[Undated]

Ultimately, a science stands or falls in proportion as it is a valid technique for discovery, and not by virtue of the ‘knowledge’ gained. This last is always subject to supersession; indeed, supersession of findings by new findings is the criterion by which vitality of the subject is judged. A generalization is induced from many instances – until presumably we get, ‘All men are mortal’, as our premise. But this seems to be a hypothesis like any other: a hypothesis that is then used as a premise in a deductive system no doubt, but a hypothesis none the less. And it derives from other hypotheses; for example, ‘men’. But are any words that are not nouns hypotheses? All? Mortal? Are? If sounds can be combined to make words, then words can be combined to make further hypotheses.