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John Henry Newman struggled with the basic questions related to
human knowledge, and the relations between Faith and reason for more than 30 years.
He shared his insights and his creative answers to the questions in
An Essay in Aid of a
Grammar of Assent
The opening of the Grammar
reads like a logic book. Here is a summary which may help help the student to read
with understanding.
DISTINCTIONS IN THE USE OF PROPOSITIONS
PROPOSITION
(A SUBJECT AND PREDICATE UNITED BY THE COPULA)
Examples:
Free trade benefits the poorer
classes.
Is Mr. Simpson guilty of murder?
President Clinton should not be convicted.
All men have their price. Paul is a man. Therefore Paul has a
price.
| FORM |
categorical |
conditional |
interrogative |
| |
(simply
makes an assertion; implies absence of condition) |
(expresses
conclusion with implied dependence on other propositions) |
(asks a
question expecting a Y/N response) |
| EXTERNAL
ACTS OF ENUNCIATING |
assertion |
conclusion |
question |
| INTERNAL
ACTS OF HOLDING |
assent (unconditional) |
inference (conditional) |
doubt |
| CHARACTERS
OF MIND |
believer |
philosopher |
sceptic |
Modes of Apprehending Propositions
| Real
Apprehension |
Notional
Apprehension |
| Objects are
things external to us |
Objects are
our own thoughts |
| Singular
Nouns |
Common
Nouns |
More Examples will be given in the Grammar
Forum.
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