OF LOGICK; OR A SUMMARY OF THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES AND DIFFERENT MODES OF REASONING. BY LEVI HEDGE, LL. D. PROFESSOR OF NATURAL RELIGION, moralL PHILOSOPHY, AND CIVIL POLITY, STEREOTYPE EDITION. COOPERSTOWN: PUBLISHED BY H. & E. PHINNEY. 1848. DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS, TO WIT: District Clerk's Office. BE IT REMEMBER the Independence of the United States of America, LEVI That on the fifteenth day of September, A. D. 1827, and in the fifty-second year IEDGE, of the said District, has deposited in this office the title of a book, the right whereof he claims as author, in the words following, to wit: "Elements of Logick; or a Summary of the general Principles and different Modes of Reasoning. By LEVI HEDGE, LL. D. Professor of Natural Religion, Moral Phi1030phy, and Civil Polity, in Harvard University." In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, entitled, "An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned:" and also to an act, entitled, "An Act supplementary to an act, entitled, An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned; and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving and etching historical and other prints." JOHN W. DAVIS, Clerk of the District of Massachusetts. 160 Hose PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. AUG 1 9 1930 d MOST of the treatises of Logick in common use have been formed on the model of the ancient systems, and are encumbered with many scholastick subtilties and unimportant distinctions. The instructions, which they furnish on the subject of ratiocination, consist of very little more than a description of the syllogism, and a few general principles of demonstrative reasoning. They contain no elements nor rules to assist us in reasoning on subjects of probability, or on the ordinary events of human life. The manner, in which these books are written, is ill adapted to the comprehension of young minds. In explaining the operations of reasoning, many technical terms and arbitrary forms are employed, of which the tendency is rather to embarrass and perplex, than to instruct the learner. Though much has been written, of late years, on the powers and operations of the mind, yet there have been. but few attempts to form a system of Logick for the use of those, who are commencing the study. Collerd has improved the syllogism, by simplifying its principles, and divesting it of its ancient trappings of modes and figures. Condiilac has proved the importance of the method of induction, by pointing out the manner, in 589851 |