in several invariable it may follow with equal any one of several or of so that i where in every single a multitude an multitude of are and what security have we that in our a we have taken all these into one reckoning how many must we not generally be ignorant of among those we know how probable that some have been overlooked and even were all included how vain the pretence of up the effects of many causes unless we know accurately the law of each � a condition in most cases not to be fulfilled and even when fulfilled to the calculation in any but very simple cases the utmost power of science with its most modem improvements these difficulties mr mill confined to certain of hut os remarked on a former occasion allowing this the trouble is that we can never be sure whether or not any given case belongs to one of those classes this therefore must extend to all our results as a remedy for these of mr mill the march the i the of investigation wliich from the proved of direct methods of observation and experiment remains to us as the main source of the knowledge we possess of tho more com ia called method and consists of three operations the first one of direct the second of and the third of the problem of the method is to find the law of an effect from tho laws of the tendencies of which it is tho joint result the first requisite therefore is to know the laws of these tendencies the law of each of the causes and this a previous process of observation or upon each cause separately or else a previous wliich also must depend for its ultimate upon observation or experiment this being accomplished the second part follows that of from the laws of the causes effect any given combination of tho e causes will produce thus far there is nothing peculiar in tho method its essential characteristic is the third process whereby the general conclusions formed by are compared with the results of direct observation without it is acknowledged l that all the results of the method have little other value than that of g ie s work it is n therefore that the of all scientific results must at last depend tliat e advances henceforth to be expected even in physical and still more in mental and social science will be chiefly the result of is evident from the general considerations already but it is not a sufficient that the supposed cause accounts for all the known since this is a condition often fulfilled well by two conflicting it is sufficient only provided the case bo such that a false law cannot lead to a time result � provided no law except tho very one we have assumed can lead to the same conclusions which that leads to here the whole difficulty is provided for in advance in a summary manner the uncertainty whether our investigation had been sufficiently ample to all possibility of influence from causes is disposed of but by a for the of which we can see no grounds previously to we have no means of obtaining such knowledge the law in question except through w m the system and founded unless some to on account of its forming part of the process we see no chance tiiat the can ever be complied witli mr mill however is of a opinion he it often be realized and gives as an instance s demonstration that the law governing the motion of the is but in all as our author himself remarks i j the result is already implied in the and the ii g derived from simple that the can ever be complied with in cases other than he does not snow and he is obliged to admit that in order that shall be proof it is necessary that the supposed cause should not only bo a real but should be already known to some influence on the supposed effect the precise degree and manner of the influence being the only that what is an at the beginning of the inquiry becomes a proved law of nature before its close can only when the has for its object not to detect an unknown cause hut to determine the precise law of a cause already ascertained ii therefore is a subordinate matter and does not help us at all in tbe main d ii namely the discovery of cause for this we arc referred back to observation and experiment ii furnish the independent evidence on which depends the by suggesting observations and experiments puts upon the road to that independent evidence if it be really and until it be attained the ought not to count for more than a suspicion in this account of it may be observed we have throughout assumed that the preliminary is in all cases an since from what has already been shown it must always answer to mr mill s definition of an h namely a supposition made upon insufficient evidence if it is not an there is no need of if it is is no more possible than before is thus only an � with which it ends being nothing more than e with which begins it results therefore that the connecting link of phenomena be discovered the j from the particular to the s march the and inexplicable we must with and not only this but also � a the particular only of itself and not of other we must be content with a partial or knowledge ei usually give the name of to those which ob or experiment has shown to but upon which they to in cases those which have actually for want of any reason u ay a law should exist it is implied therefore in the of an law that it is not an ultimate law 