Introduction to Generalized Evolutionary Logic

Author: He Xin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: In this book, an attempt is made to describe and study a special conceptual system in human thinking—the "historical concept cluster." (I originally referred to it as "historical concept set," but later decided to use "cluster" to avoid confusion with the "set" concept in set theory.) This conceptual system (which Hegel called "Idea" or "Idee" in German, translated as "Yidi," meaning a generative system of serialized concepts, a series of concepts, and systematic concepts. For example: chicken (egg/chick/adult chicken/old chicken).) as a systematic historical concept cluster inevitably emerges in the process of observing and describing the continuous morphological evolution of a thing—i.e., historical morphological evolution. This conceptual system possesses unique logical relationships and structures, which are dynamic in nature and extend beyond the domain of classical formal logic and modern mathematical logic.
Therefore, the study of historical concept clusters will ultimately lead to the establishment of a new type of logic—Universal Evolution Logic (U.E.L. system).
The discovery of this new type of logic can be traced back to Heraclitus and Plato in the history of Greek philosophy. However, more systematic and profound theories were earlier proposed by Hegel. Hegel was aware of the existence of this new type of logic, which he referred to as "speculative logic" (Die Spekulatve Logik).
Hegel believed that speculative logic is based on "the self-movement of the concept." Hegel recognized that the occurrence and evolution of an event can be modeled as a deductive reasoning process based on a series of premises. Hegel said, "The Idea is essentially a process." "The existence of any Idea is a syllogism." "The absolute unity of the concept (Begriff) and the object is the self-sufficient truth" (German "Begriff," English "Notion," translated by He Lin as "Zongni," meaning "concrete, substantive, universal concepts"). (These quotes are from the He translation of Small Logic, pages 397–403, and Large Logic, Part V, 118.)
Hegel believed that the logical structure formed in the human brain and the movement of concepts in the brain are, in fact, simulations of the self-movement of objective concepts (the object). The self-movement of the object, which is the subject, leads to the self-generation of the "Idea" system. Meanwhile, the subjective concept system formed in the human brain through linguistic symbols is merely an image of the object and subject concepts.
Hegel believed that the Idea (i.e., a rationalized concept system) is a self-completing system of concepts. In a certain sense, observing the evolutionary development of a thing is also a recursive cognition (self-cognition) of the Idea's internal conceptual development. ("The Idea can be understood as reason, as subject-object, as concept and reality, as finite and infinite, as soul and body" (Small Logic, page 400).)
However, for over 200 years, this new type of logic has never been understood or recognized by mainstream logicians. Hegel's logic has always been mocked by orthodox logicians who adhere to the Vienna Circle's views: "They attempt to develop a logic that can study both form and content, calling it 'speculative logic' or 'dialectical logic.' Many hold this view, with Hegel being the most prominent representative. It is noteworthy and very interesting that Hegel wrote a two-volume Logic, but apart from a few who recognize him as the founder of dialectical logic, people generally do not consider Hegel a logician but a philosopher. Moreover, apart from those who study dialectical logic, logicians generally do not regard dialectical logic as logic, even in China." (Wang Lu, The Concept of Logic, Commercial Press, 2000). The author belongs to the views of the Vienna Circle. However, he clearly overlooks one point: the views of the Vienna Circle are popular in English-speaking countries but not in German-speaking countries. Moreover, the history of human cognition has long proven that scientific truth is not determined by the temporary majority or minority of supporters as right or wrong.)
From the perspective of logicians represented by Russell, Hegel's logic is merely mystical nonsense. Without the thinking of the human brain, how could there be an independent and self-generated "concept" system? Since there is no "concept" system that can exist independently of the human brain, where could there be a "self-movement of concepts?" (Modern logicians not only deny the existence of objective concepts but even deny the significance of mental concepts. They replace the concept of logical meaning with mathematical notions such as "function" and "set." However, if the meaning of the concept is denied, it is equivalent to denying all logic before the Vienna Circle.)
The research in this book attempts to prove that the "historical concept cluster" is the product of the "self-movement of concepts." Therefore, in a certain sense, this book is a modern interpretation of Hegel's theory of universal evolution logic.