ONT Re: Hermeneutic Equivalence Classes
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HEC. Note 12
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| Leibniz, "Elements of a Calculus" (cont.)
|
| 17. From this, therefore, we can know whether some
| universal affirmative proposition is true. For
| in this proposition the concept of the subject,
| taken absolutely and indefinitely, and in general
| regarded in itself, always contains the concept of
| the predicate.
|
| For example, all gold is metal; that is, the concept of metal is
| contained in the general concept of gold regarded in itself, so that
| whatever is assumed to be gold is by that very fact assumed to be metal.
| This is because all the requisites of metal (such as being homogeneous
| to the senses, liquid when fire is applied in a certain degree, and then
| not wetting things of another genus immersed in it) are contained in the
| requisites of gold, as we explained at length in article 7 above. So if
| we want to know whether all gold is metal (for it can be doubted whether,
| for example, fulminating gold is still a metal, since it is in the form of
| a powder and explodes rather than liquefies when fire is applied to it in
| a certain degree) we shall only investigate whether the definition of metal
| is in it. That is, by a very simple procedure (once we have our symbolic
| numbers) we shall investigate whether the symbolic number of gold can be
| divided by the symbolic number of metal.
|
| Leibniz, 'Logical Papers', pp. 22-23.
|
| Leibniz, G.W., "Elements of a Calculus" (April, 1679),
| G.H.R. Parkinson (ed.), 'Leibniz: Logical Papers', pp. 17-24,
| Oxford University Press, London, UK, 1966. (Couturat, 49-57).
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