MS 447-454 (1903) - Lowell Lecture I

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rules are adhered to. I wish you to understand what the purpose of this system of expression is. It is not its purpose to enable us to draw any conclusions which we could not draw without it, not to draw any conclusions that we could not just as easily and ject as securely draw without it. If that should be the result, in some cases, well and good: but that I wish to say with all emphasis and distinctness is not what I aim at. The only thing I aim at is to obtain machinery by which I can pick necessary reasonings into their smallest parts, to carry the analysis of them to their very elements, and thus to discover what those elements are and how they are put together. If my aim were to facilitate reasoning, instead of en-

would train themselves, not in that medieval way of reasoning that the logic books teach but in the best ways of thinking that modern inquiry can make out.

God forbid that I should waste a single break in trying to induce anybody to control is thoughts who is not inclinced to take the trouble to do so. My services belong exclusively to those who do want to reason rightly, and who hunger and thirst after it.

When I was appointed to deliver a course have, I recieved several letters from my very best friends telling me, in flattering terms, how very agreeably I could lecture when I chose to make myself agreeable, and pointing out to me how greatly it was for my interest to make these lectures agreeable. I know well enough that it would be for my interest. But the world is full of men who for one reason or another, are incapable of consulting their interests; and I am one of them. For nearly half a

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deavoring to separate every inference into as many distinct steps as possible, I should endeavor to construct a system of expression which should enable me to jump over as many inferential steps as possible at one bound, without danger of slipping. But my purpose is just the reverse of that.

Here it the blackboard. It is nothing but a wooden thing with a plane black surface. But with your cooperation, I will work a metamorphosis of it. It shall be a representation of the universe, - not necessarily the universe of experience, but a universe of my creation which may coincide with that real universe. So be it.

So now the blackboard is quite another thing than pieces of wood with a plane black surface. It is something wherein

century the best of my energies have been devoted to learning all I could about reasoning; and now it is high time I gave the benefit of what I have learned to those who care to make the necessary effort to comprehend it. I mean to consider them exclusively. Therefore these lectures will requre close attention and a certain effort of thought.

I shall consider all the main classes of reasoning, Deductive, Inductive and Abductive, as fully as I can do in do very short a course, paying the smallest possible attention to pure theory but dwelling on the precautions necessary to be observed in practice. Mathematical reasoning, which is the easiest kind of reasoning, and which is essentially involved in all reasoning, will command our attention first.

you can discern my universe if you look at it tentively.

But what kind of representation is it? Not a mere copy or diagram or any kind of icon. I can tell you that the blackboard in no way resembles my universe, although in certain particulars I am going to make it so. Neither is it a mere index or symptom of my universe by virtue of any physical connextion with it. To be sure, it is so to some extent; since I intend by my muscular force to make certain marks on the board by which you can learn something of the characters of my universe. But the blackboard is already and is going to be still more so, a more intellectual sort of representation of the universe, representing it by virtue of certain intelligible Principles which you and I are going to agree upon.

That is the first of these principles be this: