The Power of Definitions and Reason
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Questions and Answers

What is the only science that has been bestowed on mankind by God?

  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Biology
  • Geometry (correct)

    • What is the foundation of errors according to the author?

  • Inconstant names
  • Wrong or no definitions (correct)
  • Absurdities
  • Falsehoods

    • What is the first use of speech and the acquisition of science according to the author?

  • The right definition of names (correct)
  • The use of metaphors and tropes
  • The inquiring about the consequences of thoughts and actions
  • The demand for right reason as judge

    • What is the privilege of absurdity according to the author?

    <p>The ability to express senseless speech</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the author's definition of reason?

    <p>The adding and subtracting of consequences of general names agreed upon for marking and signifying our thoughts</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author argue is necessary for precise truth?

    <p>The right ordering of names in affirmations</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the example used by the author to illustrate the importance of starting from the first items in every reckoning?

    <p>A master of a family taking an account</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author identify as one of the six causes of absurd conclusions?

    <p>The want of method</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author claim is necessary for a certainty of a conclusion?

    <p>A certainty of all affirmations and negations on which it was grounded and inferred</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author claim is the difference between error and absurdity?

    <p>Error is a deception and absurdity is a senseless speech</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author claim is the role of reason in debates?

    <p>Parties must set up the reason of an arbitrator or judge to whose sentence they will both stand</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author conclude about men's ability to reason?

    <p>All men by nature reason alike and well when they have good principles</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the only science that has been bestowed on mankind by God?

    <p>Geometry</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the foundation of errors according to the author?

    <p>Wrong or no definitions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the first use of speech and the acquisition of science according to the author?

    <p>The right definition of names</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the privilege of absurdity according to the author?

    <p>The ability to express senseless speech</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the author's definition of reason?

    <p>The adding and subtracting of consequences of general names agreed upon for marking and signifying our thoughts</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author argue is necessary for precise truth?

    <p>The right ordering of names in affirmations</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the example used by the author to illustrate the importance of starting from the first items in every reckoning?

    <p>A master of a family taking an account</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author identify as one of the six causes of absurd conclusions?

    <p>The want of method</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author claim is necessary for a certainty of a conclusion?

    <p>A certainty of all affirmations and negations on which it was grounded and inferred</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author claim is the difference between error and absurdity?

    <p>Error is a deception and absurdity is a senseless speech</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author claim is the role of reason in debates?

    <p>Parties must set up the reason of an arbitrator or judge to whose sentence they will both stand</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author conclude about men's ability to reason?

    <p>All men by nature reason alike and well when they have good principles</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the foundation of errors according to the text?

    <p>Wrong or no definitions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which science does the author claim has been bestowed on mankind by God?

    <p>Geometry</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the first use of speech and the acquisition of science according to the text?

    <p>The right definition of names</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the privilege of absurdity according to the text?

    <p>To which no living creature is subject, but man only</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the demand for right reason as judge according to the text?

    <p>To seek things to be determined by no other men's reason but their own</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author claim is the faculty that enables humans to inquire about the consequences of their thoughts and actions?

    <p>Reason</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What distinguishes error from absurdity according to the text?

    <p>Error is a deception and absurdity is a senseless speech</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are inconstant names?

    <p>Those that signify things that please or displease us</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author cite to illustrate the fact that philosophers do not begin their ratiocination from definitions?

    <p>Cicero's observation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the six causes of absurd conclusions according to the text?

    <p>Want of method, giving names of bodies to accidents, giving names of accidents to bodies, giving names of bodies to names or speeches, the use of metaphors and tropes, and names that signify nothing</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the author's conclusion about men's ability to reason?

    <p>All men by nature reason alike and well when they have good principles</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the foundation of errors, according to the text?

    <p>Wrong or no definitions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which science does the author claim has been bestowed on mankind by God?

    <p>Geometry</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the first use of speech and the acquisition of science, according to the author?

    <p>The right definition of names</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the privilege of absurdity, according to the author?

    <p>To which no living creature is subject, but man only</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the difference between error and absurdity, according to the author?

    <p>Error is a deception and absurdity is a senseless speech</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the demand for right reason as judge, according to the text?

    <p>To seek things to be determined by no other men's reason but their own</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of reason, according to the author?

