MS 447-454 (1903) - Lowell Lecture I

CHARLES S. PEIRCE PAPERS

No. 454

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Lectures on Logic to be delivered at the Lowell Institute Winter 1903-1904 Lecture I

1

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I intend in these lectures to exhibit to you, as far as possible in so brief a course, the processes of modern scientific reasoning, and to explain what precautions have particularly to be attended to. I shall briefly explain why we ought to proceed as I say, while refraining from entering profoundly into the theory. In cases where views opposed to my own are supported by respectable reasons, I shall briefly examine them without going into any detailed controversy.

This evening I am going to explain to you a method for expressing any assertion with such precision as to enable us to deduce it precise consequences without danger of committing any error [?] as certain evident

Reasoning is self-controlled thought. The majority of men have very little power of reasoning. They think, but they have no strong grip over their thoughts. Many men and women of sweet natures, without bad impulses or stormy passions, never need to acquire any athletic sef-control. Others have been taught in childhood to control their action and their feelings, but have never learned to control their thoughts.

The results is that not only do individuals fall into bad or insufficient reasoning; but whole nations, whole generations do so. Fortunately the natural tendencies of the human mind are right in the main to just about the same degree that the natural tendencies of the human heart are right, knowledge does advance and methods of inquiry do improve. But the world would advance much more rapidly toward the truth, if men would put forth their energy to control their thoughts, and