Buchanan's Journal of Man, September 1887: Volume 1, Number 8 — John Shaqi
Buchanan's Journal of Man, September 1887: Volume 1, Number 8
Philosophy
Buchanan's Journal of Man, September 1887: Volume 1, Number 8
Medicine -- Periodicals; Phrenology -- Periodicals; Science -- Periodicals
Lest the reader should fail to see in the foregoing what the _great
contribution_ to philosophy is, let us look in the _Open Court_ of
Chicago, which has a most affectionate partiality for metaphysical
mystery. It says this "Best contribution to philosophy" "may be summed
up thus," "We can perceive nothing but what we can identify with what
was familiar already." If this were true, the babe could never
perceive anything, as it begins without any knowledge, and it would be
impossible for us to learn anything or acquire any new ideas. This is
rather an amusing _discovery_! but it is barely possible or
conceivable that there are some old fossils whose minds are in that
melancholy condition.
P. S. After a few hours of repose to recover from mental fatigue and
digest the new wisdom so suddenly let loose upon mankind, we discover
the new aspect of the world of (Concord) philosophy. The great
question of the future will be to syllogize or not to syllogize. Is it
possible to distinguish an elephant from a tin can by any other method
than the syllogism? When that question is decisively settled, if it
ever can be settled (for metaphysical questions generally last through
the centuries) Prof. Harris will have an opportunity to win still
brighter laurels, and make still greater contributions to philosophy,
by finding more syllogisms. Will he not prove that mathematics is the
sphere of syllogism also, for if two and two make four, does not the
conception of four assume the position of the major predicate, which
is the generalized idea of one to a quadruple extent, and also of twos
duplicated. Thus the major predicate, that four is two twos, involves
the minor that two is the half of four and consequently that twice two
is four. Q. E. D. The syllogism is irresistible.
If Prof. Harris should establish the mathematical syllogism and extend
its power through all the realms of mathematics, as so industrious a
thinker might easily do, he will have taken a step far in advance of
Plato, and justly deserve a higher rank, for Plato (see his Phædo) was
terribly puzzled over the question how one and one make two. After
much puzzling he decided finally that one and one became two "by
_participation in duality_." This was the first great step to
introduce philosophy into mathematics. Let Prof. Harris consummate
this great work either by syllogism or by "_participation_."
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