The principles of science : $b a treatise on logic and scientific methodJevons, William Stanley
Philosophy
The principles of science : $b a treatise on logic and scientific method
Jevons, William Stanley
Logic; Science -- Methodology
The reader will also remember that one of the most frequent operations
in mathematical reasoning is to substitute for a quantity its equal,
as known either by assumed, natural, or self-evident conditions.
Whenever a quantity appears twice over in a problem, we may apply
what we learn of its relations in one place to its relations in the
other. All reasoning in mathematics, as in other branches of science,
thus involves the principle of treating equals equally, or similars
similarly. In whatever way we employ quantitative reasoning in the
remaining parts of this work, we never can desert the simple principle
on which we first set out.
*Reasoning by Inequalities.*
I have stated that all the processes of mathematical reasoning may
be deduced from the principle of substitution. Exceptions to this
assertion may seem to exist in the use of inequalities. The greater of
a greater is undoubtedly a greater, and what is less than a less is
certainly less. Snowdon is higher than the Wrekin, and Ben Nevis than
Snowdon; therefore Ben Nevis is higher than the Wrekin. But a little
consideration discloses sufficient reason for believing that even in
such cases, where equality does not apparently enter, the force of the
reasoning entirely depends upon underlying and implied equalities.
In the first place, two statements of mere difference do not give
any ground of inference. We learn nothing concerning the comparative
heights of St. Paul’s and Westminster Abbey from the assertions that
they both differ in height from St. Peter’s at Rome. We need something
more than inequality; we require one identity in addition, namely the
identity in direction of the two differences. Thus we cannot employ
inequalities in the simple way in which we do equalities, and, when we
try to express what other conditions are requisite, we find ourselves
lapsing into the use of equalities or identities.
In the second place, every argument by inequalities may be represented
in the form of equalities. We express that *a* is greater than *b* by
the equation
*a* = *b* + *p*, (1)
where *p* is an intrinsically positive quantity, denoting the
difference of *a* and *b*. Similarly we express that *b* is greater
than *c* by the equation
*b* = *c* + *q*, (2)
and substituting for *b* in (1) its value in (2) we have
*a* = *c* + *q* + *p*. (3)
Now as *p* and *q* are both positive, it follows that *a* is greater
than *c*, and we have the exact amount of excess specified. It will be
easily seen that the reasoning concerning that which is less than a
less will result in an equation of the form
*c* = *a* - *r* - *s*.
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