Note 43 — Chapter II

Since reference is here made to the actual denotation of a term in some assigned universe of discourse, the above law may be said to turn partly on material, and not on purely formal, considerations. It should, therefore, be added that although an alteration in the connotation of a term will not always alter its actual denotation in an assigned universe of discourse, it will always affect potentially its subjective extension. If, for example, the connotation of a term X is a, b, c, and we add d ; then the (real or imaginary) class of X’s that are not d is necessarily excluded from, while it was previously included in, the subjective extension of the term X. Hence, if the connotation of a term is arbitrarily enlarged or restricted, the subjective extension will be potentially restricted or enlarged accordingly. Cf. Jevons, Principles of Science, 30, § 13.