Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T04:20:43.827Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Purpose of the undertaking

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 December 2014

David Walford
Affiliation:
St David's University College, University of Wales
Ralf Meerbote
Affiliation:
University of Rochester, New York
Get access

Summary

I am about to throw some light, I hope, on the first principles of our cognition, and to expound in as few pages as possible the product of my reflection on the subject. I have thus carefully avoided extensive digressions and only laid bare the muscles and joints of my argument, having put aside all charm and grace of language, like a discarded garment. If I shall anywhere in this undertaking have considered it my duty to dissent from the opinions of celebrated men, and even on occasion to mention them by name, I am so well persuaded of their fair-mindedness that I am confident that my dissent will in no wise detract from the honour which their merits deserve, or that they will in any way resent my criticism. When opinions diverge, each is fully entitled to his own view. Nor is it forbidden to criticise the arguments of others in a modest and balanced fashion, provided that the criticism is free from bitterness and contentiousness. Nor have I ever noticed that impartial judges have deemed such criticism to be contrary to the requirements of either politeness or respect.

Accordingly, I shall, in the first place, attempt to weigh on the scales of a more carefully conducted enquiry the things which are asserted, usually with more confidence than truth, concerning the supreme and undoubted primacy of the principle of contradiction over all truths. I shall then attempt briefly to explain what ought more correctly to be maintained on this head. I shall therupon adduce, in what concerns the law of sufficient reason, whatever may serve to improve both an understanding and the proof of that principle. At the same time, I shall cite the difficulties which seem to beset it, replying to them with all the force of argument at the disposal of my modest mind.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 1992

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×