THE CRITERION OF SCIENTIFIC 

 TRUTH. 



SYNOPSIS. 



Section I. deals historically with the criterion 

 of truth formulated, or implied ^rii-irprious systems of 

 philosophy before the middle of the eighteenth 

 century. 



Section II. shows from the history of modern 

 science that there is a single definite criterion which 

 has been continuously employed for testing scientific 

 truth. This criterion may be expressed as follows : 

 When a logical arrangement of a whole class of 

 reminiscences affords a mental picture of relationship 

 among them, clearer, more direct, and better adapted 

 for complete mental comprehension than any arrange- 

 ment previously suggested, then that arrangement is 

 accepted as a basis of scientific truth, and the relation- 

 ship involved therein is held to be a true nexus. 

 Thereafter it is necessary, by the examination of 

 fresh experiences, to make sure that the arrangement 

 does not exclude any of the reminiscences which 

 appear to belong to the class in question, but when 

 this is done there is no further criterion to which 

 B 



113594 



