A Class Room Logic / Deductive and Inductive, with Special Application to the Science and Art of Teaching

by George Hastings McNair

1. LOGICAL THOUGHT AND LANGUAGE INSEPARABLE.

Any impression upon the mind tends to manifest itself in some form of expression. Impression which arouses thought tends to expression in the form of symbols. Thought and symbol go hand in hand. Expression, taking the form of word-symbols, constitutes a word-language.

It is commonly supposed that language is serviceable mainly in communicating one’s thoughts to others, but language does service in another way which is quite as important. It tends to clarify and make definite all thought. Without a word-language thinking would lack continuity; would be vague, loose, illogical. The right use of a word-language, therefore, is a necessary adjunct to logical thought. The basic element of a word-language is the logical term.