Vilfredo Pareto
Vilfredo Pareto
Vilfredo Pareto
9. For the man who lets himself be guided chiefly by sentiment for
the believer, that is - there are usually but two classes of theories:
there are theories that are true and theories that are false. The terms
"true" and "false" are left vaguely defined. They are felt rather than
explained.
10. Oftentimes three further axioms are present:
13. In the manner just described, the structure has been reared the
theory exists. It is now one of the objects that we are trying to
classify. We may consider it under various aspects:
The classification just made, like any other that might be made, is
dependent upon the knowledge at our command. A person who
regards as experimental certain elements that another person regards
as non-experimental will locate in Class I a proposition that the other
person will place in Class II. The person who thinks he is using logic
and is mistaken will class among logical theories a proposition that a
person aware of the error will locate among the non-logical. The
classification above is a classification of types of theories. In reality, a
given theory may be a blend of such types - it may, that is, contain
experimental elements and non-experimental elements, logical
elements and non-logical elements.
In an extreme case the answer to the first question is yes; and then,
as regards the other question, one adds: "People say (people believe)
that A = B, because it istrue." "The sentiments reflected in the
proposition are beneficial because true." "The theory itself is
beneficial because true." In this extreme case, we may find that data
of logico-experimental science are present, and then "true" means in
accord with experience. But also present may be data that by no
means belong to logico-experimental science, and in such event "true"
signifies not accord with experience but something else - frequently
mere accord with the sentiments of the person defending the thesis.
We shall see, as we proceed with our experimental research in
chapters hereafter, that the following cases are of frequent occurrence
in social matters:
Further Reading:
Biography | Spencer | Talcott Parsons | Weber | Comte