88

G88

analysis. Laplace maintains that it is possible to draw a necessary conclusion regarding the probability of a particular determination of an event based on not knowing anything at all about [it]; that is, based on nothing. When a man thinks himself to know nothing at all as to which of a number of alternatives is the truth, his mind can no more incline toward or against any one of them or any combination of them than a mathematical point can have an inclination toward any point of the compass. Suppose the question concerns the color of an object which we know has a high color, but are otherwise in a