________________
INFERENCE.
723
Waccept through essential sameness, or being the cause':-.e. except through being the same, or being the Cause.-there can be no Probans (Inferential Indicative): if there were, it would be featureless and not a Probans at all.
It has been argued that-"What is meant to be the Probandum is not present in the Subject (Minor Term)".
The answer to that is that, if the Probandum is not present in the Minor Term, then the aggregate (of the Three features') as a whole is not present in the Prabans; hence on account of the absence of a part of the aggregate, such a Probans would be clearly 'inadmissible.
It has been argued that, in the case of all Inferences, there is possibility of particular Inferences to the contrary ".
This is not right. Because that alone is called Contradictory' which is found to prove the contrary of the desired Probandum, and no particular case is meant to be the Probandum (in the argument under dispute, which is in reference to the definition of Inference). As a matter of fact, in the case of An Inference based on the nature of things, there is no possibility of there being any (valid) Probans proving the contrary : becalise in the same thing, two mutually contradictory properties cannot coexist.-(1472-1474)
on account of the diversity
It has been argued (under 1470) that of Condition, Place and Time, etc. etc."
The answer to that is as follows:
TEXTS (1475-1477).
AS A MATTER OF FACT, INFERENCE PROCEEDS ONLY ON THE BASIS OF THINGS
WHOSE INDICATIVE CHARACTER 'HAS BEEN PROPERLY ASCERTAINED BY REPEATED EXPERIENCE ; ALL, ELSE IS REGARDED AS "NOT INFERENCE'. SO THAT EVEN THOUGH THE POTENCIES OF THINGS VARY ACCORDING TO THE VARIATIONS OF CONDITION, TIME AND PLACE, YET THE COGNITION OF THINGS BY MEANS OF INFERENCE IS nol unattainable.—AND WHEN A CERTAIN CONCLUSION HAS BEEN DEDUCED, WITH GREAT CARE FROM AN INFERENCE, IT CANNOT BE PROVED TO BE OTHERWISE, EVEN BY CLEVERER PERSONS.(1475-1477)
COMMENTARY.
It is only the well-ascertained Probans that is held to be truly indicative, - not one that is doubtful; e.g. when the presence of Smoke is only suspected, in regard to Vapour, it does not lead to a certain Cognition of the presence of Fire
Question :-"How does the certainty of the Probans come about?"
Answer-By repeated experience : -as is found in persons well-versed in the science of goms, in regard to gems. That is to say, persons who are conversant with the nature of the things concerned, do discern the real Smoke from Vapour : And when they proceed to act after discernment, they
