Rational Philosophy. The Laws of Thought of Formal Logic. A Brief, Comprehensive Treatise On The Laws and Methods of Correct Thinking (IA Rationalphilosop00pola)
Rational Philosophy. The Laws of Thought of Formal Logic. A Brief, Comprehensive Treatise On The Laws and Methods of Correct Thinking (IA Rationalphilosop00pola)
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RATIONAL PHILOSOPHY
FORMAL LOGIC
A BRIEF, COMPREHENSIVE TREATISE ON THE
LAWS AND METHODS OF CORRECT
THINKING
BY
WILLIAM POLAND
Professor of Rational Philosophy in St. Louis University
1892
Copyright, 1892,
PREFACE.
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY.
PAGE
Article I. Logic.
15. Syllogism 11
lustration 34
PAGE
isses. Consequence.
84. 85. Axioms. 86. Analysis of
Argument. 87. Middle and Extremes 45
PAGE
Article IV. Fallacies.
Article V. Science.
Index loi
THE LAWS OF THOUGHT.
oJOio
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY.
Article I. Logic.
by nature, logicians.
INTRODUCTORY. ll
sion 2. Judgment;
; 3. Reasoning.
9. Simple Apprehension.
Simple apprehension is an
actby which the mind simply perceives or apprehends
something without affirming or denying anything about
it. If we consider this act as representative, as a mental
expression of that something, it is called an idea (like-
:
INTRODUCTORY. I3
Hannibal is a man.
ing that all men are living beings ; meaning also that
each individual man is a living being. When I say. The
horse is a quadruped, I mean that all are quadrupeds,
and tJiis horse is a quadruped. When I say. Gold is a
metal, I mean that all gold and that this piece of gold
is metal.
This partition of ideas being made, we have to deal
now, in a special manner, with universal ideas.
Difference.
25. Now take two species. They agree
in something that is common to the essences of both.
This, as we have said, is genus. But they differ also in
other essentials. All the individuals of one species have
a formality which is not in any of the individuals of the
other, and which distinguishes all the individuals of one
from all those of the other. The reflex universal idea
of this formality is called a differential idea and as this ;
26. Property or
Inseparable Accident. Sometimes
there found a form in all the individuals of a species,
is
44. Various
Constructions. There are various kinds
of simple and compound propositions various as the —
grammatical constructions invented to secure brevity in
language, the sometimes cumbersome vehicle of thought.
The propositions receive their names from the construc-
tions. We call attention to a few propositions.
45. Categorical. A categorical proposition is one that
affirms or denies absolutely and directly. It may be
simple or compound. Thus : Man
The soulis rational,
see that the three angles are equal two right angles.
to
+ + = + + + +
1 1 1What 1 1 1 1. is there in the
predicate that is not in the subject.''
JUDGMENTS, PROPOSITIONS. 3/
71. Two Laws. Now let us put the four laws together
and make two of them. The first and third will give us
this The predicate in an affirmative proposition is used
:
JUDGMENTS, PROPOSITIONS. 4
ative, the other negative, as. All men are Just and No
men are Just, there is not merely a contradiction of a
sweeping statement. There is a sweeping statement to
the contrary. The contradiction covers each individual
in the extension of the opposite proposition. The oppo-
sition is one of contrariety. The propositions are called
contraries. Both cannot be true at the same time, be-
cause each one contradicts every individual case of the
other. However, both may be false. They may both
claim too much in opposite directions.
The particular propositions implied in these two uni-
versals, that is, the particulars, Some mati is Just and
Some man is not Just, as opposed to one another in
quality, are called sitbcontraries. Both may be true,
since their contradictories, the universals, may both be
false, may both assert too much. Both particulars,
however, cannot be false for if both were false, then
;
Contrary.
I. All men are just (iZ/wV. ^^.). 2. No man is just {Univ. Neg.^.
^ °4> ^ ^
t-i
X t-i
3. Some man is just (Par^. ^^.). 4. Some man is not just (/*ar^.iV>^.).
SUBCONTRARY.
REASONING, ARGUMENT. 47
arc, the one the same as a third thing, the other differ-
ent from it, in the same sense are they different from one
another.
Antecedent
^^'^''>'
P'^"^ '^ ^ substance (Major Premiss),
\
i But the verbena is a plant (Minor Premiss).
Consequent or ^
Therefore, the verbena is a substance (Conse-
CONCLUSION ( quence).
. —
48 THE LAWS OF THOUGHT.
REASONING, ARGUMENT. 49
LIVING BEINGS
ANIMALS
LIONS
Minor
Extreme
Middle
Major Extreme
REASONING, ARGUMENT. 51
MORTAL
MAN ANGEL
9^
PLANT
REASONING, ARGUMENT. 55
Tobacco is a j)lant,
Tobacco is narcotic,
Therefore, Plants are narcotic,
Carpenters Russians
No star is an elephant;
No elephant is a tvJieelbarrow.
No conclusion.
REASONING, ARGUMENT. 59
treated as universals.
Or,
REASONING, ARGUMENT. 6
REASONING, ARGUMENT. 6^
REASONING, ARGUMENT. 65
Therefore,
Therefore,
REASONING, ARGUMENT. 67
is made of brass,
Every timepiece
organic matter,
All brass is
is, I am an American.
"All men are born into the world, equal, with equal
rights to live, equally, upon the earth and to enjoy an
equal share of the spontaneous productions of the earth.
So that by Nature herself are they justified in asserting
their equality against all comers.
