AGGREGATES, PROPERTIES, RELATIONS. Ill 



recognizing aggregates at all further than is implied by 

 discussion of the particular order of properties. And I 

 think it is equally clear that an Abstract Science, freeing 

 its propositions, so far as the nature of thought permits, 

 from aggregates and properties, occupies itself with the 

 relations of co-existence and sequence, as disentangled 

 from all particular forms of being and action. If then 

 these three groups of sciences are, respectively, accounts of 

 aggregates, accounts of properties, accounts of relations, it is 

 manifest that the divisions between them are not simply 

 perfectly clear, -but that the chasms between them are ab 

 solute. 



Here, perhaps more clearly than before, will be seen the 

 untenability of the classification made by M. Oomte. Al 

 ready (p. 11), after setting forth in a general way these 

 fundamental distinctions, I have pointed out the incongrui 

 ties that arise when the sciences, conceived as Abstract, 

 Abstract- Concrete, and Concrete, are arranged in the order 

 proposed by him. Such incongruities become still more 

 conspicuous if for these general names of the groups we 

 substitute the definitions given above. The series will then 

 stand thus : 



MATHEMATICS An account of relations 



(including, under Mechanics, an account of properties). 



ASTRONOMY An account of aggregates. 



PHYSICS An account of properties. 



CHEMISTRY An account of properties. 



BIOLOGY An account of aggregates. 



SOCIOLOGY An account of aggregates. 



That those who espouse opposite views see clearly the 

 defects in the propositions of their opponents and not those 

 in their own, is a trite remark that holds in philosophical 

 discussions as in all others : the parable of the mote and 



