A Delineation of the Primary Principles of Reasoning

A Delineation Of The Primary Principles Of Reasoning by Robert Boyd Kidd. This 19th-century work offers a systematic study of logic and the science and art of reasoning. It opens with a broad definition of art as the result of experience and rules, and then develops a comprehensive theory of reasoning through sections on the materials of reasoning—including vicarious representation, natural signs, specimens, and names. The book proceeds to analyze reasoning itself, detailing the structure of proof, proof by testimony, and induction, and it presents an extended analysis of propositions, including their primary and secondary imports, their classification into universal and particular, and the processes of conversion and syllogism. It surveys the history of logic, compares rival theories (Whately, Mill, De Morgan, Locke), and discusses the relationship between reason and faith. An appendix addresses topics such as miracles, the existence of God, and the instinctive operations of society. The text emphasizes that logic is both a science and an art and that a disciplined approach to reasoning is essential for education, public discourse, and the pursuit of truth.