Thought-Culture; Or, Practical Mental TrainingAtkinson, William Walker
Science
Thought-Culture; Or, Practical Mental Training
Atkinson, William Walker
Thought and thinking
In regard to the pitfalls of Inductive Reasoning--the fallacies,
so-called, Hyslop says: "It is not easy to indicate the inductive
fallacies, if it be even possible, in the formal process of
induction.... It is certain, however, that in respect to the
subject-matter of the conclusion in inductive reasoning there are some
very definite limitations upon the right to transcend the premises. We
cannot infer anything we please from any premises we please. We must
conform to certain definite rules or principles. Any violation of them
will be a fallacy. These rules are the same as those for material
fallacies in deduction, so that the fallacies of induction, whether they
are ever formal or not, are at least material; that is they occur
whenever equivocation and presumption are committed. There are, then,
two simple rules which should not be violated. (1) The subject-matter in
the conclusion should be of the same general kind as in the premises.
(2) The facts constituting the premises must be accepted and must not
be fictitious."
One may develop his faculty or power of _Deductive Reasoning_ by
pursuing certain lines of study. The study of Mathematics, particularly
in its branch of Mental Arithmetic is especially valuable in this
direction. Algebra and Geometry have long been known to exercise an
influence over the mind which gives to it a logical trend and cast. The
processes involved in Geometry are akin to those employed in Logical
reasoning, and must necessarily train the mind in this special
direction. As Brooks says: "So valuable is geometry as a discipline that
many lawyers and others review their geometry every year in order to
keep the mind drilled to logical habits of thinking." The study of
Grammar, Rhetoric and the Languages, are also valuable in the culture
and development of the faculty of Deductive Reasoning. The study of
Psychology and Philosophy have value in this connection. The study of
Law is very valuable in creating logical habits of thinking deductively.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account