THE AIM AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF SCIENTIFIC METHOD. 21 



no question of the Objectivity of these elements of experience 

 can arise, it is unnecessary to discuss the implications of the 

 plain man's terminology in this region. 



On the other hand we cannot pass from this part of our 

 subject without noting the fact of fundamental importance 

 for Science that the constituents of all three of the "orders 

 of the Objective which we have recognised may be^considered 

 as forming series in respect of many of their various character- 

 istics.* Thus the pitches of a number of notes, their loudness, 

 their purity, their "reediness," their squeakiness, the time 

 during which they are prolonged, the distress they cause to 

 various listeners are all examples of series. The peculiarity 

 of a series is that (with the exception of two, the " first " 

 and the " last ") each term has to at least two others the 

 relation which is understood when we say that it is between 

 them. If a term x is between the terms m and n and is also 

 between p and q it will happen that two of these four 

 (e.g., m and p) will both have the same asymmetrical relation 

 to x, while x will have that same relation to n and q. In that 

 case we -may say that p and m precede x while n arid q follow 

 it. For example, if the asymmetrical relation in question be 

 " more squeaky," all notes which are more squeaky than 

 a given note will precede it ; all notes than which the 

 given note is more squeaky will follow. By considering each 

 in turn we can determine the order of the series, the " first " 

 term being that which precedes every other but does not 

 follow any, the " last " term being that which does not precede 

 any but follows all. It may happen that one or both of these 

 special terms or ends cannot be found. In the former case 

 the series must be infinite and in the latter it must be either 



* The terminology and the main ideas of this section are borrowed 

 from Mr. Russell's admirable and profound treatment ; op.cit., Parts III, 

 IV, V, VI. 



