22 NAMES AND PROPOSITIONS. 



position, according to the common simple definition, 

 which is sufficient for our purpose, is, discourse, in 

 which something is affirmed or denied of something. 

 Thus, in the proposition, Gold is yellow, the quality 

 yellow is affirmed of the substance gold. In the pro- 

 position, Franklin was not born in England, the fact 

 expressed by the words born in England is denied of 

 the man Franklin. 



Every proposition consists of three parts : the 

 Subject, the Predicate, and the Copula. The pre- 

 dicate is the name denoting that which is affirmed or 

 denied. The subject is the name denoting the person 

 or thing which something is affirmed or denied of. 

 The copula is the sign denoting that there is an 

 affirmation or denial ; and thereby enabling the hearer 

 or reader to distinguish a proposition from any other 

 kind of discourse. Thus, in the proposition, The 

 earth is round, the Predicate is the word round, which 

 denotes the quality affirmed, or (as the phrase is) 

 predicated : the earth, words denoting the object 

 which that quality is affirmed of, compose the Subject; 

 the word is, which serves as the connecting mark 

 between the subject and predicate, to show that one 

 of them is affirmed of the other, is called the Copula. 

 Dismissing, for the present, the copula, of which 

 more will be said hereafter, every proposition, then, 

 consists of at least two names ; brings together two 

 names, in a particular manner. This is already a 

 first step towards what we are in quest of. It appears 

 from this, that for an act of belief, one object is not 

 sufficient ; the simplest act of belief supposes, and 

 has something to do with, two objects : two names, to 

 say the least ; and (since the names must be names 

 of something) two nameable things. A large class of 

 thinkers would cut the matter short by saying, two 



