Logic and Philosophy of Logic from Humanism to Kant

Though Aristotelianism and Scholasticism underwent an evolution from the Renaissance to the Reform, in the XVII century syllogism was criticized by philosophers such as Bacon and Descartes. This promoted the idea that logic should broaden its scope and means. The Port-Royal Logic tried to reconcile old views with the study of probability, while some logicians, following Locke, directed logic toward an investigation into the cognitive faculties that form, use and give linguistic expression to ideas. Other logicians tried to improve logic by adopting the inventive techniques of algebra, as can be appreciated in the logical calculi developed by Leibniz and, in the XVIII century German logical context, by Segner, Ploucquet and Lambert. The chapter ends with an assessment of Kant’s philosophy of logic.

Sebbene l’Aristotelismo e la Scolastica subissero un’evoluzione nel periodo fra Rinascimento e Riforma, il sillogismo venne criticato da filosofi come Bacone e Cartesio. Donde i tentativi di ampliare ambito e strumenti della logica. La Logica di Port-Royal cercò di conciliare antiche dottrine con lo studio della probabilità; alcuni studiosi, ispirandosi a Locke, indirizzarono la logica verso l’indagine delle facoltà cognitive che formano, usano e danno espressione linguistica alle idee; altri logici importanti (Leibniz, e più tardi Segner, Ploucquet e Lambert) cercarono di introdurre in logica le tecniche della algebra. Il capitolo termina con una valutazione della filosofia kantiana della logica.