George Boole

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-lxiv

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2. The Nature of Logic and the Philosophy of Mathematics

   1. Front Matter

      Pages lxv-lxv

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   2. The Nature of Logic

      • Ivor Grattan-Guinness, Gérard Bornet

      Pages 1-12

   3. Elementary Treatise on Logic not Mathematical including Philosophy of Mathematical Reasoning

      • Ivor Grattan-Guinness, Gérard Bornet

      Pages 13-41

   4. [Extracts from a Notebook]

      • Ivor Grattan-Guinness, Gérard Bornet

      Pages 42-48

3. The Philosophical Interpretation of a Theory of Logic

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 49-49

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   2. Prolegomena

      • Ivor Grattan-Guinness, Gérard Bornet

      Pages 51-62

   3. On the Foundations of the Mathematical Theory of Logic and on the Philosophical Interpretation of Its Methods and Processes

      • Ivor Grattan-Guinness, Gérard Bornet

      Pages 63-104

   4. [Preparatory Notes]

      • Ivor Grattan-Guinness, Gérard Bornet

      Pages 105-111

   5. General Summary

      • Ivor Grattan-Guinness, Gérard Bornet

      Pages 112-116

4. “The Philosophy of Logic” - A Sequel to “The Laws of Thought”

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 117-117

      PDF

   2. [Preface]

      • Ivor Grattan-Guinness, Gérard Bornet

      Pages 119-120

   3. Table of Contents

      • Ivor Grattan-Guinness, Gérard Bornet

      Pages 121-122

   4. The Philosophy of Reasoning

      • Ivor Grattan-Guinness, Gérard Bornet

      Pages 123-125

   5. Logic

      • Ivor Grattan-Guinness, Gérard Bornet

      Pages 126-153

5. Miscellaneous Matters, Letters and Fragments

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 155-155

      PDF

   2. On Belief in Its Relation to the Understanding

      • Ivor Grattan-Guinness, Gérard Bornet

      Pages 157-161

   3. The Philosophical Idea of Freedom

      • Ivor Grattan-Guinness, Gérard Bornet

      Pages 162-163

   4. Note [to Aristotle]

      • Ivor Grattan-Guinness, Gérard Bornet

      Pages 164-166

   5. Philosophy of Mathematics

      • Ivor Grattan-Guinness, Gérard Bornet

      Pages 167-178

George Boole (1815-1864) is well known to mathematicians for his research and textbooks on the calculus, but his name has spread world-wide for his innovations in symbolic logic and the development and applications made since his day. The utility of "Boolean algebra" in computing has greatly increased curiosity in the nature and extent of his achievements. His work is most accessible in his two books on logic, "A mathematical analysis of logic" (1947) and "An investigation of the laws of thought" (1954). But at various times he wrote manuscript essays, especially after the publication of the second book; several were intended for a non-technical work, "The Philosophy of logic", which he was not able to complete. This volume contains an edited selection which not only relates them to Boole's publications and the historical context of his time, but also describes their strange history of family, followers and scholars have treid to confect an edition. The book will appeal to logicians, mathematicians and philosophers, and those interested in the histories of the corresponding subjects; and also students of the early Victorian Britain in which they were written.

• Arithmetic
• Finite
• The Philosophy of Mathematics
• algebra
• calculus
• formal logic
• geometry
• logic
• mathematics
• philosophy of logic
• proposition
• science
• syllogism
• symbolic logic

• Middlesex University, Middlesex, Great Britain

  Ivor Grattan-Guinness

• Philosophisches Seminar, Université Miséricorde, Fribourg, Switzerland

  Gérard Bornet

Policies and ethics