French “logique” and British “logic”: on the origins of Augustus De Morgan's early logical inquiries, 1805–1835

Abstract

Augustus De Morgan's career is characterized by a ceaseless joint attention to mathematics and logic. In this essay, we investigate the factors that urged him to become involved with logic, first in connection with the instruction of geometry, and subsequently with algebra. We hold that his attempt to reduce Euclidean geometry to syllogistic form in 1831 stemmed largely from his perusal of S.F. Lacroix's Essais, while his wish to defend G. Peacock's advanced algebra as a basic component of Cambridge education in 1835 led him to establish significant links between algebra, mechanics, and logic.