    <p>To inquire about the consequences of thoughts and actions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the consequence of reasoning in words of general signification and falling upon a general inference that is false, according to the author?

    <p>Absurdity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the first step in precise truth, according to the author?

    <p>The right ordering of names in affirmations</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the privilege of man, according to the author?

    <p>To reason not only in number but in all other things</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the conclusion of the author?

    <p>All men by nature reason alike and well when they have good principles</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the six causes of absurd conclusions, according to the author?

    <p>Want of method, giving names of bodies to accidents, giving names of accidents to bodies, giving names of bodies to names or speeches, the use of metaphors and tropes, names that signify nothing</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the only science that has been bestowed on mankind by God?

    <p>Geometry</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the foundation of errors according to the author?

    <p>Wrong or no definitions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to the author, what is the first use of speech and the acquisition of science?

    <p>Defining words</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the privilege of absurdity, according to the author?

    <p>The ability to fall into absurd conclusions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author claim is necessary for precise truth?

    <p>The right ordering of names in affirmations</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author use as an example to illustrate the importance of starting from the first items in every reckoning?

    <p>A master of a family taking an account</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the difference between error and absurdity, according to the author?

    <p>Error is a deception, absurdity is a senseless speech</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the demand for right reason as judge in debates, according to the author?

    <p>To seek things to be determined by the reason of an arbitrator or judge</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author identify as the six causes of absurd conclusions?

    <p>Lack of method, giving names of bodies to accidents, giving names of accidents to bodies, giving names of bodies to names or speeches, the use of metaphors and tropes, names that signify nothing</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author conclude about the ability of all men to reason?

    <p>All men by nature reason alike and well when they have good principles</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author claim is the faculty that enables humans to inquire about the consequences of their thoughts and actions?

    <p>Reason</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author argue is necessary for a conclusion to be certain?

    <p>A certainty of all affirmations and negations on which it was grounded and inferred</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the only science that has been bestowed on mankind by God?

    <p>Geometry</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the foundation of errors according to the author?

    <p>Wrong definitions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the first use of speech and the acquisition of science according to the author?

    <p>The right definition of names</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the privilege of absurdity according to the author?

    <p>The ability to say senseless speech</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the distinction between error and absurdity according to the author?

    <p>Error is a deception, absurdity is a senseless speech</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the demand for right reason as judge according to the author?

    <p>To seek things to be determined by the reason of an arbitrator or judge</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the author's argument about the certainty of a conclusion?

    <p>There can be no certainty of a conclusion without a certainty of all affirmations and negations on which it was grounded and inferred</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the author's argument about the role of reason?

    <p>Reason is the faculty that enables humans to inquire about the consequences of their thoughts and actions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the author's argument about the use of general names in reasoning?

    <p>Absurdity arises when we reason in words of general signification and fall upon a general inference that is false</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the six causes of absurd conclusions according to the author?

    <p>The want of method, giving names of bodies to accidents, giving names of accidents to bodies, giving names of bodies to names or speeches, the use of metaphors and tropes, names that signify nothing</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the author's argument about man's ability to reason?

    <p>All men by nature reason alike and well when they have good principles</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the only science that has been bestowed on mankind by God?

    <p>Geometry</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to the author, what is the foundation of errors?

    <p>Wrong or no definitions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the first use of speech and the acquisition of science?

    <p>Settling the significations of words</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is reason according to the author?

    <p>The ability to think logically and critically</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the privilege of absurdity according to the author?

    <p>The ability to make senseless speech</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the difference between error and absurdity according to the author?

    <p>Error is a deception, absurdity is a senseless speech</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the demand for right reason as judge in debates according to the author?

    <p>To seek things to be determined by the judge's reason</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the first item in every reckoning according to the author?

    <p>The first item</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the six causes of absurd conclusions according to the author?

    <p>Lack of method, giving names of bodies to accidents, giving names of accidents to bodies, giving names of bodies to names or speeches, the use of metaphors and tropes, and names that signify nothing</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the author's conclusion about men and reason?

    <p>All men reason alike and well when they have good principles</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the author's argument about certainty of a conclusion?

    <p>There can be no certainty of a conclusion without a certainty of all affirmations and negations on which it was grounded and inferred</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author attribute to philosophers not beginning their ratiocination from definitions?

    <p>Their tendency to reason absurdly</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author claim is necessary for precise truth?

