DEFINITION. 



lOI 



ing this distinct connotation, becomes 

 susceptible of definition. ! 



In giving a distinct connotation to 

 the general name, the philosopher will 

 endeavour to fix upon such attributes 

 as, while they are common to all the 

 things usually denoted by the name, 

 are also of greatest importance in 

 themselves ; either directly, or from 

 the number, the conspicuousness, or 

 the interesting character, of the con- 

 sequences to which they lead. He 

 will select, as far as possible, such 

 differentice as lead to the greatest 

 number of interesting propria. For 

 these, rather than the more obscure 

 and recondite qualities on which they 

 often depend, give that general char- 

 acter and aspect to a set of objects 

 which determine the groups into 



which they naturally fall. But to 

 penetrate to the more hidden agree- 

 ment on which these obvious and 

 superficial agreements depend, is often 

 one of the most difficult of scientific 

 problems. As it is among the most 

 difficult, so it seldom fails to be 

 among the most important. And since 

 upon the result of this inquiry re- 

 specting the causes of the properties 

 of a class of things, there incidentally 

 depends the question what shall be 

 the meaning of a word, some of the 

 most profound and most valuable in- 

 vestigations which philosophy pre- 

 sents to us have been introduced by, 

 and have offered themselves under 

 the guise of, inquiries into the defini- 

 tion of a name. 



