Logic Inductive and Deductive

Characterised by incisive explanations of logic in language and analysis, Minto's excellent introduction is a must-read for those wishing to gain a grasp of critical thought and the applications of logic. Beginning with an examination of how logic began as a discipline, Minto delves into an examination of logical consistency, the syllogism, plus various analyses of terms and their proper usage.

Much of the book is focused on linguistics and language; how people may properly express rational arguments and thoughts in order to attain a consistent approach to both speech and thinking. Minto's sources are diverse; for instance he cites Aristotle and other Ancient Greek philosophers as providing the founding of modern logic. A further strength of the text are methods described for analysing arguments, thereby identifying the qualities - and potential inconsistencies and weaknesses - in their logic.

The latter portion of the work is focused upon logic as it is applied in scientific experiments and studies. The use of sources and statistical, reliably measured data as a bedrock to quantifiably proving hypotheses is examined, together with a variety of observational methods used by scientists to expand the boundaries of their knowledge.