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We all conceive that a thing which we know scientifically cannot
vary; when a thing that can vary is beyond the range of our observation, we do not know
whether it exists or not. An object of Scientific Knowledge, therefore, exists of
necessity. It is therefore eternal, for everything existing of absolute necessity is
eternal; and what is eternal does not come into existence or perish. 3.
[3]
Again, it is held that all Scientific
Knowledge can be communicated by teaching, and that what is scientifically known must be
learnt. But all teaching starts from facts previously known, as we state in the
Analytics,1 since it
proceeds either by way of induction, or else by way of deduction. Now induction supplies a
first principle or universal, deduction works from universals; therefore
there are first principles from which deduction starts, which cannot be proved by
deduction; therefore they are reached by induction. 3.
[4]
Scientific Knowledge, therefore, is the quality
whereby we demonstrate,2 with the
further qualifications included in our definition of it in the
Analytics,3 namely, that
a man knows a thing scientifically when he possesses a conviction arrived at in a certain
way, and when the first principles on which that conviction rests are known to him with
certainty—for unless he is more certain of his first principles than of the
conclusion drawn from them he will only possess the knowledge in question
accidentally.4 Let this stand as our definition of Scientific Knowledge.