MS 641-642 (1909) - Significs and Logic

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Significs and Logic

In this paper I intend to propose for the Reader's assent or dissent some analyses of relations between Semeiotic, or the general physiology of Signs, and Logic considered as the theory of reasoning. I can do little more, herein, than state what at present seems to me tolerably certain; for the arguments which have led me to these opinions could not, with any justice to them, be compressed into a few pages. I am striving with all my might so to set them forth in a book so that they may be critically examined; but whether my powers hold out for so great a task is dubious. Perhaps, meantime, it may be found of interest, and even of value, to some future thinker who may pass over somewhat the same line of research as I have done, to see what conclusions I have reached.

Last edit over 6 years ago by mkbergman
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1909 Nov 3 P.M. 2:15 Significs & Logic 2

An argument is, of course, a Sign; namely, a Sign of the truth of its conclusion. For it is a Sign in the first place of the truth of its premisses; and then this truth being a Sign of that of the conclusion, the Argument itself is a Sign of that same. I do not say that every Sign of another Sign is , ipso facto, a Sign of that of which the latter is a Sign; but it is so in this case.

It evidently follows that there is a tolerably somewhat close affinity between Significs, in so far as it coincides with, or is a branch of Semiotic,* Insert here this footnote [* The words I "capitalize", such as "Significs" and "Semiotic" in this sentence, are so marked in order to call the Reader's attention to the fact that the precise, or approximately precise, sense in which each of them is used throughout this paper is somewhere explained it it. End of foot-note] Text resumed: and Logic, in the

Last edit over 5 years ago by noamsol
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1909 Nov 3 PM 3:15 SIGNIFICS & LOGIC 3

sense I just assigned to this word. In Germany and in America It is often used in other senses, in consequence, I suppose, of the opinion often expressed in books in which is is taken in those other senses, that the theory of reasoning was perfected by Aristotle, or by [Apelt?](!), or by some unspecified writers. This notion is as false as possible. In Germany, false views of reasoning are still so general and so important as to lead to strengths being attributed to many arguments which they do not approach near come near to having, while on the other hand obvious arguments of great weight are entirely overlooked from the same cause. The logic of relations, which strikes so deep as to put quite another face upon deductive reasonsing, has been really studied but by a very small group, and even by them often with little suspicion of its true significance. The Doctrine of Chances,

Last edit over 5 years ago by noamsol
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1909 Nov 3 PM 3:30 Significs & LOGIC 4

which is incomparably the most important contribution that has been made to logic since the ear of modern science set in, has been utterly neglected by logicians, who have left abandoned it to the mathematicians. But The mathematicians at first did in their usual admirable manner what it lay in them to do for it. But mathematicians are apt to imagine that all problems can be treated in the [?] ways which have been successful in their proper field, and when that happens they take up a question of a different nature, great mathematicians, no less than small ones, are apt to go ridiculously wrong; and so they have done about the "calculus of probabilities" and this has, no doubt contributed to prevent the recognition of the

Last edit over 5 years ago by noamsol
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1909 Nov 4 AM 0:30 Significs & LOGIC 5

examples of scientific reasoning to be explained. For just as thermodynamics had to await the steam-engine before it could amount to anything, so the theory of reasoning could not amount to much until reasoning could exhibit some genuine triumps. Still, considering the state of science during those the Middle Ages ages, it ought to be acknowledged that the their logic of those times was all that could be expected, if not considerably more. It was better than modern logic would have been but for the work of mathematicians; and if logical studies could have been continued with the same earnestness after the advent of modern science as they had been previously, I for my part have no doubt that they would have done great things for our scientific ages. Unfortunately, the whole Christian church set its face against modern science, and largely against its forerunner, the revival of

Last edit over 5 years ago by noamsol
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