A Short History of Logic
Robert Adamson, originally published in 1911, provides a comprehensive overview of the history of logical theory.
The author's contribution to the ninth edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica on the topic of Logic is highly regarded by philosophical students, and this separate publication aims to make his insights more easily accessible.
The manuscript of the article, which is more extensive than the published version, has been preserved and includes passages that were omitted for the sake of brevity. These omitted sections, totaling around fifty in number, cover a range of topics and vary in length and significance. Despite the editor's decision to remove these passages, the author believed that they added value to the discussion.
Adamson's exploration of logic traces its development from ancient times to the modern era, highlighting key figures and theories that have shaped the field. He delves into the contributions of philosophers such as Aristotle, Descartes, and Kant, examining their ideas on reasoning, inference, and the nature of truth. The book also addresses the evolution of logic as a discipline, from its roots in ancient Greece to its formalization in the Middle Ages and its continued relevance in contemporary philosophy.
Throughout the text, Adamson emphasizes the importance of logic in understanding the principles of rational thought and argumentation. He discusses the various branches of logic, including deductive and inductive reasoning, as well as the role of logic in mathematics, science, and everyday reasoning. By exploring the historical development of logical theory,
Adamson provides readers with a deeper appreciation of the foundations of philosophical inquiry and the ways in which logic continues to shape our understanding of the world.
Ionclusion, "A Short History of Logic" offers a detailed and insightful examination of the evolution of logical thought, making it a valuable resource for students, scholars, and anyone interested in the history of philosophy. Adamson's thorough analysis and engaging writing style make this book a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the principles of reasoning and argumentation.
Reading from Introduction: Province and Method of Logic (pp. 1–21)
“Logic, in the most general acceptation of the term, may be regarded as the systematic study of thought. So wide a definition is certainly sufficient to comprehend all that may have been at various times included within the scope of logical doctrine, but in other respects it is of small value. For it seems essential that to any separate and independent theory there should be assigned a distinct province and a distinct method.”
“The term thought and systematic study, indicating the object and method of logical treatment, might, even in similar combination, be appropriately used in defining, totally or partially, philosophic disciplines not generally viewed as synonymous with logic. They do not serve, therefore, to mark off logic from philosophy as a whole, which is unquestionably the systematic exposition of thought, nor from psychology, which includes within its wider range what may well be described as the study of thought.”
“That some more accurate discrimination of the province and method of logic is absolutely necessary will readily be granted; for, in default thereof, neither the extent of matter to be included within the study nor the peculiarity of the method by which such matter is treated can be determined. The boundaries of logic and its essential constitution must otherwise remain fluctuating and vague.”
Chapter V: Logic on the Basis of Psychological Empiricism: Locke, Hume, Mill, Condillac (on Mill’s view of the universal in knowledge)
> “The universal in knowledge, then, is this naturally formed assumption regarding the course of nature. The logic of knowledge is the exposition of the modes in which evidence is obtained, of the tests by which its validity is estimated, and of the forms in which evidence and conclusion are connected.”
> “The theories of naming and of propositions. Any references, in the discussion of so fundamental a problem, to empirical constancies … are beside the mark.”
From Supplementary articles (e.g., on Lotze, Bradley)
“It is a specimen of Lotze’s excessive caution, and perhaps the consequences that would seem to follow from it might be invalidated by some portion of his metaphysical theory of the real. I note it here as bearing on the general view which animates much of the author’s polemic against other philosophies.”
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