The Development of Mathematical Logic

This is a clear and straightforward summary of the history of formal logic from the time of Aristotle to that of Godel. Nidditch discusses the four main trends at the root of modern logic: Aristotle's theory of the syllogism; the idea of a universal language; the idea of the parts of mathematics forming deductive systems; and the discoveries in mathematics in the early nineteenth century. He goes on to outline the chief ideas and theories of the main writers on mathematical logic, including Jevons, Peirce, Boole, Russell and Whitehead. The text is easy to read and gives the beginning student a valuable perspective on mathematical logic.