i OBJECT AND SCOPE OF PHILOSOPHY 65 



as must render it impossible to form any just conclusion 

 from the phenomenon. We must, therefore, glean up our 

 experiments in this science from a cautious observation of 

 human life, and take them as they appear in the common 

 course of the world, by men's behaviour in company, in 

 affairs, and in their pleasures. Where experiments of this 

 kind are judiciously collected and compared, we may hope 

 to establish on them a science which will not be inferior in 

 certainty, and will be much superior in utility, to any other 

 of human comprehension." (I. pp. 7 11.) 



All science starts with hypotheses in other 

 words, with assumptions that are unproved, while 

 they may be, and often are, erroneous; but which 

 are better than nothing to the seeker after order 

 in the maze of phenomena. And the historical 

 progress of every science depends on the criticism 

 of hypotheses on the gradual stripping off, that 

 is, of their untrue or superfluous parts until there 

 remains only that exact verbal expression of as 

 much as we know of the fact, and no more, which 

 constitutes a perfect scientific theory.! 



Philosophy has followed the same course as 

 other branches of scientific investigation. The 

 memorable service rendered to the cause of sound 

 thinking by Descartes consisted in this: that he 

 laid the foundation of modern philosophical 

 criticism by his inquiry into the nature of 

 certainty. It is a clear result of the investigation 

 started by Descartes, that there is one thing of 

 which no doubt can be entertained, for he who 

 should pretend to doubt it would thereby prove 



