24 Colorado College Studies. 



in various ways as antecedent and consequent, but that there are 

 strict limits, never overpassed, to the variety of these combina- 

 tions. A given antecedent never occurs but with a certain con- 

 sequent. That a certain consequent, however, may have several 

 alternative antecedents is recognized by Mill under the expres- 

 sion Plurality of Causes. The result of the fact of Causation is 

 that any sequence of phenomena once definitely ascertained 

 since it must be general unless causation is false, rests not upon 

 its own evidence but upon that of causation. But causation is 

 an uniformity in which there has never been observed a break; 

 therefore the evidence for any sequence once observed is the 

 evidence for an absolute uniformity, and as far as its proof is 

 concerned the sequence may be considered to be an absolute 

 uniformity — a law of Nature. At once that whole body of 

 science springs into being which is concerned with the search 

 after cause and effect. A considerable portion of Mill's discus- 

 sion on Induction relates to the conditions of this inquiry; and 

 includes a description of four Experimental methods and of a 

 combined method of Induction, Deduction and Verification 

 which must he states be a main reliance in investigating com- 

 plex phenomena. 



We have seen that when a sequence is once ascertained, the 

 generalization from it will rest on the firmest possible basis of 

 evidence, uncontradicted experience. Now if phenomena are 

 not conjoined in they are co-existent; and the question arises 

 as to the trustworthiness of generalizations of co-existence. 

 It is evident that whatever uniformities of co-existence are im- 

 plied in ascertained laws of sequence will partake of their evi- 

 dence. But in co-existences generally, we do not find that abso- 

 lute regularity which marks sequences. Bacon'sMea that every 

 Nature has its accompanying form is not borne out by facts. 

 We are thus left without the standard generalization which gives 

 its evidence to the weaker conclusions of our observation and 

 experiment. There do exist indeed, in the laws of number and 

 space, absolute uniformities of co-existence; but the generaliza- 

 tions which must be true unless the laws of number and space 

 are false, are simply truths of number and space, and outside of 



