T TI.IIItD PART OF LOCiIC. Of Reasoning and Syllogism. AS the first work of the mind,is perception,,,w:hereby,our leas are -framd,and-the t second is fudginent, ,which joins or odisjoins our ideas, and forms ,a proposition, , so the third opera- tion of- the:mind is.rcasoning, which joins several propositions together, ,,and mukes,a syll4gisrn,.;;that is, " an argument where- . -by we are, wont to infer to methipgthat:_islessknown, from truths which are more evident " In treating of this subject,,let.us consider- more.particularly, 1. "'The nature òf a syllogism, and-the parts of which it,is composed. 2. The several kinds of syllogisms, with particular - rules relating.to, them. -3: The doctrine of sophisms, pr false - reasoning, together -with` the means: of avoiding them, and-the mannerof -solving oe answering them. 4: Some general rules to direct our reasoning. CHAPS I.- f,the';Nature of aSyllogism, and the Parts.:of Which it is composed. IF'4he -mere perceptionaod comparison of.two ideas would ,always shrew us whether they agree or disagree; en all:ra- tional propositionswouldbe matters of-intelligence,.or.first.prin- ciples; andtthere would be-no, use reasoning, or *awing any It is thie- narrowness of i the human .mid, whirls introduces the necessity of reasoning. .,.Whenweare unable-to judge of the- truth or .falsehood of a proposition in - an.imgzediate ...manner, by-the mere :contensplation of its subject.and,,predioate, we are then constrained to use a .rnediurn,,.andto=.compare,each of them with some third idea, that by seeing how far they agree or disagree with it, we may be able to judge how far they agree or disagree among themselves : as, if there are two lines, A and B, and I know not whether they are equal or no, I take a third line C, or an inch, and apply it to each of them ; if it agree with them both, then I infer that A and B are equal ; but if it agree with one and not with the other, then I conclude A and B are unequal : if it agree with neither of them, there can be no comparison. So, if the question be, whether God must be worshipped, we seek a third idea, suppose the idea of a Creator, and say,
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