ChapterVIII
OfTriflingPropositions1。Somepropositionsbringnoincreasetoourknowledge。Whetherthemaximstreatedofintheforegoingchapterbeofthatusetorealknowledgeasisgenerallysupposed，Ileavetobeconsidered。This，Ithink，mayconfidentlybeaffirmed，Thatthereareuniversalpropositions，which，thoughtheybecertainlytrue，yettheyaddnolighttoourunderstanding；bringnoincreasetoourknowledge。Suchare-
2。I。Asidenticalpropositions。First，Allpurelyidenticalpropositions。Theseobviouslyandatfirstblushappeartocontainnoinstructioninthem；forwhenweaffirmthesaidtermofitself，whetheritbebarelyverbal，orwhetheritcontainsanyclearandrealidea，itshowsusnothingbutwhatwemustcertainlyknowbefore，whethersuchapropositionbeeithermadeby，orproposedtous。
Indeed，thatmostgeneralone，whatis，is，mayservesometimestoshowamantheabsurdityheisguiltyof，when，bycircumlocutionorequivocalterms，hewouldinparticularinstancesdenythesamethingofitself；becausenobodywillsoopenlybiddefiancetocommonsense，astoaffirmvisibleanddirectcontradictionsinplainwords；or，ifhedoes，amanisexcusedifhebreaksoffanyfurtherdiscoursewithhim。ButyetIthinkImaysay，thatneitherthatreceivedmaxim，noranyotheridenticalproposition，teachesusanything；andthoughinsuchkindofpropositionsthisgreatandmagnifiedmaxim，boastedtobethefoundationofdemonstration，maybeandoftenismadeuseoftoconfirmthem，yetallitprovesamountstonomorethanthis，Thatthesamewordmaywithgreatcertaintybeaffirmedofitself，withoutanydoubtofthetruthofanysuchproposition；andletmeadd，also，withoutanyrealknowledge。
3。Examples。For，atthisrate，anyveryignorantperson，whocanbutmakeaproposition，andknowswhathemeanswhenhesaysayorno，maymakeamillionofpropositionsofwhosetruthhemaybeinfalliblycertain，andyetnotknowonethingintheworldthereby；v。g。\"whatisasoul，isasoul，\"；or，\"asoulisasoul\"；\"aspiritisaspirit\"；\"afeticheisafetiche，\"&c。Theseallbeingequivalenttothisproposition，viz。whatis，is；i。e。whathathexistence，hathexistence；or，whohathasoul，hathasoul。Whatisthismorethantriflingwithwords？Itisbutlikeamonkeyshiftinghisoysterfromonehandtotheother:andhadhebutwords，mightnodoubthavesaid，\"Oysterinrighthandissubject，andoysterinlefthandispredicate\":andsomighthavemadeaself-evidentpropositionofoyster，i。e。oysterisoyster；andyet，withallthis，nothavebeenonewhitthewiserormoreknowing:andthatwayofhandlingthematterwouldmuchatoncehavesatisfiedthemonkey’shunger，oraman’sunderstanding，andtheywouldhaveimprovedinknowledgeandbulktogether。