Elements of Logic

work by Whately

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June 26, 2026

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Richard Whately's Elements of Logic, published in 1826, is credited with revitalizing English-language logic. While nonsymbolic, Whately's textbook thoughtfully and clearly reformulated many logical concepts. This work emerged from a tradition of English logic textbooks that had been in circulation since the 17th century. Whately, an English theologian and logician, lived from 1787 to 1863. His contribution is considered significant, even if it is now largely a historical footnote.123

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history of logic
Other 18th-century logicians
…this tradition arose Richard Whately’s Elements of Logic (1826) and, in the same tradition, John Stuart Mill’s enormously popular A System of Logic (1843). Although now largely relegated to a footnote, Whately’s nonsymbolic textbook reformulated many concepts in such a thoughtful and clear way that it is generally (and first…
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…this tradition arose Richard Whately’s Elements of Logic (1826) and, in the same tradition, John Stuart Mill’s enormously popular A System of Logic (1843). Although now largely relegated to a footnote, Whately’s nonsymbolic textbook reformulated many concepts in such a thoughtful and clear way that it is generally (and first…
Read More

John Stuart Mill
Public life and writing of John Stuart Mill
…(of 1828) of Richard Whately’s Elements of Logic, he was already defending the syllogism against the Scottish philosophers who had talked of superseding it by a supposed system of inductive logic. He required his inductive logic to “supplement and not supersede.” For several years he searched in vain for the…
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…(of 1828) of Richard Whately’s Elements of Logic, he was already defending the syllogism against the Scottish philosophers who had talked of superseding it by a supposed system of inductive logic. He required his inductive logic to “supplement and not supersede.” For several years he searched in vain for the…
Read More