ON SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE In the case of a philosophical work it seems not only superfluous, but, in view of the nature of philosophy, even inappropriate and misleading to begin, as writers usually do in a preface, by explaining the end the author had in mind, the circumstances which gave rise to the work, and the relation in which the writer takes it to stand to other treatises on the same subject, written by his predecessors or his contemporaries.
Ohi denez idazki baten aurretik autoreak bertan duen helburuari buruz hitzaurre bat jartzea argipen gisa, baita idazkiaren jatorriari eta haren ustez idazkiak gai beraren aurreko edo egungo ikuspegiekin omen duen harremanari buruz ere, idazki filosofiko baten kasuan alferrikakoa ez ezik, badirudi gainera gaiaren beraren izaera dela eta desegokia eta helburuaren beraren aurkakoa dela.