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Single Idea 12572

[from 'Essay Conc Human Understanding (2nd Ed)' by John Locke, in 4. Formal Logic / A. Syllogistic Logic / 2. Syllogistic Logic ]

Full Idea

There are many men that reason exceeding clear and rightly, who know not how to make a syllogism

Gist of Idea

Many people can reason well, yet can't make a syllogism

Source

John Locke (Essay Conc Human Understanding (2nd Ed) [1694], 4.17.04)

Book Reference

Locke,John: 'Essay Concerning Human Understanding', ed/tr. Nidditch,P.H. [OUP 1979], p.670


A Reaction

On the one hand this is just Locke's scepticism about the whole business of Aristotelian logic, but on the other hand it may be a perspicuous observation that logical thought extends far beyond what was catalogued by Aristotle.