    <p>The right ordering of names in affirmations</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author identify as the only science bestowed on mankind by God?

    <p>Mathematics</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the foundation of errors according to the author?

    <p>Wrong or no definitions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is reason according to the author?

    <p>The faculty that enables humans to inquire about the consequences of their thoughts and actions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author claim is necessary to seek in debates?

    <p>The reason of an arbitrator or judge to whose sentence they will both stand</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the privilege of absurdity according to the author?

    <p>The privilege of absurdity, to which no living creature is subject, but man only</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author cite to illustrate the fact that philosophers do not begin their ratiocination from definitions?

    <p>Cicero's observation that there can be nothing so absurd but may be found in the books of philosophers</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the six causes of absurd conclusions that the author identifies?

    <p>The want of method, giving names of bodies to accidents, giving names of accidents to bodies, giving names of bodies to names or speeches, the use of metaphors and tropes, and names that signify nothing</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author argue is the importance of starting from the first items in every reckoning?

    <p>To illustrate the importance of starting from definitions and settled meanings of names and proceeding from one consequence to another</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author conclude about men by nature?

    <p>All men by nature reason alike and well when they have good principles</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author argue is necessary for a conclusion to have certainty?

    <p>A certainty of all affirmations and negations on which it was grounded and inferred</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the nature of truth and falsehood according to the text?

    <p>They are attributes of speech, not of things.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is necessary for precise truth according to the text?

    <p>The right ordering of names in affirmations</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which science has been bestowed on mankind by God according to the text?

    <p>Geometry</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the foundation of errors according to the text?

    <p>Wrong or no definitions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the first use of speech and the acquisition of science according to the text?

    <p>The right definition of names</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is reason according to the author?

    <p>The faculty that enables humans to inquire about the consequences of their thoughts and actions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the privilege of absurdity according to the author?

    <p>The privilege of being able to speak senselessly</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author attribute to philosophers' books containing absurdities?

    <p>Their failure to begin their ratiocination from definitions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the causes of absurd conclusions according to the author?

    <p>The use of metaphors and tropes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What must parties do in debates according to the author?

    <p>Set up the reason of an arbitrator or judge to whose sentence they will both stand</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the conclusion of the author regarding men's ability to reason?

    <p>All men by nature reason alike and well when they have good principles</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the difference between error and absurdity according to the author?

    <p>Error is a deception and absurdity is a senseless speech</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the only science that, according to the text, has been bestowed on mankind by God?

    <p>Geometry</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the foundation of errors, according to the text?

    <p>Wrong or no definitions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the first use of speech and the acquisition of science, according to the text?

    <p>Settling the significations of words</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the privilege that balances man's ability to reason in all other things, according to the text?

    <p>The privilege of absurdity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the difference between error and absurdity?

    <p>Error is a deception and absurdity is a senseless speech</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the demand for right reason as judge, according to the text?

    <p>To seek things to be determined by the reason of an arbitrator or judge</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author claim is the faculty that enables humans to inquire about the consequences of their thoughts and actions?

    <p>Reason</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author use the example of a master of a family taking an account to illustrate?

    <p>The importance of starting from the first items in every reckoning</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author identify as the six causes of absurd conclusions?

    <p>The want of method, giving names of bodies to accidents, giving names of accidents to bodies, giving names of bodies to names or speeches, the use of metaphors and tropes, and names that signify nothing</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author claim is necessary for precise truth, according to the text?

    <p>The right ordering of names in affirmations</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author conclude about men's ability to reason, according to the text?

    <p>All men by nature reason alike and well when they have good principles</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author claim is the adding and subtracting of consequences of general names agreed upon for marking and signifying our thoughts?

    <p>Reason</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the nature of truth and falsehood according to the text?

    <p>Truth and falsehood are attributes of speech, not of things.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is necessary for precise truth according to the text?

    <p>The right ordering of names in affirmations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which science does the author claim has been bestowed on mankind by God?

    <p>Geometry</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the foundation of errors according to the text?

    <p>The lack of definitions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the first use of speech and the acquisition of science according to the text?

    <p>The right definition of names</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the privilege of absurdity according to the text?

    <p>The ability to make senseless speech</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author claim is necessary for a conclusion to have certainty?

    <p>A certainty of all affirmations and negations on which it was grounded and inferred</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author use as an example to illustrate the importance of starting from the first items in every reckoning?

    <p>A master of a family taking an account</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author claim is the cause of absurd conclusions?

    <p>The use of inconstant names</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author claim is necessary in debates?

    <p>Parties must set up the reason of an arbitrator or judge to whose sentence they will both stand</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the author conclude about the nature of reason?

    <p>Reason is the faculty that enables humans to inquire about the consequences of their thoughts and actions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    On the Importance of Definitions and the Nature of Reason

    • Truth and falsehood are attributes of speech, not of things.

    • The right ordering of names in affirmations is necessary for precise truth.

    • Geometry is the only science that has been bestowed on mankind by God.

    • Men begin by settling the significations of their words, which they call Definitions.

    • Errors in definitions multiply themselves and lead to absurdities.

    • The foundation of errors lies in wrong or no definitions.

    • The right definition of names is the first use of speech and the acquisition of science.

    • Inconstant names are those that signify things that please or displease us.

    • Reason is nothing but the adding and subtracting of consequences of general names agreed upon for marking and signifying our thoughts.

    • No one man's reason, nor the reason of any one number of men, makes the certainty.

    • In debates, parties must set up the reason of an arbitrator or judge to whose sentence they will both stand.

    • The demand for right reason as judge must seek things to be determined by no other men's reason but their own, which is intolerable in the society of men.The Use and Limits of Reason

    • The author argues that reason is the faculty that enables humans to inquire about the consequences of their thoughts and actions.

    • Reason, according to the author, is not just about finding the truth of a few remote consequences but about starting from definitions and settled meanings of names and proceeding from one consequence to another.

    • The author argues that there can be no certainty of a conclusion without a certainty of all affirmations and negations on which it was grounded and inferred.

    • The author uses the example of a master of a family taking an account to illustrate the importance of starting from the first items in every reckoning.

    • The author distinguishes between error and absurdity, with error being a deception and absurdity being a senseless speech.

    • The author argues that absurdity arises when we reason in words of general signification and fall upon a general inference that is false.

    • The author notes that words that signify nothing are those we call absurd, insignificant, and nonsense.

    • The author claims that man can reason not only in number but in all other things, but this privilege is balanced by the privilege of absurdity, to which no living creature is subject, but man only.

    • The author cites Cicero's observation that there can be nothing so absurd but may be found in the books of philosophers, and he attributes this to the fact that philosophers do not begin their ratiocination from definitions.

    • The author identifies six causes of absurd conclusions, including the want of method, giving names of bodies to accidents, giving names of accidents to bodies, giving names of bodies to names or speeches, the use of metaphors and tropes, and names that signify nothing.

    • The author argues that if one can avoid these things, it is not easy to fall into any absurdity, unless it is due to the length of an account, wherein one may forget what went before.

    • The author concludes by stating that all men by nature reason alike and well when they have good principles.

    On the Importance of Definitions and the Nature of Reason

    • Truth and falsehood are attributes of speech, not of things.

    • The right ordering of names in affirmations is necessary for precise truth.

    • Geometry is the only science that has been bestowed on mankind by God.

    • Men begin by settling the significations of their words, which they call Definitions.

    • Errors in definitions multiply themselves and lead to absurdities.

    • The foundation of errors lies in wrong or no definitions.

    • The right definition of names is the first use of speech and the acquisition of science.

    • Inconstant names are those that signify things that please or displease us.

    • Reason is nothing but the adding and subtracting of consequences of general names agreed upon for marking and signifying our thoughts.

    • No one man's reason, nor the reason of any one number of men, makes the certainty.

    • In debates, parties must set up the reason of an arbitrator or judge to whose sentence they will both stand.

    • The demand for right reason as judge must seek things to be determined by no other men's reason but their own, which is intolerable in the society of men.The Use and Limits of Reason

    • The author argues that reason is the faculty that enables humans to inquire about the consequences of their thoughts and actions.

    • Reason, according to the author, is not just about finding the truth of a few remote consequences but about starting from definitions and settled meanings of names and proceeding from one consequence to another.

    • The author argues that there can be no certainty of a conclusion without a certainty of all affirmations and negations on which it was grounded and inferred.

    • The author uses the example of a master of a family taking an account to illustrate the importance of starting from the first items in every reckoning.

