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Single Idea 19244

[from 'Reasoning and the Logic of Things' by Charles Sanders Peirce, in 26. Natural Theory / B. Natural Kinds / 1. Natural Kinds ]

Full Idea

The chemist contents himself with a single experiment to establish any qualitative fact, because he knows there is such a uniformity in the behavior of chemical bodies that another experiment would be a mere repetition of the first in every respect.

Gist of Idea

Chemists rely on a single experiment to establish a fact; repetition is pointless

Source

Charles Sanders Peirce (Reasoning and the Logic of Things [1898], IV)

Book Reference

Peirce,Charles Sanders: 'Reasoning and the Logic of Things', ed/tr. Ketner,K.L. [Harvard 1992], p.169


A Reaction

I take it this endorses my 'Upanishads' view of natural kinds - that for each strict natural kind, if you've seen one you've them all. This seems to fit atoms and molecules, but only roughly fits tigers.

Related Idea

Idea 8153 By knowing one piece of clay or gold, you know all of clay or gold [Anon (Upan)]