And if it be certain, that fallacies can be couched in
syllogism, as it cannot be denied; it must be something else, and
not syllogism, that must discover them.
I have had experience how ready some men are, when all the use which
they have been wont to ascribe to anything is not allowed, to cry out,
that I am for laying it wholly aside. But to prevent such unjust and
groundless imputations, I tell them, that I am not for taking away any
helps to the understanding in the attainment of knowledge. And if
men skilled in and used to syllogisms, find them assisting to their
reason in the discovery of truth, I think they ought to make use of
them. All that I aim at, is, that they should not ascribe more to
these forms than belongs to them, and think that men have no use, or
not so full an use, of their reasoning faculties without them. Some
eyes want spectacles to see things clearly and distinctly; but let not
those that use them therefore say nobody can see clearly without them:
those who do so will be thought, in favour of art (which, perhaps,
they are beholden to,) a little too much to depress and discredit
nature. Reason, by its own penetration, where it is strong and
exercised, usually sees quicker and clearer without syllogism. If
use of those spectacles has so dimmed its sight, that it cannot
without them see consequences or inconsequences in argumentation, I am
not so unreasonable as to be against the using them.
Pages:
1002
1003
1004
1005
1006
1007
1008
1009
1010
1011
1012
1013
1014
1015
1016
1017
1018
1019
1020
1021
1022
1023
1024
1025
1026