of which will include two subjects, namely: "The Method of Logic" and "The Doctrine of the Fallacies," or " The Analytic of Wrong Reasoning." In treating of the last, the examples of the several fallacies will be taken almost exclusively from current theories of Politics and Morality. Our examples will therefore consist, not of mere trivialities, such as are so common in books on Logic, but of fallacies that, in perverting moral and political theory and in corrupting practice, have dominated, and still continue to dominate, the fortunes of mankind. They come to us, therefore, as veterans of what Hobbes calls the Kingdom of Darkness," crowned with the laurels of victory.' 66 BOOK I THE ANALYTIC OF RIGHT REASONING CHAPTER I RUDIMENTARY NOTIONS 14. DEFINITION OF LOGIC AND OF INVOLVED TERMS.-Logic is defined by Whately as the science and also the art of reasoning. Reasoning may be defined as consisting in the exercise of the comparative or discursive faculty of the mind-that is to say, the faculty by which our notions or concepts are compared with each other, and with the realities to which they are supposed to correspond, and their relations with each other, and with such realities are perceived. Or we may define reason as the faculty, and reasoning as consisting in its exercise.' But Logic-by which I mean the 1 The terms reason and reasoning, though conjugate, have unfortunately been divorced by logicians, and, following traditional Logic-is not to be regarded as having to deal with reasoning in general, but with explicit reasoning only, or ratiocination; which may be defined as reasoning expressed in language, or, so far expressed that the missing parts are understood. Hence it is rightly said by Whately that Logic is exclusively conversant with language; by which is meant, not merely the signs of thought, but also the thought signified.' This follows from the definition, and also from considering the several subjects of which it treats, which, by the universal consensus of logicians, consist of the Doctrines of the Term, of the Proposition, and of the Syllogism. But all these are simply parts or kinds of language. 15. RATIOCINATION DEFINED.-But Ratiocination, being a species of reasoning, must consist in the comparison of concepts or notions, and these, in order to fall within the province of Logic, must, ex vi termini, be expressed in terms. Hence, Ratiocination must be defined as consisting in the process of com them, by lexicographers generally; and accordingly Locke is blamed by Whately for confounding them. But in this Locke is right, and the logicians wrong; and the usage of the latter has been the source of infinite confusion in Logic. As I use the terms, Reason includes the faculties of Inference, Judgment, and Simple Apprehension; and Reasoning the corresponding processes. |