knowing. Bacon, at least in one of his phases, 

 insisted upon the importance of making as complete a col- 



