CHAPTEE XXIY. 



EMPIRICAL KNOWLEDGE, EXPLANATION, AND 

 PREDICTION. 



THE one great method of inductive investigation, as we 

 have seen, consists in the union of hypothesis and experi- 

 ment, deductive reasoning being the link by which the 

 experimental results are made to confirm or confute the 

 hypothesis. Now when we consider this relation between 

 hypothesis and experiment, it is obvious that we may 

 classify our knowledge under four heads. 



(1) We may be acquainted with facts or phenomena 

 which have come under our notice accidentally or without 

 reference to any special hypothesis,, and which have not 

 been brought into accordance as yet with any hypothesis. 

 Such facts constitute what is called Empirical Know- 

 ledge. 



(2) Another very extensive portion of our knowledge 

 consists of those facts which, having been first observed 

 empirically, have afterwards been brought into accord- 

 ance with other facts by an hypothesis concerning the 

 general laws applying to them. This portion of our 

 knowledge may be said to be explained, reasoned, or 

 generalised. 



(3) In a third place comes the collection of facts, minor 

 in number, but most important as regards their scientific 

 value and interest, which have been anticipated by theory 

 and afterwards verified by experiment. 



