The books is available in public domain here: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15114
In the introductory chapter Boole explains what the book contains:
But although certain parts of the design of this work have been entertained by others, its general conception, its method, and, to a considerable extent, its results, are believed to be original. For this reason I shall offer, in the present chapter, some preparatory statements and explanations, in order that the real aim of this treatise may be understood, and the treatment of its subject facilitated.
It is designed, in the first place, to investigate the fundamental laws of those operations of the mind by which reasoning is performed. It is unnecessary to enter here into any argument to prove that the operations of the mind are in a certain real sense subject to laws, and that a science of the mind is therefore it is possible. If these are questions which admit of doubt, that doubt is not to be met by an endeavour to settle the point of dispute apriori, but by directing the attention of the objector to the evidence of actual laws, by referring him to an actual science. And thus the solution of that doubt would belong not to the introduction to this treatise, but to the treatise itself. Let the assumption be granted, that a science of the intellectual powers is possible, and let us for a moment consider how the knowledge of it is to be obtained.
My question is about this line:
"If these are questions which admit of doubt, that doubt is not to be met by an endeavour to settle the point of dispute apriori, but by directing the attention of the objector to the evidence of actual laws, by referring him to an actual science."
By "actual science" does he mean any established scientific discipline ( e.g. Physics, Chemistry), or does he mean the science of logic?
I reckon this question could also be asked on the English Language forum but I'm putting it here as more members here might be familiar with the book, context of the time period.
