date

28 Aug. 1815 Jug. True I. Prolegomena
28 Aug. 1815

Jug. True

I. Prolegomena

Ch. Imperfections

Marks of Verity

8

Under this danger, (with this as with a [...?] hanging over his head) no man having a false story to circulate, will it is evident, so long as he can expect to find credence without it, be induced thus voluntarily to give individuality so much as to the bare supposed matter of fact, by any other consideration than that of absolute necessity—i.e. despair of gaining for the story sufficient credence upon any other terms. The very fact itself whatsoever it be that bears upon the particular point in question, and by which the particular purpose is to be answered the fact by the credence given to which the sinister profit thus sought so to be obtained—even this supposed fact when given will be given unaccompanied by its [...?] individualizing circumstances, by the circumstances necessary to bring it down from the state of a species of fact to the state of an individual and real matter of fact.

But if nothing less than the supposition of necessity will cause him to hazard upon so much as a single fact, this false cloathing, much less will he under any inferior purpose hazard with any such cloathing upon them, any collateral false and invented fact. For the greater the number of these collateral and individualized false facts brought as above into an individualized state, the greater is the number of chances of detection to which he will thus expose himself.

16 or 9

Under these dangers, necessity alone will engage a man to give individuality so much as to the principal fact, if the story be in toto a false one.

17 or 10

Still less to any ineffectual supposed accompanying circumstances. The greater their number the greater the number of chances of detection.
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    Marks or criterions of verity in the case of a discourse by any event, incident occurrence or state of things supposing it really to have had place will be sure to abide: these are certain circumstances with which in a proportion more or less considerable, as determined by the name or appellation employed in the designation of it, and which if the description given of it be effectually individualized, i.e. distinguished from all individual events or states of things capable of being designated by the same generic or specific names. The effect these collateral circumstances is—that, if, in relation to ony one of these heads the description given of the principal event or state of things in question is false, (the falsity of) the account given of the main or principal event, as designated by its appropriate generic or specific name will be seen to be false likewise.

    Of these individualizing and these particularizing concomitant circumstances the greater the known number, the more difficult will it be in a statement which in respect of the main event or state of things is false and therefore in respect of these several circumstances if spoken of circumstances by which that event or state of things was accompanied, false likewise, shall never the less be taken for true. The greater the number of these circumstances the greater the more extensive is the surface exposed to detection in the case of falsity.

    1.

    Criterions of verity i.e. sources of detection in case of falsity, are individualizing

    circumstances.

    2.

    The greater the number of those circumstances stated in the report as having had place, the greater the chance that if the report made of the principal fact be false the falsity of it will become manifest. The greater the quantity of surface exposed to detection and falsification.
  • Title: [21 Aug 1815 Jug True I. Prolegomena]
    Description: 21 Aug 1815

    Jug True

    I. Prolegomena

    Ch. Imperfection Evidenciary

    2

    §. Marks of verity

    1. Essentially concomitant circumstances viz. individualizing d o and designation of the individual portion of time a portion of space occupied by the event or state of things in question.

    Supposing the statement true, no matter of what number of those concomitant circumstances is made to accompany the designation made of the main or principal event or state of things: be the number ever so great the probability of its being regarded as false is not encreased in any degree from that magnitude. On the other hand suppose the statement given of the main or principal event or state of things false, in which case all the designation given of the supposed and alledged concomitant circumstances, circumstances by which that event or state of things being exhibited as true is stated to have been accompanied, the greater the number is of these circumstances their falsity stated as having had existence which is included in the designation given of the main or principal event or state of things, the greater is the probability that the statement which by the supposition is false will appear to be so and will be regarded as being so.

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    If the statement of the principal event be true, by/the report of no number of these individualizing circumstances can any encreased chance of falsification be produced: if false, the greater the number of them, the greater the chance of falsification.
  • Title: [28 Aug 1815 Jug. True I. Prolego]
    Description: 28 Aug 1815

    Jug. True

    I. Prolego

    Ch. Imperfections

    Mark of Verity

    9

    On the contrary when the story which a man has to relate is a true one, and whether from the extraordinariness of it backwardness of belief presents itself to him as probable, the greater the degree of backwardness apprehended, the greater will be the exertions made in the hope of surmounting it: for this purpose a cause which by the nature of the case is rendered sufficiently obvious to him—not content with giving this title to credence to the single naked fact which the nature of the case point[s] out as the essential one, he will look out for concomitant unessential and not necessarily, but still however actually concomitant facts, unessential facts which at the time in question were concomitant to the essential case—as many as he can find: and the more of them he can find the firmer the pledge and proof of his veracity—of the correctness and completeness which he will have thus afforded.

    (Quere if not inserted in substance above?) This is a pencil note bracketing the following paragrah.

    (To have had its train of accompaniments of concomitant of synchronous circumstances all of them as real as itself is the distinguishing property of every real matter of fact real event or state of things: not to have in reality any one such synchronous circumstance of its own—not to have any such so much as in appearance, unless it be by borrowing it from a synchronism of real events is the distinguishing character common to every untimely false reported imaginary event or fictitious state of things.)

    18 or 11

    A certain story true, and by its extraordinariness, or any other circumstance, backwardness of belief apprehended, the greater the degree apprehended, the greater the exertion to surmount it: thence the more actually concomitant facts be found to have been in existence, essential or inessential, the more he will present to view as having been concomitant to the percipient fact.

    19 or 12

    To have been encompassed by a circle of real concomitant circumstances is the characteristic of a real fact: not to have had any such accompanying marks in reality, nor in appearance unless borrowed from real facts is common to every untruly reported every imaginary fact.