A Logic Of Facts

sons are adduced to make the proposition credible, it b

n. All the reasons offered in proof of a proposition are called premises. The Pythagorean, who lays down the proposition that fruits and

ers cannot but see them too. 'Reasoning on the abstrusest questions is nothing more than arrivi

eauties of E

ssion, in which every argument may be s

s cut off ought to be allo

ve their he

to be allowed to ask (pol

ing of women in France, without allowing them any voice in maki

hended in that class. Thus the first proposition introduces the class of persons who have their heads cut off. Of this class it is affirmed that they ought to be allowed to ask the reason why. But wome

Mr. Mill, 'the argument must adm

mals ar

me

n } are

rat

ref

me

n } are

rat

gument must be capable of be

le of self-control i

negr

are capable o

.'s n

ref

groes

re not } neces

s negro

nsequence; there are, no doubt, cases in which the argument falls more naturally into one of the other three figures, and in which its conclusiveness is more apparent at the first glance in those

es was

es was

ref

an was v

nd would carry conviction more instantly home, than the

es was

an was A

ref

an was v

t form, and consequently the unsoundness of any apparent argument which cannot be reduced to it. This would be high praise if every 'valid argument' was a trusty one. But unfortunately 'the question respecting the validity of an argument is not

vol. 1, p

a test of valid arguments, may be entirely dispensed with, i

uths by the syllogism. The syllogism is allowed

us animals

n is pr

ref

is not

ic, Anal. Out.

t. Smart, whom Mr. J. S. Mill calls acute and often profound, remarks-'Every one, as to the mere act of reasoning, reasons rightly: we may reason from wrong premises, or mistake right ones; we may be unable to infer from proper ones; but from such premises as we do reason from, we reason correctly

logisms, and since in a syllogism the premises do virtually assert the conclusion, it follows at once that no new truth can be elicited by any process of reasoning.

ic, p

llogism as t

us animals

n is pr

ref

is not

that the general affirmation of the first proposition relates to a class of (predacious animals in this case) objects which include the middle term, the necessity of invention is consequently dispensed with. We need only look well to wh

always take such topics as are purest and least fallible, and which carry the greatest evidence and strength with them,' But

the assertion true? In this manner, if an argument has truth in it, it may be elicited. In this ma

ication of propositions, figures of syllogisms, are of minor importance when you have once elicited the rough truth. The best test of an argument is the sound

is proved to be the most formidable enemy of tyranny? 'From the fact that tyranny has no enemy so formidable as that which assails not only its e

h assails not only its existence, but its reputati

tyranny in life a

hat a single truth is proved by a collective one which contains it, or a less quantity is proved by a greater, or that an assertion is proved by an induction from a

n argument is presented is

industr

ref

acquir

is in this form suppressed. The

rious man ac

industr

ref

acquir

we find the facts wanting-for the idle are often rich, and the diligent

ai

herish se

espect is the

is-'We must cherish whate

llogism then

whatever is th

t is the st

ref

herish se

is to be inferred of the whole. Thus: Either we shall live or die. If we live, we can only live happily by being virtuous; and if we die, we can o

is a specimen. 'My son,' said that eminent person, 'governs his mother, his mother governs me, I govern the Athenians, the Athenians govern Greece, Greece governs Europe, and

in favour of a presumptive, or generally allowed truth. But manly logic holds no quibbling

ered, were the "Instanratio Magna," and the "Novum Organum;" those of Descartes were his "Dissertatio de Methodo," and his "Meditationes de Prima Philosophia," The fruitlessness of the ancient logic, as an instrument of discovery, had been abundantly proved by past experience, and the watchword which these two great thinkers of their age both uttered, and which has been ever since the guiding principle of all philosophy, was-analysis. Bacon, who gave his attention chiefly to the direction and improvement of physical science, taught to analyse nature, while Descartes, who aimed rather at grounding all human knowledge upon its ultimate principles, instructed how to analyse thought. All modern philosophy, therefore, whether it arise from th

dern Philoso