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New Medieval Books: The Rules of Logic

The Rules of Logic

By Najm al-Dīn al-Kātibī
Edited and translated by Tony Street

New York University Press
ISBN: 9781479880249

The most widely read introduction to logic in the Arabic-speaking world, this work dates to the 13th century. If you enjoy reading about propositions and syllogism, then this book is for you.

Excerpt:

At the end of reading the Rules, one may wonder what students of the text would have gained from their efforts. Theories of signification and predication, obviously, along with analyses of quantified, modalized, and hypothetical propositions; procedures for checking inferences; and the outlines of a philosophy of science. But, in the most general terms, they would have come to realize with what indeterminate materials natural language operates—the shifting significations of expressions, the overtones of meanings, and the deep ambiguities hidden in seemingly clear sentences—and the lengths to which one must go to make these aspects of language determinate. I suspect that few of the Rules’s readers went on to formulate knowledge-claims in the propositional forms listed in the Rules, and still fewer went on to deduce new knowledge-claims using the inference-schemata al-Kātibī had proved to be valid. But all would have come away from their study with an appreciation of the many pitfalls of building an argument or setting out an unambiguous claim in a natural language.

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Who is this book for?

Although the subject matter of this work might be too challenging for beginners, it is a valuable resource for anyone interested in medieval philosophy. It offers meaningful insights into how learning was viewed in the medieval Arabic world, making it a worthwhile addition to the collection of scholars and enthusiasts alike.

The Translator

Tony Street is the Assistant Director of Research in Islamic Studies at the University of Cambridge, where he focuses on the intellectual history of the Islamic world.

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You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website 

You can buy this book on Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

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