One who inquires into a matter upon which he believes himself able
to decide in universal terms, _e. g._, in mathematics, has present
to his mind, at the outset, questions such as admit of alternative
answers. "A," he declares, "in case it exists at all, is either B
or C." Further research shows universally, perhaps, that No A is
B.
The last sentence is the statement referred to. What is meant by
"further research shows universally, perhaps, that No A is B"? What kind
of "research," internal or external, can show this? In short, there
appears to be as much difficulty with universality and necessity in the
realm of internal meaning as in the reference of internal to external
meaning.[187]
Instead, however, of discussing this point, Mr. Royce pursues the
problem of the relation of the external and internal meaning, and finds
that regarded as sundered there is no basis so far for even the negative
universality and necessity in the reference of the internal meaning to
the external.
For at this point arises the ancient question, How can you know at
all that your judgment is universally valid, even in this ideal
and negative way, about that external realm of validity, in so far
as it is external, and is merely your Other,--the Beyond? Must you
not just dogmatically say that that world must agree with your
negations? This judgment is indeed positive. But how do you prove
it? The only answer has to be in terms which already suggest how
vain is the very sundering in question. If you can predetermine,
even if but thus negatively, what cannot exist in the object, the
object then cannot be merely foreign to you. It must be somewhat
predetermined by your Meaning.[188]
But in the universal judgment this determination, as referred to the
external meaning, is only negative.
_The particular judgment._--It is then through the particular judgment
that the universal judgment is to get any positive value in its
reference to the external meaning.
As has been repeatedly pointed out in the discussions on recent
Logic, the particular judgments--whose form is Some A is B, or
Some A is not B--are the typical judgments that positively assert
Being in the object viewed as external. This fact constitutes
their essential contrast with the universal judgments. They
undertake to cross the chasm that is said to sunder internal and
external meanings; and the means by which they do so is always
what is called "external experience."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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