" But all the existing laws of society are in open con-
flict with the equal rights of men and are framed only
to increase the inequality.
" Therefore, as we cannot get the rights of our equal-
ity from society, we are by Nature herself justified in
overturning governments and helping ourselves."
Here, you see, the right to plunder is assumed covertly
in order to justify plunder.
The circulns vitiosus {vicioiLS circle) is of the same
order as Xh^ petitio prmcipii. We prove, for instance, the
fall of the apple from the tree by gravitation ; and, later
on, we establish gravitation by the fall of the apple.
doers.
METHOD. 85
study. A
few words, however, first, upon division in
general and on certain divisions which are precisely
the inverse of the essential definition whether physical
or metaphysical.
METHOD. 89
Substance
A
Material
Organic
A
Sentient
A
pefinition
ANIMAL =
Charles, Frederic, Augustus, Hannibal, Scipio, etc. Vertebrata, Articulata, MoUusca, Radiata.
I | |
I
\ ^,_J ^
taking in the various notions in the comprehension
sentient, organic, material, substance. To divide animal,
we go downwards, classifying all that can be reached by
the extension of the term.
METHOD. 95
Article V. Science.
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EXPLANATION OF OUTLINE. 99
In the preceding table or "Outline of the Sciences" we have advanced from
the term of least comprehension and greatest extension, namely, the term, Being.
That which is represented by the term or concept Being supplies the subject-
matter for Ontology, the Science of Being.
We go on trying to increase the comprehension and diminish the extension
by adding the terms, Finite and Infinite, to Being. The division is not one
of genus into species, as we have seen when speaking of analogy (Nos. 28, 36),
yet it serves us for this very broad outline. Infinite Being is the subject-matter
of the science called, in philosophy, Natural Theology.
Continuing with Finite Being, increasing comprehension and diminishing ex-
tension, we have, in a perfect division, Substantial Finite Being and Acciden-
tal Finite Being. Ontology extends thus far, defining the notions of Infinite
and Finite, and treating of Substance and of all that is not Substance, that is of
Accident; quantity, quality, action, time, space, etc. It is general philosophy.
Again dividing, and increasing comprehension, we have Material Substan-
tial Finite Being and Spiritual Substantial Finite Being. We do not treat
of bodiless spirit under the Finite, in philosophy. But taking the Material, in the
wide sense of the term, we have the subject-matter of the science, Cosmology.
Increasing the comprehension, again, by adding ANIMATE and Inanimate, we
get in the Animate Material, etc., the subject-matter of the science, Biology, as
general science of life. If we take the other subdivision. Inanimate M.-\tekial,
etc., we find that range of sciences which treat of inanimate, inorganic matter
Physics, etc.
We leave the Inanimate; and we divide the Animate, by adding to the com-
prehension, into the Rational and the Irrational. The Irrational divided by
adding to comprehension, gives us Sensitive and Non-Sensitive (the brute
and the plant), with the sciences. Sensation, etc.. Vegetation, etc.
Returning to RATIONAL Animate, etc., we find here the science of Man
in general, or Anthropology. From this point forward we are engaged
solely with Man. We can no longer divide into species. W^e use such divisions
as will give us a complete and clear view of the subject, Man.
By actual physical essential division (No. 146) we can divide MAN into
Soul and Animal Body. The Animal Body, for general principles, we refer
over to Sensation. Soul is the subject-matter of the Science, Psychology.
Psychology will treat of the Nature of the Soul and the Fo'cvers of the Soul.
The Powers of the Soul, we group under three headings Fozuer of actuating
:
<
POINTS FOR PRACTICE. —
The practical utility of Formal
Logic, and the mental training to be derived from it, depend alto-
gether upon the skill acquired in readily discerning the comprehen-
sion and extension of terms. The Laws of the Syllogism —
Definition,
Division, Synthesis, and Analysis —
are all to be learned by the care-
ful study of Extension and Comprehension. Special attention should
be given to these two correlated points. Original illustrations should
be sought for as a proof that those in the book have been understood.
(9) Name objects of the simple apprehension or of the idea. (10) Give
examples of judgments. (11) Upon what two principles does the mind
work in reasoning? (13-15) What is a term, a proposition, a syllogism?
(17-19) Give three classifications of ideas. (19) Examples of singular,
particular, collective, universal ideas. (20) How are universal ideas classi-
fied? What meant by form, formality, or determination, in reference to
is
100
ALPHABETICAL INDEX.
Numbers refer to Paragraphs.
loi
102 ALPHABETICAL INDEX.
Property, 26.
Proposition, 14, 39.
Major extreme, 87, 88.
simple, complex, 42 ; compound,
premiss, 83, 88.
43-
Material logic, 2, 114, 115.
possible varieties of, 44.
Material supposition of terms, 37.
categorical, 45.
Method, advice regarding, 163.
conditional or hypothetical, 46.
analytic, 154-162.
conjunctive, 47.
mi.\ed, 162.
disjunctive, 48.
scientific, 139.
extension of, singular, particular,
synthetic, 154-162.
collective, universal, 62. 63.
Mill, J. Stuart, 125.
use of name " particular," 64.
Mind, three acts of, 7.
extension of predicate in, 66-71.
Minor extreme, 87, 88.
affirmative, negative, 72.
premiss, 83, 88.
quality and quantity of, 74.
Moods of syllogism, 92.
relations of, conversion, equivalence
or equipollence, opposition, 75-78.
Negative particle, 73.
proposition, 72. Question, begging the, 130.
Notion, 9. fallacy of the, 136.