Bloomsbury The Aftermath of Syllogism (Bloomsbury Studies in the Aristotelian Tradition): Aristotelian Logical Argument from Avicenna to Hegel

Review This volume's main strength lies in its very approach to the history of syllogism, from Avicenna to Hegel. We are not talking of either the large scope of the history of philosophy or the narrow scope of the history of the notion of syllogism; we are talking of the reconstruction of a vital problem over seven centuries of history. We are talking, then, of real and effective Problemgeschichte. - --Riccardo Pozzo, Professor, Department of Human Sciences, University of Verona, ItalyTo my knowledge, no work exists in English that compares to what The Aftermath of Syllogism achieves and contributes to this area of scholarship. - --Seung-Kee Lee, Professor, Department of Philosophy, Drew University, USAAristotle casts a long shadow over the history of philosophy. This is especially true of his doctrine of the syllogism, the idea that the core of logical reasoning comes in simple three-sentence arguments, 'Socrates is a man, all men are mortal, therefore Socrates is mortal.' The history of logic well into the nineteenth century is the history of reactions to this conception of reasoning, for and against. In this excellent book, the editor has assembled a series of essays by distinguished scholars directed at moments of particular importance in the history of the syllogism, both advocates and opponents, from the medievals to the nineteenth century. The Aftermath of Syllogism is a very welcome addition to the literature on the history of logic. - --Daniel Garber, Professor of Philosophy, Princeton University, USA Product Description Syllogism is a theory of logic allowing one to deduce a consistent conclusion based on a pair of premises having a common term. Aristotle was the first to develop this way of reasoning and this inference schema, by the various forms and figures it may assume, has remained a powerful and compelling device of deduction and argument since its induction in philosophy. The Aftermath of Syllogism investigates the key developments in the history of this Aristotelian theory of logic, from Avicenna to Hegel. Aristotle left a lot of conceptual space for further modifications, improvements and systematizations in regard to the extant syllogistic theory. Taking as its focus the key period of development between the Middle Ages and the nineteenth century, this book looks at the huge reworking syllogism underwent over the centuries, as some of the finest philosophical minds brought it to an unprecedented height of logical sharpness and sophistication. Bringing together a group of the major international experts currently working on the Aristotelian tradition, The Aftermath of Syllogism provides a detailed, up to date and critical evaluation of the history of syllogistic deduction. About the Author Marco Sgarbi is Associate Professor of History of Philosophy at the Universita Ca' Foscari, Venice, Italy. Matteo Cosci is a postdoctoral researcher at the Universita Ca' Foscari, Venice, Italy, currently working within the ERC project "Aristotle in the Italian Vernacular: Rethinking Renaissance and Early-Modern Intellectual History (c. 1400-c. 1650)".