tv^ 



NEW SERIES. 



No. LVIL— MAY, 1865. 



EEMAEKS OS PEOFESSOR BOOLE'S MATHEMATICAL 

 THEOEY OF THE LAWS OF THOUGHT. 



BY GBOEGE PAXTON TOUNQ-, M. A., 



INSPECTOE OF GBAKMAK SCHOOLS FOE UPPEE CANADA. 



In a recent issue we announced tbe death of Professor Greorge 

 Boole, of Queen's College, Cork, a man of varied and profound ac- 

 iquireraents, and of singular originality of mind. The work on Vvhich 

 his fame will mainly rest is undoubtedly his "Investigation of the 

 Laws of Thought, on which are founded the Mathematical Theories 

 of Logic and Probabilities." We have long purposed to call atten- 

 tion to this remarkable production, though various circumstances 

 have hitherto prevented us from doing so. The present seems a 

 suitable occasion for testifying our admiration of the genius of the 

 deceased philosopher, and, at the same time, endeavouring to give a 

 brief account, inadequate as it must necessarily be, of what may be 

 termed his Mathematico-logical speculations. 



The primary, though not the exclusive, design of the " Investiga- 

 tion," is to express in the symbolical language of a Calculus, the 

 fundamental Laws of Thought, and upon this foundation to establish 

 the science of Logic and construct its method. 



The elementary symbols of Professor Boole's Calculus are of three 

 kinds : 1st. Literal symbols, as a?, y, &c., representing the objects of 

 our conceptions J 2nd. Signs of operation, as -f-, — , X; and Bed, 



Vol. X. L 



