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PROCEEDINGS 



CAMBRIDGE PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. 



October 31, 1859. 



A communication was made by Mr. Hopkins "On the construction 

 of a new Calorimeter for determining the Radiating Power of the 

 Surfaces of Heated Bodies." 



November 14, 1859. 



A communication was made by the Master of Trinity College 

 On the Mathematical part of Plato's Meno." 



November 28, 1859. 



The Rev. Dr. Donaldson read a paper " On the Origin and proper 

 value of the word ' Argument.' " 



The author first investigated the etymology and meaning of the 

 Latin verb arguo, and its participle argutus. He showed that arguo 

 was a corruption of argruo = ad gruo ; that gruo (in argruo, ingruo, 

 congruo) ought to be compared with Kpovm, which means " to dash 

 one thing against another," especially for the purpose of making a 

 shrill, ringing noise ; that arguo means " to knock something for the 

 purpose of making it ring, or testing its soundness," hence " to test, 

 examine, and prove anything; " and that argutus signifies " made to 

 ring," hence "making a distinct, shrill noise," or '" tested and put 

 to the proof." Accordingly argumentum means id quodarguit, " that 

 which makes a substance ring, which sounds, examines, tests, and 

 proves it." 



It was then shown that these meanings were not only borne out 

 by the classical usage of the word, but also by the technical appli- 

 cation of " argument " as a logical term. For it is not equivalent 

 to " argumentation," or the process of reasoning ; it does not even 

 denote a complete syllogism ; though Dr. Whately and some other 



No. XV. — Proceedings of the Cambridge Phil. Sqc 



