1 62 Detection of New Truth. 



fundamental logical, axioms : a thing either is or is 

 not :--a thing cannot both be and not be : a thing 

 must either be or not be : things equal to the same 

 are equal to each other ; &c. It is chiefly by means 

 of knowledge of these axioms and of the above prin- 

 ciples of science, and of their varied and numerous 

 modes of operation and application, that the man of 

 science "explains" the multitudinous phenomena of 

 nature, predicts future events, and is enabled to dis- 

 cover new truths and develope new inventions in the 

 arts. Unlike other persons ; when he sees a new 

 effect, or hears of a new phenomenon, he at once 

 refers it to these principles, in order to test its 

 correctness or to explain it. 



With regard to the detection of truth, that is often 

 a difficult and complex process. There exists no 

 royal or easy method ; usually it can only be recog- 

 nised by means of laborious and critical examination 

 of the whole of the evidence obtainable in the case ; 

 and even then we are often obliged to be satisfied 

 with only an approximation, or it may be with even a 

 mere probability. Frequently also the truthfulness or 

 otherwise of a statement cannot be decided in any 

 degree in consequence of the absence of suitable or 

 sufficient evidence, and for that we may have to wait 

 for ages. We are now waiting for evidence necessary to 

 -decide many questions respecting the human mind. 



ith regard to the question, what is new truth ? ; 

 /I that also is a difficult one to solve. The forms in 

 If which different truths appear are so various, and those 



