Inference always consists of judgments. But judgment does not always
consist of conceptions. It is not a combination of conceptions; it
does not arise from conceptions, nor even at first require conception.
Sense is the origin of judgment. One who feels pained or pleased, who
feels hot or cold or resisting in touch, who tastes the flavoured, who
smells the odorous, who hears the sounding, who sees the coloured, or
is conscious, already believes that something sensible exists before
conception, before inference, and before language; and his belief is
true of the immediate object of sense, the sensible thing, e.g. the
hot felt in touch. But a belief in the existence of something is a
judgment and a categorical judgment of existence. Sense, then, outer
and inner, or sensation and consciousness, is the origin of sensory
judgments which are true categorical beliefs in the existence of
sensible things; and primary judgments are such true categorical
sensory beliefs that things exist, and neither require conception nor
are combinations of conceptions. Again, since sense is the origin of
memory and experience, memorial and experiential judgments are
categorical and existential judgments, which so far as they report
sensory judgments are always true. Finally, since sense, memory and
experience are the origin of inference, primary inference is
categorical and existential, starting from sensory, memorial and
experiential judgments as premises, and proceeding to inferential
judgments as conclusions, which are categorical and existential, and
are true, so far as they depend on sense, memory and experience.
Sense, then, is the origin of judgment; and the consequence is that
primary judgments are true, categorical and existential judgments of
sense, and primary inferences are inferences from categorical and
existential premises to categorical and existential conclusions, which
are true so far as they arise from outer and inner sense, and proceed
to things similar to sensible things. All other judgments and
inferences about existing things, or ideas, or names, whether
categorical or hypothetical, are afterthoughts, partly true and partly
false.
Sense, then, because it involves a true belief in existence is fitted
to be the origin of judgment. Conception on the other hand is the
simple apprehension of an idea, particular or universal, but without
belief that anything is or is not, and therefore is unfitted to beget
judgment. Nor could a combination of conceptions make a difference so
fundamental as that between conceiving and believing. The most that it
could do would be to cause an ideal judgment, e.g. that the idea of a
centaur is the idea of a man-horse; and even here some further origin
is needed for the addition of the copula "is."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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