    • The author distinguishes between error and absurdity, with error being a deception and absurdity being a senseless speech.

    • The author argues that absurdity arises when we reason in words of general signification and fall upon a general inference that is false.

    • The author notes that words that signify nothing are those we call absurd, insignificant, and nonsense.

    • The author claims that man can reason not only in number but in all other things, but this privilege is balanced by the privilege of absurdity, to which no living creature is subject, but man only.

    • The author cites Cicero's observation that there can be nothing so absurd but may be found in the books of philosophers, and he attributes this to the fact that philosophers do not begin their ratiocination from definitions.

    • The author identifies six causes of absurd conclusions, including the want of method, giving names of bodies to accidents, giving names of accidents to bodies, giving names of bodies to names or speeches, the use of metaphors and tropes, and names that signify nothing.

    • The author argues that if one can avoid these things, it is not easy to fall into any absurdity, unless it is due to the length of an account, wherein one may forget what went before.

    • The author concludes by stating that all men by nature reason alike and well when they have good principles.

    On the Importance of Definitions and the Nature of Reason

    • Truth and falsehood are attributes of speech, not of things.

    • The right ordering of names in affirmations is necessary for precise truth.

    • Geometry is the only science that has been bestowed on mankind by God.

    • Men begin by settling the significations of their words, which they call Definitions.

    • Errors in definitions multiply themselves and lead to absurdities.

    • The foundation of errors lies in wrong or no definitions.

    • The right definition of names is the first use of speech and the acquisition of science.

    • Inconstant names are those that signify things that please or displease us.

    • Reason is nothing but the adding and subtracting of consequences of general names agreed upon for marking and signifying our thoughts.

    • No one man's reason, nor the reason of any one number of men, makes the certainty.

    • In debates, parties must set up the reason of an arbitrator or judge to whose sentence they will both stand.

    • The demand for right reason as judge must seek things to be determined by no other men's reason but their own, which is intolerable in the society of men.The Use and Limits of Reason

    • The author argues that reason is the faculty that enables humans to inquire about the consequences of their thoughts and actions.

    • Reason, according to the author, is not just about finding the truth of a few remote consequences but about starting from definitions and settled meanings of names and proceeding from one consequence to another.

    • The author argues that there can be no certainty of a conclusion without a certainty of all affirmations and negations on which it was grounded and inferred.

    • The author uses the example of a master of a family taking an account to illustrate the importance of starting from the first items in every reckoning.

    • The author distinguishes between error and absurdity, with error being a deception and absurdity being a senseless speech.

    • The author argues that absurdity arises when we reason in words of general signification and fall upon a general inference that is false.

    • The author notes that words that signify nothing are those we call absurd, insignificant, and nonsense.

    • The author claims that man can reason not only in number but in all other things, but this privilege is balanced by the privilege of absurdity, to which no living creature is subject, but man only.

    • The author cites Cicero's observation that there can be nothing so absurd but may be found in the books of philosophers, and he attributes this to the fact that philosophers do not begin their ratiocination from definitions.

    • The author identifies six causes of absurd conclusions, including the want of method, giving names of bodies to accidents, giving names of accidents to bodies, giving names of bodies to names or speeches, the use of metaphors and tropes, and names that signify nothing.

    • The author argues that if one can avoid these things, it is not easy to fall into any absurdity, unless it is due to the length of an account, wherein one may forget what went before.

    • The author concludes by stating that all men by nature reason alike and well when they have good principles.

    On the Importance of Definitions and the Nature of Reason

    • Truth and falsehood are attributes of speech, not of things.

    • The right ordering of names in affirmations is necessary for precise truth.

    • Geometry is the only science that has been bestowed on mankind by God.

    • Men begin by settling the significations of their words, which they call Definitions.

    • Errors in definitions multiply themselves and lead to absurdities.

    • The foundation of errors lies in wrong or no definitions.

    • The right definition of names is the first use of speech and the acquisition of science.

    • Inconstant names are those that signify things that please or displease us.

    • Reason is nothing but the adding and subtracting of consequences of general names agreed upon for marking and signifying our thoughts.

    • No one man's reason, nor the reason of any one number of men, makes the certainty.

    • In debates, parties must set up the reason of an arbitrator or judge to whose sentence they will both stand.

