date

[Paper dated 1826 - maybe by George Bentham
[Paper dated 1826 - maybe by George Bentham, or by the editor]

Logic

B.II. Operations

Ch.II. Modes of Exposition

1

Chapter 2 d Modes of Exposition

Words, or sentences, when pronounced convey to my mind images (1), or collections of images, - ideas or collections of ideas for the purpose of communicating to the mind of another these same images or ideas I must make use of words or sentences which shall convey to it that same image or idea. - Suppose I do not know of any words which already answer that purpose either at all or so well as those which serve me. I must perform an operation by which they are made to convey those images to the mind also. - It is this operation that is meant by the exposition of, or expounding those words.

There are a great variety of modes in which exposition may be performed, some of them conveying far more readily and accurately than others, a clear idea of the word to be expounded. That which is the most clear whenever it can be made use of should be the one preferred, but there is no one equally applicable to all cases on all occasions. For how can a man expound the word horse by definition or description to another who understands not a word of his language ? Or how can the meaning of virtue be explained by signs ? In order therefore to shew on what occasions each mode may be employed to the greatest advantage, I shall here proceed to examine them all, explain each operation in detail mentioning the cases where it is the only one that can be employed, those where it is advantageous to make use of it instead of, or in conjunction with others, and those where it may be advisable to substitute others in view lieu of it. - The order I adopt must be that in which they would present themselves to be used /for use/ to the teacher commencing with the case where the hearer is entirely ignorant of the meaning of any one word comprised, either in the language to be taught, or in any other one known to the teacher.

1. Representation

If all words were significative of real entities, and if these were all objects which might at all times be brought within the reach of the perception both of the hearer and the teacher, exposition would be

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  • Title: [[paper dated 1826 - who wrote this ?]]
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    easy and consist merely in the pointing to the object in question and pronouncing at the same time the word which it is wished to be attached to it as its name. This is exposition by signs and may be termed representation. Among persons who have no common language by which they can communicate their ideas this is at first the only practicable method and we see it continually exemplified when we either teach a child to speak, or instruct in our own language a foreigner who can understand no words with which we are acquainted, and who does not possess, or cannot make use of dictionaries or any other written explanation of our words.

    Next to these names of real entities, perceptible and present, those which are the most readily expounded by representation, are names of collective fictitious entities. By representing successively a number of objects comprehended in the collective fictitious entities, - book, plant, &c., we may easily succeed in attaching to those words in the learner's mind, a general idea of the sense we attach to them, and which, though at first very vague and imperfect, will, at any rate, serve as the groundwork of the discourse by which a clearer and more correct exposition may subsequently be given.

    A generic idea once formed, the meaning of words indicative of specific differences, may be deduced from it; still, by mere representation, not perhaps the substantive names of that class of fictitious entities called relations, but those abbreviate words called adjectives, which designate at once the relation or property, and the fact of its being attributed to the object represented. A great book, a little book, a yellow flower, a red flower, &c., may be thus expounded, whilst the explanation of the words greatness and smallness, colour, &c., may require one or other of the species of discourse which are comprehended among the other modes of exposition.

    As yet, however, we have but substantives and adjectives, and without verbs, no discourse can be held, - no farther

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  • Title: [14 Oct. 1814 Logic 1]
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    Logic

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    Ch.3.III. Operations

    '.6.V. Subjects many

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    3 Methodization

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    3. Methodization, or Arrangement.

    Of this operation, as will more particularly be seen further on under a separate head thus denominated, there are two distinguishable modes: for the designation of one of which the words collective {or cumulative,} of the other the word lineal may be employed: or instead of the lineal mode of methodization, the term methodization by means of precedence may be employed.

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    In what respect then is collective methodization distinct from collective denomination? In this only, that where the word methodization is employed, a multitude of groupes or collections of general ideas are considered as being at the same time formed or brought together, and at the same time so constituted and disposed that two or more, each having its collective name or denomination, are connected together by and comprehended within some common name, some name which, being common to them both and not applied to any other, serves at the same time to distinguish them from all objects to which different names have been applied:- the new and larger groupes thus formed being at the same time, in company with some other groupe or groupes formed in the same manner, formed into some still more capacious multitudinous groupe; and so on through any number of processes of ulterior aggregation.