Abstract

He does not consider the suggestions that the occurrence of complex things entails only the occurrence of less complex things, and that analysis might theoretically go on for ever. His argument here seems to me no better than arguing that, if we keep on taking points nearer and nearer to each other, we shall eventually come to two points that are next each other. There must be unanalysed concepts, but there need not be unanalysable concepts. Just so, there must be integers that have never been thought of, but there is no integer that cannot be thought of. Possibly this is concealed from Dr. Ewing by his assuming that, if we analyse x into yz, y and z must have been familiar to us before. Whereas it seems possible that our first analysing x into yz should also be our first conceiving of y or of z or of both.