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Single Idea 19370

[filed under theme 5. Theory of Logic / A. Overview of Logic / 4. Pure Logic ]

Full Idea

Leibniz invented the concept of 'blind thought' - reasoning by a manipulation of characters without being able to recognise what each character stands for.

Gist of Idea

'Blind thought' is reasoning without recognition of the ingredients of the reasoning

Source

report of Gottfried Leibniz (Towards a Universal Characteristic [1677]) by Richard T.W. Arthur - Leibniz

Book Ref

Arthur, Richard T.W.: 'Leibniz' [Polity 2014], p.30


The 3 ideas from 'Towards a Universal Characteristic'

'Blind thought' is reasoning without recognition of the ingredients of the reasoning [Leibniz, by Arthur,R]
Everything is subsumed under number, which is a metaphysical statics of the universe, revealing powers [Leibniz]
We can assign a characteristic number to every single object [Leibniz]