A Class Room Logic: Deductive and Inductive, with Special Application to the Science and Art of TeachingMcNair, George Hastings
Philosophy
A Class Room Logic: Deductive and Inductive, with Special Application to the Science and Art of Teaching
McNair, George Hastings
Logic
In justification of the latter definition it may be argued that it
covers the topics usually treated by logicians. It is said that a
science teaches us to know while an art teaches us to do. As a science
logic teaches us to know certain laws which underlie right thinking.
For example, the law of identity which makes possible all affirmative
judgments, such as “Some men are wise,” “All metals are elements,” etc.
Likewise as a science logic acquaints us with certain universal _forms_
to which thought shapes itself, such as definitions, classifications,
inductions, deductions. Further, logic lays down definite _rules_ which
lead to right thinking. To wit: Because it is true of a _part_ of a
class it should not be assumed that it is true of the _whole_ of that
class: or, in short, do not distribute an undistributed term.
A possible profit to the student may result from a study of certain
authentic definitions herewith subjoined:
(1) “Logic is the science of the laws of thought.” Jevons.
(2) “Logic is the science which investigates the process of
thinking.” Creighton.
(3) “Logic as a science aims to ascertain what are the laws of
thought; as an art it aims to apply these laws to the detection
of fallacies or for the determination of correct reasoning.”
Hyslop.
(4) “Logic is the art of thinking.” Watts.
(5) “Logic is the science and also the art of thinking.” Whateley.
(6) “Logic is the science of the formal and necessary laws of
thought.” Hamilton.
(7) “Logic is the science of the regulative laws of the human
understanding.” Ueberweg.
(8) “Logic treats of the nature and of the laws of thought.” Hibben.
(9) “Logic may be defined as the science of the conditions on which
correct thoughts depend, and the art of attaining to correct and
avoiding incorrect thoughts.” Fowler.
(10) “Logic is the science of the operations of the understanding
which are subservient to the estimation of evidence.” Mill.
(11) “Logic may be briefly described as a body of doctrines and rules
having reference to truth.” Bain.
It would seem as if there were as many different definitions as there
are books on the subject. This is due partly to the disposition of
the older logicians to ignore the _art_ of logic and partly to the
difficulty of giving in a few words a satisfactory description of a
broad subject. In the fundamentals of logical doctrine present-day
authorities virtually agree.
=4. THE VALUE OF LOGIC TO THE STUDENT.=
Logic is rapidly coming into favor as a major subject in institutions
devoted to educational theory. Some of the reasons for this change of
attitude are herewith subjoined:
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