[Inquiry] Re: Logic Of Relatives

[Jon Awbrey]

o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o

LOR.  Note 24

o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o

In setting up his discussion of selective operations and
their corresponding selective symbols, Boole writes this:

| The operation which we really perform is one of 'selection according to
| a prescribed principle or idea'.  To what faculties of the mind such an
| operation would be referred, according to the received classification of
| its powers, it is not important to inquire, but I suppose that it would be
| considered as dependent upon the two faculties of Conception or Imagination,
| and Attention.  To the one of these faculties might be referred the formation
| of the general conception;  to the other the fixing of the mental regard upon
| those individuals within the prescribed universe of discourse which answer to
| the conception.  If, however, as seems not improbable, the power of Attention
| is nothing more than the power of continuing the exercise of any other faculty
| of the mind, we might properly regard the whole of the mental process above
| described as referrible to the mental faculty of Imagination or Conception,
| the first step of the process being the conception of the Universe itself,
| and each succeeding step limiting in a definite manner the conception
| thus formed.  Adopting this view, I shall describe each such step,
| or any definite combination of such steps, as a 'definite act
| of conception'.
|
| Boole, 'Laws of Thought', p. 43.
|
| George Boole,
|'An Investigation of the Laws of Thought,
| On Which are Founded the Mathematical
| Theories of Logic and Probabilities',
| Reprinted, Dover, New York, NY, 1958.
| Originally published, Macmillan, 1854.

o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o