Quote#Science & Reason
Among the foundations of the Higher Mathematics is also the 'Idea of…
Quote byWilliam Whewell · 1794–1866
Commonly attributed — not confirmed in an authoritative edition. Cited on Wikiquote to: XLII.
English (original)
Among the foundations of the Higher Mathematics is also the 'Idea of a Limit'. The Idea of a Limit cannot be superseded by any other definitions or Hypotheses.
— William Whewell
More from William Whewell
Coexistent polarities are fundamentally identical.
Facts are the materials of science, but all Facts involve Ideas. Since, in observing Facts, we cannot exclude Ideas, we must, for the purposes of science, take care that the Ideas are clear and rigorously applied.
The Sight cannot decompose a compound colour into simple colours, or distinguish a compound from a simple colour
The solution is, that we do not see the image on the retina at all, we only see by means of it.
We perceive by 'means' of a medium and 'by means' of impressions on the nerves: but we do not (by our senses,) perceive either the medium or the impressions on the nerves.
When a series of progressive numbers is given as the result of observation, it may generally be reduced to law by combinations of arithmetical and geometrical progressions. A true formula for a progressive series of numbers cannot commonly …