Bacon's views of the faculties of understanding and reason are presented and explained in reference to Baconian rhetoric. Understanding, Rhetoric, Insinuative and Imaginative Reason are defined. (Author/MS)

Very often a scientist is inspired to the point of discovering previously unknown principles. This inspiration, however, would probably not come to him if he were not already knowledgeable in the context in which the discovery would have significance. (CK)

A total of 156 kindergarten children were given Piagetian conservation of inequality tasks. The results indicated that number conservation is more likely with higher interest materials, with smaller aggregate sizes, with higher socioeconomic class females, and with children who perform better on addition and subtraction tasks. (DR)

Conducted with fourth, eighth, and twelfth graders, this study was designed to extend investigation of the contradictory training paradigm of the O'Brien and Overton study (1980) to include performances with conditional syllogisms and to bring this effect to bear on the controversies of false positive and negative assessments at different ages.…

Outlines the positions of Comtean-type positivism, logical positivism, behaviorism, and empiricism. Holds that despite assertions to the contrary, educational theory, research, and practice still reflect aspects of positivist traditions. (GC)

The process of induction is formulated as a problem in detecting nonrandomness, or pattern, against a background of randomness, or noise. Experimental and philosophical approaches to human conceptions of randomness are contrasted. The relation between induction and the experience of randomness is discussed in terms of signal-detection theory.…

Children took a group test of disjunctive reasoning containing 48 inclusive and exclusive items varying in content of the premises, and affirmation or negation of the conclusion. Performance improved until seventh grade. Negative conclusions produced more correct answers. Implications were discussed in relation to cognitive developmental theory…

Researchers studied the interaction of college students with Piagetian tasks on microcomputers and found that the microcomputer system provided several advantages over the original tasks, as well as new alternatives for studying logical thinking processes. An example of a programed Piagetian task is appended, and 16 references are included. (MER)

Since enthymemes (or "rhetorical syllogisms") always shape the prose of anyone writing to convey an idea, students should be trained to recognize the enthymemes they use. (DD)

If the basics are used as vehicles for teaching students to think, for developing their intellectual powers, and hence for preparing them effectively for their futures, they merit their central position in the schools. (Author)

The ethical standard that is provable is equal rights: specifically, that every individual has a right to his life, liberty, and property, limited only by the equal rights of others. Available from the American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 50 East 69th Street, New York, New York 10021; single copy $3.00. (Author/MLF)