The Principles of Empirical or Inductive Logic

London: Macmillan and Co, 1889. First edition. Hardcover. Very Good. 8vo. [4], v-xx, [1], 2-594, [2] (pages of publisher's advertisements) pp. Purple publisher's cloth with blind borders on each board, gilt lettering and rules on the spine. Black coated endpapers and pastedowns. Oxford DNB, John R. Gibbins, "Venn, John (1834-1923)". Risse Logica II, 123. Slater 968. Lukas M. Verburgt, John Venn: A Life in Logic. John Venn was influenced by De Morgan, George Boole, and John Stuart Mill (all accomplished logicians). He pioneered the frequency theory of probability in which "assertions of probability are understood as purely empirically based judgements on the recurrence of types of events over time, independent of an observer's feelings". His analysis of the wide variety of uses of the term "probability" was original, with his argument that the theory of probability had uses for a limited portion of human actions. Venn's application of this argument to the moral sciences was an important contribution to the field of statistical and philosophical research. He was the first to craft the Venn diagram, a key tool in testing propositions and syllogisms, representing sets, and unions and intersections between multiple sets. These diagrams are still of course in use today in mathematics and in numerous other fields. In this book, Venn sketches a middle path between the logical work of Boole and Mill. An influence on J.M. Keynes as well as Russell and Moore, Venn's work and legacy helped galvanize the next generation of Cambridge-trained philosophers and logicians. Minor rubbing to the extremities, a small name on the half-title page and a few contemporary pencil annotations to the margins.