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L o G c.
tation impliedin the u'or¿ IhiJ is of a more cOII(,ned n.–
ture than in the Cormcr caCe.
l'rorofition, f .ml mm arl ""ife: for hm wifdonl is not
~Ifirnled of cvery panicular man, but relb ained tO a few
01' the human fpecies.
Now flom this Jiff~rent appearance of the general i·
dea, th,t coonilUtes the Cubjea of any judgm~nt, arifes
the divilion of prupof,tiuns into ul/iverfal and parlicular.
An ul/iverjal prupor.tion is that wherein the fubjea is
fome general term, taken in its Cull latituoe, infomuch
Ihat the pr<dicat~ Agrees 'o all the individuals compre·
hended under it, if it denolesa proper fpecies i aod tO all
the CtVeral Cpe i(s, and their inuividuals, if it marks an
idea of a highcr order. Th~ words a/l, lV"J, n., n' M,
&c. are the proper figos of this univerfality ; and as they
(ddomfail to accomp~ny general t,uths, (o they are the
¡nofl obvious criterion whmby tO .dillinguiíh them . A/I
anil/la/¡ hove a p01JJer .¡ b'g;/In;ng 1/Iol;on. This is ~
~niverCal propor.tion; as we know fr.omthe word 0/1, pre·
fixed to the Cuhje,q an;l/Iol, which denotes that it mull
be taken in its foil extent. H<nce the power of begin.
oing motion, may be affirmed of all the femal fpecies of
animals.
We fee therefore, that ~\I propofitions are ,ither ~r·
fir lllalilll or negalivt; nor is it lefs evident, that in both
caCes they may be un;v"fol or parlicul..,. Hence¡arib
Ihat cel.brated fOllrfold divifion of them, into Ul/iV"fal,
affirmolivt, and univerfol mgolivt;po, !firlllal;vl,
and porlicular n'goli.. ; which corn indeed all
their mieues. The uCe uf this method of dinrnguiOling
them \ViII appear more fully .fterwards, when IVe cume
10 treat oC r«foning aod fyllogifm.
A parliculor propor.tion has in lik~ manner fome gene·
ral term for in fubjca , but with amarkof limitation add–
ed, tOdenotc, that the predicate agrees only ro fome of
Ihe iodividuals eomprehended under ~ fpecies, or tO one
or more of the Cpecies belonging tO any genus, aod not to
Ihe Vlhole univerCal ide.. Thus. fome jI'l/eI are hla·
vi" Iban iron; 10m, mm hove an uncomm.n /ha" of
prudma. In the la(l of theCe propofiuons, the Cubjca
fomt mm, implies only a certain number of ,
~omprehended under a fingle fpecies. In
where the Cubjea is a genus, that extends tO a great va–
riety of diflinl! elalfes, fgt, .. jlontl may OOt only imply
.aynumberof particular f1ooes, but airo Ceveral whol~ fpe·
eies of nones; inafmuch as there maybe not a few, with
Ihe properiy there deCcribed. Heoce we Cee, that apro·
por.tion doesnot ceaCe tO beparticular, by the predicate's
agreeing to a whole Cpecies, onleCs that fpecies fingly and
cliflinélly conr.uered, makes alfothe fubj el! of which we
~ffirm or deny.
Of a~folule ,nd C9nJilionalpropojilhnJ.
