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do not precede but follow concrete ones, as is proved by the 

 etymological fact that they are almost always derived from 

 them ; we may consider their meaning as determined by, and 

 dependent on, the meaning of their concrete : and thus the 

 problem of giving a distinct meaning to general language, is 

 all included in that of giving a precise connotation to all con- 

 crete general names. 



This is not difficult in the case of new names ; of the 

 technical terms created by scientific inquirers for the pur- 

 poses of science or art. But when a name is in common 

 use, the difficulty is greater ; the problem in this case not 

 being that of choosing a convenient connotation for the name, 

 but of ascertaining and fixing the connotation with which it 

 is already used. That this can ever be a matter of doubt, 

 is a sort of paradox. But the vulgar (including in that term 

 all who have not accurate habits of thought) seldom know 

 exactly what assertion they intend to make, what common 

 property they mean to express, when they apply the same 

 name to a number of different things. All which the name 

 expresses with them, when they predicate it of an object, is 

 a confused feeling of resemblance between that object and 

 some of the other things which they have been accustomed 

 to denote by the name. They have applied the name Stone 

 to various objects previously seen ; they see a new object, 

 which appears to them somewhat like the former, and they 

 call it a stone, without asking themselves in what respect it 

 is like, or what mode or degree of resemblance the best 

 authorities, or even they themselves, require as a warrant for 

 using the name. This rough general impression of resem- 

 blance is, however, made up of particular circumstances of 

 resemblance ; and into these it is the business of the logician 

 to analyse it ; to ascertain what points of resemblance among 

 the different things commonly called by the name, have pro- 

 duced in the common mind this vague feeling of likeness ; 

 have given to the things the similarity of aspect, which has 

 made them a class, and has caused the same name to be 

 bestowed upon them. 



But though general names are imposed by the vulgar 



