I OBJECT AND SCOPE OF PHILOSOPHY 65 



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 

 its existence; and that is the momentary 

 consciousness we call a present thought or 

 feeling; that is safe, even if all other kinds of 



VOL. VI F 



