Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-02-17

IIlafI.II. us IN NNI |I|N.INHH lNNNINH
truth. Co walk upr chilly lu' traIg1l ioi.
ward, ON firm ground, give 800 That
proper aud dsHia.l carriage o. mind
which could never Dr. H0gIIu3 by nls-
ing always Go pics 600. Steps amD1g OBJ.
strlclons aud loose Fragments. ur Go
stcndy them iu iHe rgeliug temp SIS ui
conlcuu m uilE.'
Locke lIys down Two ways OF incrcls-
is.-"CIar lal dsune, ideas with
settled n.ma.. anil
lud Iuu UIiuE of those wH.ch
] SHOW their aEfl Weut Idi.lsl. mont"
| that De-. tne searching out ui new idHI,
which result from the com IuItiJu OF
those ihlt are known.
ln rrglrd % ins iirt ul these ways,
Mr Locke says "Ihc hrstis tl get ana
seul 90 our minds determined iIu Is of
those things. whereof we have general
/ or specific names; 90 least. OF so many oi
them as we would consider and improve
our knowledge Zoo. ur reason 40 Iuf '"
"I0r 90 being aWdHut.i that our
knowledge cannot exceed Uur ideas, as
I lr as iu.y are either Imperfect, con
fused, or obscure, We cannot expect Goo
have certain, perfect ot clear knowl'
edge"
"Now, the ideas which make up uur
| knowledge OF mathematical science. lIi-
] il exactly these requirements They arc
90 impressed upon the mind ly fixed.
[ definite, and certain language. and ,uc
mind embraces them ls sp many images
0r pictures. clear and distinct in their
! outline, with names which suggest lt
once their chamctcnalics aud proper.
| ties.
On the second method ol incrcl,.ng
our knowledge, pointed out by Locke.
mathematical science. gives the most
ample aud the aufUHt means. The rcf.
souings are ail based ON sell evident
/ tWlha, and are conducted by means of
/ the most striking relations between ,hc
/ known and the unknown. The thin.
| reasoned about, and the methods Of
/ reasoning, are so clearly under TODD.
/ thlt the mind never hrsiutcs ug doubts.
/ 70 cumprehcnds. ur % does not clmprc-
bend, and the line which separates the
/ known from the unknown. b. always
| wei defined. These chauc.ur1iics give
| TO tlls system OF reasoning % superiority
over every other; arising. not from any
| difference In the logic. bui from % differ
cncc in the thing to which ihe logic h
| applied.
Mansfield ia his Discourse ON Mathc.
MATES, says III % Doe true. then. that
Mathematics include % perfect system of
| reasoning whose premises are scligyi.
/ dent. and whose Cuuuhu ions are ire
sisuhlc, can there Dee any branch of
science or knowledge better adapted 20
the improvement Of the understanding
Il is in this capacity. as q strong aud
natural adjunct aud instrument ofrelgon.
that this science becomes the .it subject
OF education with dN conditions 1f 500
| ciog WidtpfJ WaT DC thew ultimate
| psDmH. Most sciences. as, indeed most
branches OF knowledge, address them.
selves To some particular taste. or sln-
sgQucut ayucauun, but this, while Il b
before all, q useful attainment. cspcci.
ally adapts itself 90 the cultivation and
improvement Of the thinking faculty,
aud B. alike necessary 10 lll VINO would
be- governed by reason, or live Tor use.
iulncss."
The following may be mentioned.
| among the many reasons that may be
given to show the value OF mathematics
as 9 means OF intellectual Improvement
aud Developments
The things Of which the science treats
are simple in themselves aud arc pre-.
scntcd TO the mind ia plain and familiar
language. We therefore have clear and
distinct ideas of the subject presented.
The words used boz the definitions a..
ways have the same meaning aud tX.
press 40 1ll times The same idea. % that
when o. definition b. once under tool.
the conception OF thc thin defined Is
perfect 100 the mind. thus preventing
doub, or awh.us.,y either BOO tUg Ian.
| gua.c employed or BOO The ideas ex.
pressed
No d 'fnilious ACC employed thl, may
not De clearly understood no axiom,
are stated that arc nIi universally lg.
/ Ccptcd ns true. aud t0 which the mind.
by the very laW % its nature, readily
asseui5, lu tHe process OF the reason.
ing, no principle or truth is taken Tor
granted, but every statement made rs
connected directly with some axiom or
definition orwith some pungipl already
! proved
The manner Ia which the subject rs
presented Co the mind, aids the memory
while 90 the same time b strengthen.
and improves the reasoning powers.
! First arc given the definitions uf th,
names Of The things which are tlg sub.
IiugH Of tic reasoning; then follow the
| aNl1ms or acli-c. .deni truths, which
/ together with the definitions. form Do.
basis VI the science, tllu these tH.
simplest pr1p1 tl1rs u|r delHeal.
followed hy others of greater difficulty.
al connected together hy rigorous
logic clgh part receiving igHt aHI
| strength from I.l thg others. EIcn pn.
position may Doe traced tD hn, puu.
| Ciples, ans is truths established hy
certain and lnhi.l'e argument This