皮尔斯 [英]如何使我们的观念清晰-英文

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1、如何使我们的观念清晰□文/皮尔斯HowtoMakeOurIdeasClearPopularScienceMonthly12(January1878),286-302.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------IWhoeverhaslookedintoamoderntreatiseonlogicofthecommonsort,willdoubtlessrememberthetwodistinctionsbetweencl

2、earandobscureconceptions,andbetweendistinctandconfusedconceptions.Theyhavelaininthebooksnowfornightwocenturies,unimprovedandunmodified,andaregenerallyreckonedbylogiciansasamongthegemsoftheirdoctrine.Aclearideaisdefinedasonewhichissoapprehendedthatitwillberecognizedwhereveritismetwith,andsothatn

3、ootherwillbemistakenforit.Ifitfailsofthisclearness,itissaidtobeobscure.Thisisratheraneatbitofphilosophicalterminology;yet,sinceitisclearnessthattheyweredefining,Iwishthelogicianshadmadetheirdefinitionalittlemoreplain.Nevertofailtorecognizeanidea,andundernocircumstancestomistakeanotherforit,leti

4、tcomeinhowreconditeaformitmay,wouldindeedimplysuchprodigiousforceandclearnessofintellectasisseldommetwithinthisworld.Ontheotherhand,merelytohavesuchanacquaintancewiththeideaastohavebecomefamiliarwithit,andtohavelostallhesitancyinrecognizingitinordinarycases,hardlyseemstodeservethenameofclearnes

5、sofapprehension,sinceafterallitonlyamountstoasubjectivefeelingofmasterywhichmaybeentirelymistaken.Itakeit,however,thatwhenthelogiciansspeakof"clearness,"theymeannothingmorethansuchafamiliaritywithanidea,sincetheyregardthequalityasbutasmallmerit,whichneedstobesupplementedbyanother,whichtheycalld

6、istinctness.Adistinctideaisdefinedasonewhichcontainsnothingwhichisnotclear.Thisistechnicallanguage;bythecontentsofanidealogiciansunderstandwhateveriscontainedinitsdefinition.Sothatanideaisdistinctlyapprehended,accordingtothem,whenwecangiveaprecisedefinitionofit,inabstractterms.Heretheprofession

7、allogiciansleavethesubject;andIwouldnothavetroubledthereaderwithwhattheyhavetosay,ifitwerenotsuchastrikingexampleofhowtheyhavebeenslumberingthroughagesofintellectualactivity,listlesslydisregardingtheengineryofmodernthought,andneve