    • The demand for right reason as judge must seek things to be determined by no other men's reason but their own, which is intolerable in the society of men.The Use and Limits of Reason

    • The author argues that reason is the faculty that enables humans to inquire about the consequences of their thoughts and actions.

    • Reason, according to the author, is not just about finding the truth of a few remote consequences but about starting from definitions and settled meanings of names and proceeding from one consequence to another.

    • The author argues that there can be no certainty of a conclusion without a certainty of all affirmations and negations on which it was grounded and inferred.

    • The author uses the example of a master of a family taking an account to illustrate the importance of starting from the first items in every reckoning.

    • The author distinguishes between error and absurdity, with error being a deception and absurdity being a senseless speech.

    • The author argues that absurdity arises when we reason in words of general signification and fall upon a general inference that is false.

    • The author notes that words that signify nothing are those we call absurd, insignificant, and nonsense.

    • The author claims that man can reason not only in number but in all other things, but this privilege is balanced by the privilege of absurdity, to which no living creature is subject, but man only.

    • The author cites Cicero's observation that there can be nothing so absurd but may be found in the books of philosophers, and he attributes this to the fact that philosophers do not begin their ratiocination from definitions.

    • The author identifies six causes of absurd conclusions, including the want of method, giving names of bodies to accidents, giving names of accidents to bodies, giving names of bodies to names or speeches, the use of metaphors and tropes, and names that signify nothing.

    • The author argues that if one can avoid these things, it is not easy to fall into any absurdity, unless it is due to the length of an account, wherein one may forget what went before.

    • The author concludes by stating that all men by nature reason alike and well when they have good principles.

    On the Importance of Definitions and the Nature of Reason

    • Truth and falsehood are attributes of speech, not of things.

    • The right ordering of names in affirmations is necessary for precise truth.

    • Geometry is the only science that has been bestowed on mankind by God.

    • Men begin by settling the significations of their words, which they call Definitions.

    • Errors in definitions multiply themselves and lead to absurdities.

    • The foundation of errors lies in wrong or no definitions.

    • The right definition of names is the first use of speech and the acquisition of science.

    • Inconstant names are those that signify things that please or displease us.

    • Reason is nothing but the adding and subtracting of consequences of general names agreed upon for marking and signifying our thoughts.

    • No one man's reason, nor the reason of any one number of men, makes the certainty.

    • In debates, parties must set up the reason of an arbitrator or judge to whose sentence they will both stand.

    • The demand for right reason as judge must seek things to be determined by no other men's reason but their own, which is intolerable in the society of men.The Use and Limits of Reason

    • The author argues that reason is the faculty that enables humans to inquire about the consequences of their thoughts and actions.

    • Reason, according to the author, is not just about finding the truth of a few remote consequences but about starting from definitions and settled meanings of names and proceeding from one consequence to another.

    • The author argues that there can be no certainty of a conclusion without a certainty of all affirmations and negations on which it was grounded and inferred.

    • The author uses the example of a master of a family taking an account to illustrate the importance of starting from the first items in every reckoning.

    • The author distinguishes between error and absurdity, with error being a deception and absurdity being a senseless speech.

    • The author argues that absurdity arises when we reason in words of general signification and fall upon a general inference that is false.

    • The author notes that words that signify nothing are those we call absurd, insignificant, and nonsense.

    • The author claims that man can reason not only in number but in all other things, but this privilege is balanced by the privilege of absurdity, to which no living creature is subject, but man only.

    • The author cites Cicero's observation that there can be nothing so absurd but may be found in the books of philosophers, and he attributes this to the fact that philosophers do not begin their ratiocination from definitions.

    • The author identifies six causes of absurd conclusions, including the want of method, giving names of bodies to accidents, giving names of accidents to bodies, giving names of bodies to names or speeches, the use of metaphors and tropes, and names that signify nothing.

    • The author argues that if one can avoid these things, it is not easy to fall into any absurdity, unless it is due to the length of an account, wherein one may forget what went before.

    • The author concludes by stating that all men by nature reason alike and well when they have good principles.

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    Test your understanding of the importance of definitions and the nature of reason with this thought-provoking quiz. Explore the ideas of truth, falsehood, and the role of language in precise truth. Learn about the significance of definitions and the consequences of errors in definitions. Discover why reason is essential for inquiry and the limits of its use. This quiz is perfect for those interested in philosophy, language, and critical thinking.

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