The Rules of Logic

Najm al-Dīn al-Kātibī

• Publisher: NYU Press
• Year: 2025
• Print ISBN: 9781479840687
• eBook ISBN: 9781479840700
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Middle Eastern Literary Collections
• Index: Literature

A classic textbook on the study of logic

In the Muslim East, logic was an integral part of the syllabus of schools and found to be especially helpful for legal studies. It was in this milieu that The Rules of Logic was composed by Najm al-D?n al- K?tib?, a scholar of the Sh?fi?? school of law.

The Rules of Logic is the most widely read introduction to logic in the Arabic-speaking world. It has probably enjoyed a longer shelf-life than any other logic textbook ever written, having been in use by madrasah students from the early eighth/fourteenth century up until the present day. Building on the theories of Avicenna, al-R?z?, and other pioneers of logic, al-K?tib? discusses the many pitfalls of building arguments and setting out unambiguous claims in natural language. The enduring nature of the text is a testament to al-K?tib? and his impact on concepts of formal discourse and argument. Accompanied by an informative commentary on the text by translator Tony Street, The Rules of Logic brings to an English readership an influential text that has shaped the work of scholars of logic for centuries.

An English-only edition, including a commentary by translator Tony Street.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Letter from the General Editor
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Abbreviations
• Foreword
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Note on the Translation and the Commentary
• Notes to the Introduction
• The Rules of Logic
• The Introduction
• The First Treatise: On Simple Terms
• The Second Treatise: On Propositions and Their Valuations
• The Third Treatise: On Syllogism
• The Conclusion
• Commentary
• Notes
• Tables
• Figures
• Appendix 1: Names of Propositions
• Appendix 2: Propositional Forms
• Appendix 3: Examples of Quantified Hypothetical Propositions
• Appendix 4: Contradictories for Modalized Propositions
• Appendix 5: List of Translated Texts in Commentary
• Bibliography
• Further Reading
• List of Technical Terms
• Index
• About the NYU Abu Dhabi Research Institute
• About the Translator
• The Library of Arabic Literature