The Continental Monthly, Vol. 4, No. 6, December 1863: Devoted to Literature and National PolicyVarious
History
The Continental Monthly, Vol. 4, No. 6, December 1863: Devoted to Literature and National Policy
Various
Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; United States -- Politics and government -- 19th century -- Periodicals
The immense superiority of _Mathematical_ Reasoning, as _Demonstration_
is often called, over all other kinds, is universally known and
recognized. For in this mode of reasoning there is no room for doubt or
uncertainty. It starts from Principles of whose truth there can be no
doubt, because it is impossible for _the human mind to apprehend them in
more than one way_, and proceeds by steps, every one of which can
likewise be apprehended in only one way. Hence all men arrive
_inevitably_ at the same conclusion at the close of the chain of
reasoning. It is, therefore, a Method of proof which sets out from a
precise, definite, universally established Law or Principle which really
contains the conclusion in itself, and which can be developed to the end
through a series of necessary and irresistible convincements; while in
the Inductive Method we are obliged to start from this or that admitted
Fact or Truth assumed after Observation, Classification, and Induction,
which may have been rigorously performed, but which, nevertheless, could
not, in the nature of the case, prove the Fact or Truth with complete
certainty, and which is not, perhaps, universally admitted, and proceed
by merely probable inferences drawn from various, diverse, and often
uncertain relations, until we reach a conclusion. Such reasoning may be
sufficient to incline the mind to a particular conclusion, as against
those which tend to any other conclusion, but they are never quite
sufficient, as in Demonstrative or _true_ Deductive reasoning, to
_necessitate_ the conclusion, and render any other impossible.
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