The Art of Reason in a Foolish World We started this series because something felt off. Not politically off. Not socially off. But, definitely intellectually off. We are surrounded by information and starving for wisdom. Surrounded by opinions and short on discipline. Surrounded by voices and short on clarity. Isaac Watts wrote Logic; or, The Right Use of Reason in the Inquiry After Truth  in 1725, and his goal was simple: “Truth is the object of our understanding, and the desire of truth...

Method: Organizing Your Mind We’ve walked the path carefully. Perception. Ideas. Judgment. Propositions. Reasoning. Now Watts brings us to the final operation of the mind: Method . If reasoning connects the dots, method arranges the dots. Watts defines it this way: “Method is the disposition of our thoughts in such order as is most proper to find out and communicate truth.” That word disposition  matters. Method is not just having thoughts. It is arranging them intentionally. In other...

Reasoning: Connecting the Dots We’ve trained our perception. We’ve clarified our ideas. We’ve formed judgments.We’ve stated propositions. Now we arrive at the engine room of logic: Reasoning . If judgment compares two ideas, reasoning takes multiple propositions and connects them to reach a conclusion. Watts defines it this way: “Reasoning is that act of the mind whereby we infer one proposition from two or more propositions before known.” That word infer  is important. Reasoning is not...