Analysis of Mr. Mill's System of LogicStebbing, W. (William)
Philosophy
Analysis of Mr. Mill's System of Logic
Stebbing, W. (William)
Logic, Modern -- 19th century; Mill, John Stuart, 1806-1873
To recognise the identity of phenomena which thus differ only in degree,
we must assume a type-species. This will be that _kind_ which has the
class-properties in their greatest intensity (and, therefore, most
easily studied with all their effects); and we must conceive the other
varieties as instances of degeneracy from that type.
The divisions of the series must be determined by the principles of
_natural_ grouping in general (that is, in effect, by natural affinity);
in subordination, however, to the principle of a natural series; that
is, in the same group must not be placed things which ought to occupy
different points of the general scale.
Zoology affords the only _complete_ example of the true principles of
rational classification, whether as to the formation of groups or of
series. Yet the same principles are applicable to all cases (to art and
business as well as science) where the various parts of a wide subject
have to be brought into mental co-ordination.
BOOK V.
FALLACIES.
CHAPTER I.
FALLACIES IN GENERAL.
The habit of reasoning well is the only complete safeguard against
reasoning ill, that is, against drawing conclusions with insufficient
evidence, a practice which the various contradictory opinions,
particularly about the phenomena relating to Man, show to be even now
common, and that too among the most enlightened. But, to be able to
explain an error is a necessary condition of seeing the truth; for,
'Contrariorum eadem est Scientia.' Consequently, a work on Logic must
classify Fallacies, that is, the varieties of Apparent Evidence; for
they _can_ be classified, though not in respect of their negative
quality of being either not evidence at all, or inconclusive, yet in
respect of the positive property they have of _appearing_ to be
evidence.
As Logic has been here treated as embracing the whole reasoning process,
so it must notice the fallacies incident to any part of it (not to
Ratiocination merely), whether arising from faulty Induction, or from
faulty Ratiocination, or from dispensing wholly with either or both of
them. It does not treat of errors from negligence, or from inexpertness
in using right methods, nor does it treat of errors from moral causes,
viz. Indifference to truth, or Bias by our wishes or our fears; for the
moral causes are but the _remote_ and _predisposing_, not the _exciting_
causes of opinions; and therefore inferences from them, since they must
always involve the intellectual operation of admitting insufficient
evidence as sufficient, really come under a classification of the things
which wrongly _appear_ evidence to the _understanding_.
Fallacies may be arranged, with reference either to the cause which
makes them (erroneously) appear evidence, or to the particular kind of
evidence they simulate. The following classification is grounded on both
these considerations jointly.
CHAPTER II.
CLASSIFICATION OF FALLACIES.
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