CLXX ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT [eth. ann. 20 



developed out of ideographic writing into a language of more 

 universal application. 



The highest development of this language which yet exists 

 is found in the science of mathematics, which has a plus sign, 

 a minus sign, a multiplication sign, a division sign, an equality 

 sign, a root sign, and many others — we will not go on to 

 enumerate them because they are many and so well known 

 that the few will suggest them all. The science of astronomy 

 has also developed an elaborate logistic language, the science 

 of chemistry another, and the science of geography, the science 

 of geology, the science of botau}-, and the science of zoology 

 have all developed something of a logistic language. A logistic 

 language is also developed in many of the arts; especially is 

 music thus written. 



The essential characteristic of logistic language is that its 

 sematology is universal, so that the meaning of any character 

 depends on the meaning assigned to it by the user — it is the 

 special language of reasoning and avoids all ambiguities of 

 other languages due to the multifarious meanings of single 

 words. There is no source of error in reasoning which com- 

 pares with the fallacies of diverse meanings, but science con- 

 structs for itself a special language which obviates this evil. 



The grammar of this language is yet unwritten, for the lan- 

 guage has scarcely been developed to a sufficient extent for 

 the purpose. It may be that when logic is wholly emancipated 

 from meta})hysic, logicians will devise a grammar of logistic 

 language. Perhaps they will then call it the grammar of logic, 

 and what I have called logistic language will be called logic. 

 All tliat is valuable in the so-called logic will remain as com- 

 ponent elements of a grammar — a grammar of the science of 

 reasoning with language. Logic is the science of reasoning 

 with language, and logistic language is the language of 



We liave thus seen the nature of emotional language, oral 

 language, gesture language, written language, and logistic lan- 

 guage. The five fundamental sciences of philology are thus 

 Ijriefly characterized, and the nature of |)liilology itself is set 

 forth in its pentalogic elements, which I deem to be inclusive 

 of all and sevcrallv exclusive of each other. 



