It is interesting to notice that the life-law of the brain, taught by Gratry, can be illustrated by means of a plain forked stick. But in order to teach geometrically Boole's complicated method of critical analysis, we must also employ the spiral wire or snake-coil. If the writer of the third Chapter of Genesis lived in our prosaic age, he would perhaps formulate his caution thus:—"Study Gratry freely. But beware of allowing yourself to be tempted by Boole's subtle and fascinating method; or it will surely lead you into mischief."
If he were in a specially honest frame of mind, he might add:—"Because Boole's method may enable you to grasp ideas quite beyond the comprehension of your Rabbi (Don, Pedagogue, or Pope, as the case may be); and therefore necessarily wicked."
CHAPTER X
SINGULAR SOLUTIONS
"I have made out what puts the whole subject of Singular Solutions into a state of Unity."
All metaphysicians have known of the existence of a law of antithesis or contradiction in Thought. "We form the conception of man by contrast with that of not-man; we know good by seeing it against a background of evil; the child learns to realize its own personality by coming in contact with things that are not itself." All this is the commonplace of metaphysics. But modern mathematics is leading to the perception that we need something more definite than to see x
