Notes
Transcriber's note: References to Notes in Volume I are shown as in the printed book, with the resequenced footnote numbers in the Project Gutenberg Edition (EText-No. 23100) added thus {123}.
About This Book
This collection of essays and sketches scrutinizes mathematical oddities and philosophical paradoxes with a mix of historical anecdote, logical exposition, and dry humor. It critiques speculative and pseudo-mathematical claims, examines controversies in astronomy and geometry, and uses episodes involving celebrated scientists to illustrate distinctions between hypothesis, evidence, and dogma. Interwoven reflections address probability, religious scepticism, and the social authority of learned opinion, while close readings of pamphlets and lectures expose rhetorical tricks and errors. The overall aim is to defend clear reasoning and scientific rigor against pretension, fallacy, and popular misconceptions.