PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. 47 



To suppose that the advocates oil the other side meant to take 

 issue on this proposition would be to assume that they did not know 

 what they were saying. The conclusion forced upon us is that 

 though men spend their whole lives in the study of the most ele- 

 vated department of human thought it does not guard them against 

 the danger of using words without meaning. It would be a mark 

 of ignorance, rather than of penetration, to hastily denounce propo- 

 sitions on subjects we are not well acquainted with because we do 

 not understand their meaning. I do not mean to intimate that 

 philosophy itself is subject to this reproach. When we see a philo- 

 sophical proposition, couched in terms we do not understand, the 

 most modest and charitable view is to assume that this arises from 

 our lack of knowledge. Nothing is easier than for the ignorant to 

 ridicule the propositions of the learned. And yet, with every re- 

 serve, I cannot but feel that the disputes to which I have alluded 

 prove the necessity of bringing scientific precision of language into 

 every demand of thought. If the discussion had been confined to 

 a few, and other philosophers had analyzed the subject, and showed 

 the fictitious character of the discussion, or had pointed out where 

 opinions really might differ, there would be nothing derogatory to 

 philosophers. But the most suggestive circumstance is that although 

 a large proportion of the philosophic writers in recent times have 

 devoted more or less attention to the subject, few, or none, have made 

 even this modest contribution. I speak with some little confidence 

 on this subject, because several years ago I wrote to one of the most 

 acute thinkers of the country, asking if he could find in philoso- 

 phical literature any terms or definitions expressive of the three! 

 different senses in which not only the word freedom, but nearly all 

 words implying freedom were used. His search was in vain. 



Nothing of this sort occurs in the practical affairs of life. All 

 terms used in business, however general or abstract, have that well- 

 defined meaning which is the first requisite of the scientific lan- 

 guage. Now one important lesson which I wish to inculcate is that 

 the language of science in this respect corresponds to that of busi- 

 ness ; in that each and every term that is employed has a meaning 

 as well defined as the subject of discussion can admit of. It will be 

 an instructive exercise to inquire what this peculiarity of scientific 

 and business language is. It can be shown that a certain re- 

 quirement should be fulfilled by all language intended for the 

 discovery of truth, which is fulfilled only by the two classes of 