TH E objea. about which IVe are chieay converCant iQ
this world, are all of a nature liable to change. What
may be affirmed of themat one time, cannot often at ' 0,
other ; and it makes no Cmall parí oC our knowledge, to
diflinguiO\ rightly thefe miations, and Irace the reafons
upon which theydepend. For it is obCcrvable, that amidlt
all the vicillitudes of nature, fOOle things rcmaio conpant
and invariable; nor are even the changes, to which we
fee others liable, effea ed, but in conf~quencc of uniCorm
and f1eady lawi, IVhich IVhen known, are Cu/licient tO di–
rea us in our judgmeots about them. Hence philoCo–
phm, in din¡ng~;íhing the objeas ofour perception intB
various elaff,s, have been very careful to oote, that fomo
properties belong e(fentially tO thegeneral id~a, fo as 001
tobe Ceparable from it, but by denroying it, very n.ture ;
whil: others are only accidental. and may be aHirmed or
denied of it io different Clrcumnanees. Thus, Colidity,
a yellow colour, and great weight, are confidercd as ef·
Cential qualities oC gold ; bUI whether it 0\311 exin as an
uoiform conjoioed maf" is not alike neceffary. We Cee
Ihat, by a proper mennruum, it maybe reuuced tOa fioe
powderj and that inteofe. heat will bring il ioto a tlat. of
.
There is Oil\ one Cpeciesd propor.tioos that remains
10 be defctihed; and which the more deCerve OUTnotice,
as it is not yet agreed among to which of the
I\VO eI.(f" mentioned ~bove t tO be' reCmed,
1 me.n jingula, propofitions; or thoCe where the Cubjel!
is an individu.1. Of this n. ture are the following : ¡;,
Haac Newton ""al Ihe il/vUJler'¡ jlllxionl ; ThiJ bd
""'.;111 monJ ufr/ul 1'"lhl. What oceaGoos fome dif·
Gulty, a. to the proper rank oC thefe prupofiti ons, is,
t~al the Cubjel! being takcn according to the whole ofits
extenfion, theyrumetimes have the fame d\',1! in r~aCon·
ing, as univerfals Dut if it be conr.óercd, that they are
in truth the mofl limited kind of pan,cul" propofitions,
.od th.t no propofition can with any p;opncty loe callcd
univcrC~1. but where the Cubj,a is fome1I00vuCal idea; wo
(hall not be loogin determining 10 whieh they ol1ghtl
10 bereferred. When we C'y, S.m, botll (Mlain"ff'"
I,ulh, ; the propofitiun is rarticuln , bw "Ce thegen,ral
~erm appear! with anmk 01 rc!lrillion li thercfulc we
fay, n" b,,¡ (DOII";1/I uft{ul " Ulhl; it is ,vident Ihat
Ihe profoGtion mutl be Ihll more p'arti ular, as Ih~ "mi·
m this in the Ceveral qualities of thingsl'
arifesacoofi erenceas to themanner of our judg–
iog about Ihem. For all Cuch propenies as are infepa–
rabie fromol/jeas, when confideréd as belonging to any
genus or fpecics, are affirmed abfolutely and IVithout re·
íerve of that ge~eral idea. Thus \Ve f,y, e old j¡ V")
""eighlJ, o /I'I/e iJ hard, animalJ hov, a P~lVtr .¡felf–
II/orion. But in the caCe of mutable or accidental quali.
ties, as they depend upon Come other confidewion, di·
flinft fromthe gentral idea ; thatalComull be takcn iOlO
Ihe account, in order tO form an accurate jnJgmcnt.
Should 11', allinn, for ioflance, oC fome flones , that they
are very fuCceptible oC a rolling motioo; the propolition
\Vhile it rcm,ins in t~ general form , eannot ~ ith any ad–
vantage be introuueed into our reafonings. An aptneCs
to rece,' , th.t OIO¿~ of mOlion, no\Vs fromthe figure of
lhe nvne; which, as it may varyinfini tel y, our jodgment
then only hecomes arplicable and determinate, wheo the
p.uicul., figure, of which voluhility is a confe~uence, is
.ICo ta~en i,,1O the acconnt. Let us thenb,;ngin this o·
tha confider.tion, and the propor.tion will run as f~l­
Jows: SIDI t/'¡ a jpL" icol forl/l, ort Mjily pUl il/lo a
"lIil/g ",olion. !-1m we fec the coodition opon which
Ihe p"..liwe is . l!i rmed, anu therefo,e kno·.I/ in \Vhat
particul." cares the propofition may be apP,licJ.