The student will find the proof of this proposition exhibited in the example of Induction2, quoted from Mr. Bailey, p. 63.
2. Prosperity could never be reached and maintained in this country, without some provision for the regular employment of the poor.—Mr. Beckett's Speech in the House of Commons, Feb. 3,1842.
The demonstration3, to universal conviction, of this proposition, would lead to an entire and beneficial change of the social condition of this country.
3. The pen is the tongue of the world.—Paine. Put this in the syllogistic4 form.
4. A good instance of a metaphorical5 argument drawn7 out is given by Mr. Mill:—'For instance, when Mr. Carlyle, rebuking8 the Byronic vein9, says that "strength does not manifest itself in spasms10, but in stout11 bearing of burdens;" the metaphor6 proves nothing, it is no argument, only an allusion12 to an argument; in no other way however could so much of argument be so completely suggested in so few words. The expression suggests a whole train of reasoning, which it would take many sentences to write out at length. As thus: Motions which are violent but brief, which lead to no end, and are not under the control of the will, are, in the physical body, more incident to a weak than to a strong constitution. If this be owing to a cause which equally operates in what relates to the mind, the same conclusion will told there likewise. But such is really the fact. For the body's liability to these sudden and uncontrollable motions arises from irritability13, that is, unusual susceptibility of being moved out of its ordinary course by transient influences: which may equally be said of the mind. And this susceptibility, whether of mind or body, must arise from a weakness of the forces which maintain and carry on the ordinary action of the system. All this is conveyed in one short sentence. And since the causes are alike in the body and in the mind, the analogy is a just one, and the maxim14 holds of the one as much as of the other.'*
5. A youth, named Evathlus, engaged with Protagoras to learn dialectics, and promised his tutor a large sum of money, in case he gained the first cause he pleaded, Evathlus, when fully16 instructed, refused to pay his instructor17. Protagoras brought his action thus—'You must pay the money however the cause go, for if I gain you must pay in consequence of the sentence, as being cast in the cause; and if you gain it, you must pay in pursuance of our covenant18.' 'Nay,' Evathlus retorts, 'which way soever the cause be decided19, you will have nothing, for if I prevail, the sentence gives it that nothing is due: and if I lose, then there is nothing due by the covenant.' What should be the decision in this case?
6. The first case, says Cervantes, requiring Sancho's attention was a question put by a stranger, in presence of the stewards20 and rest of the attendants. 'My Lord,' said he, 'a certain manor21 is divided by a large river. I beg your honour will be attentive22, for the case is of great consequence and of some difficulty. I say then, upon this river is a bridge, and at one end of it the gibbet, together with a sort of court hall, in which four judges usually sit to execute the law enacted23 by the lord of the river, bridge, and manor, which runs to this effect: Whoever shall pass this bridge, must first swear whence he comes and whither he goes; if he swear the truth he shall be allowed to pass, but if he forswear himself he shall die upon the gallows24 without mercy or respite25. This law, together with the rigorous penalty, being known, numbers passed, and as it appeared they swore nothing but the truth, the judges permitted them to pass freely and without control. It happened, however, that one man's oath being taken, he affirmed and swore by his deposition26 that he was going to be hanged on that gibbet, and had no other errand or intention. The judges, having considered this oath, observed: if we allow this man to pass freely, he swore to a lie, and, therefore, ought to be hanged according to law; and if we ordered him to be hanged after he hath sworn he was going to be suspended on that gibbet, he will have sworn the truth, and by the same law he ought to be acquitted27, I beg, therefore, to know, my lord governor [and student], what the judges must do with this man?'
点击收听单词发音
1 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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2 induction | |
n.感应,感应现象 | |
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3 demonstration | |
n.表明,示范,论证,示威 | |
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4 syllogistic | |
adj.三段论法的,演绎的,演绎性的 | |
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5 metaphorical | |
a.隐喻的,比喻的 | |
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6 metaphor | |
n.隐喻,暗喻 | |
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7 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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8 rebuking | |
责难或指责( rebuke的现在分词 ) | |
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9 vein | |
n.血管,静脉;叶脉,纹理;情绪;vt.使成脉络 | |
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10 spasms | |
n.痉挛( spasm的名词复数 );抽搐;(能量、行为等的)突发;发作 | |
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12 allusion | |
n.暗示,间接提示 | |
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13 irritability | |
n.易怒 | |
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14 maxim | |
n.格言,箴言 | |
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15 logic | |
n.逻辑(学);逻辑性 | |
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16 fully | |
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
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17 instructor | |
n.指导者,教员,教练 | |
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18 covenant | |
n.盟约,契约;v.订盟约 | |
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19 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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20 stewards | |
(轮船、飞机等的)乘务员( steward的名词复数 ); (俱乐部、旅馆、工会等的)管理员; (大型活动的)组织者; (私人家中的)管家 | |
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21 manor | |
n.庄园,领地 | |
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22 attentive | |
adj.注意的,专心的;关心(别人)的,殷勤的 | |
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23 enacted | |
制定(法律),通过(法案)( enact的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24 gallows | |
n.绞刑架,绞台 | |
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25 respite | |
n.休息,中止,暂缓 | |
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26 deposition | |
n.免职,罢官;作证;沉淀;沉淀物 | |
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27 acquitted | |
宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 ); 使(自己)作出某种表现 | |
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