Laws of Form – Laws of Logic (the use of the syllogism in the intellectual-verbal communication)

Author: Leon Conrad

Communicology. 2018. Vol.6. No.1
Leon Conrad, independent researcher, co-founder and lead trainer of The Academy of Oratory Ltd., coach-communications consultant. Address: 202 Grangewood House, Essex, IG10 3TZ. Email: leon@academyoforatory.co.uk.

Abstract. This two-part paper builds on previous work by L. Kauffman and J. Mingers [Kauffman; Mingers] arguing that Spencer-Brown’s ‘calculus of indications’ (hereinafter CoI) outlined in his book Laws of Form [Spencer-Brown] provides a powerful way of notating and validating classical logical syllogisms. Part 1 gives a background to the CoI and to classical logic, showing that the CoI has clear advantages in terms of speed, clarity, and ease of use in comparison with other forms of notation such as text or Venn diagrams. Part 2 shows how Brownian notation can facilitate working with education via obversion and conversion; and working with sorites, with a note on the implications of Brownian notation for the question of existential import.

Keywords: logic, George Spencer-Brown, calculus of indications, laws of form

Text: PDF

For citation: Conrad L. Laws of Form – Laws of Logic (the use of the syllogism in the intellectual-verbal communication). Communicology (Russia). 2018. Vol. 6. No. 1. P. 175-191. DOI 10.21453/2311-3065-2018-6-1-175-191

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