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Abraham Lincoln and the Structure of Reason
The authors broke "Lincoln's code" regarding how he wrote his speeches. Unknown to previous Lincoln scholars, he used a regular template and it is replicatable. Anyone can do it. We prove it in our book, explain it line by line, and show you how it is done. Now anyone can speak and argue like Lincoln.
For more than 150 years, historians have speculated about what made Abraham Lincoln great. How did Lincoln create his iron logic, his compelling reason, his convincing oratory, and his memorable writing? Some point to Lincoln’s study of grammar, literature, and poetry. Others believe it was the deep national crisis that elevated Lincoln’s oratory. Most agree though that he honed his persuasive technique in his work as an Illinois attorney.
Authors Hirsch and Van Haften persuasively argue, for the first time, that it was Lincoln’s in-depth study of geometry that gave our sixteenth president his verbal structure. Although Lincoln’s fascination with geometry is well documented, most historians have concluded that his study of the subject was little more than mental calisthenics. In fact, conclude the authors, Lincoln embedded the ancient structure of geometric proof into the Gettysburg Address, the Cooper Union speech, the First and Second Inaugurals, his legal practice, and much of his substantive post-1853 communication.
Modern science can be traced back to Greek geometric method, but rhetoric, which morphed into speech and then into communications, has barely advanced since Aristotle. Lincoln’s structure emancipates speech from Aristotle and unleashes limitless possibilities. Indeed, his use of geometric method in rhetoric and writing has long been a secret hiding in plain sight. Virtually any literate person can become an Abraham Lincoln by structuring speech with iron logic, as aptly demonstrated by this remarkable new study.
Among other things, the authors artfully demonstrate the real importance of the Cooper Union speech (which helped make Lincoln president), offer a startling revelation about the Declaration of Independence that connects Lincoln to Thomas Jefferson more closely than anyone previously realized, and show how the structure of the legal system played an even more important role in Lincoln’s greatness than heretofore realized.
With the publication of Abraham Lincoln and the Structure of Reason, Lincoln immediately takes on a new importance that will open an entirely new avenue of scholarly study.
About the David Hirsch is an attorney in Des Moines, Iowa. He has a BS from Michigan State University and a JD, with distinction, from the University of Iowa College of Law. He clerked for an Iowa Supreme Court Justice from 1973-1974. Hirsch co-authored the technology column for the American Bar Association Journal for over a decade. The idea for this book came from a column he co-authored for the ABA Journal in 2007.
Dan Van Haften lives in Batavia, Illinois. He has BS, with high honor, and MS degrees in mathematics from Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. He began his career with AT&T Bell Laboratories in 1970, and retired from Alcatel-Lucent in 2007. His work involved software development and system testing on telecommunication systems.
For more than 150 years, historians have speculated about what made Abraham Lincoln great. How did Lincoln create his iron logic, his compelling reason, his convincing oratory, and his memorable writing? Some point to Lincoln’s study of grammar, literature, and poetry. Others believe it was the deep national crisis that elevated Lincoln’s oratory. Most agree though that he honed his persuasive technique in his work as an Illinois attorney.
Authors Hirsch and Van Haften persuasively argue, for the first time, that it was Lincoln’s in-depth study of geometry that gave our sixteenth president his verbal structure. Although Lincoln’s fascination with geometry is well documented, most historians have concluded that his study of the subject was little more than mental calisthenics. In fact, conclude the authors, Lincoln embedded the ancient structure of geometric proof into the Gettysburg Address, the Cooper Union speech, the First and Second Inaugurals, his legal practice, and much of his substantive post-1853 communication.
Modern science can be traced back to Greek geometric method, but rhetoric, which morphed into speech and then into communications, has barely advanced since Aristotle. Lincoln’s structure emancipates speech from Aristotle and unleashes limitless possibilities. Indeed, his use of geometric method in rhetoric and writing has long been a secret hiding in plain sight. Virtually any literate person can become an Abraham Lincoln by structuring speech with iron logic, as aptly demonstrated by this remarkable new study.
Among other things, the authors artfully demonstrate the real importance of the Cooper Union speech (which helped make Lincoln president), offer a startling revelation about the Declaration of Independence that connects Lincoln to Thomas Jefferson more closely than anyone previously realized, and show how the structure of the legal system played an even more important role in Lincoln’s greatness than heretofore realized.
With the publication of Abraham Lincoln and the Structure of Reason, Lincoln immediately takes on a new importance that will open an entirely new avenue of scholarly study.
About the David Hirsch is an attorney in Des Moines, Iowa. He has a BS from Michigan State University and a JD, with distinction, from the University of Iowa College of Law. He clerked for an Iowa Supreme Court Justice from 1973-1974. Hirsch co-authored the technology column for the American Bar Association Journal for over a decade. The idea for this book came from a column he co-authored for the ABA Journal in 2007.
Dan Van Haften lives in Batavia, Illinois. He has BS, with high honor, and MS degrees in mathematics from Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. He began his career with AT&T Bell Laboratories in 1970, and retired from Alcatel-Lucent in 2007. His work involved software development and system testing on telecommunication systems.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2010
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134 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 25, 2013
Abraham Lincoln and the Structure of Reason by David Hirsch, Dan Van Haften
"Abraham Lincoln and the Structure of Reason" makes the compelling argument that it was Lincoln's application of Euclid's first six books on geometry that provided the structure for his reason. The authors show how Lincoln embedded this knowledge of the structure of geometry into some of his most important narratives. Despite the authors' strong arguments in favor of their thesis, I sense this book will be of interest to mostly Lincoln scholars and enthusiasts of the law. The book has flashes of brilliance but it is also a tedious and repetitive read. This long 249-page book is composed of the following sixteen chapters: 1. Lincoln the Law Student, 2. Unlocking Lincoln, 3. Honest Abe?, 4. Lawyering Like Lincoln, 5. Attorney and Client: Matchmaking, 6. Credibility, Credibility, Credibility, 7. Fact Check: Confirming Truth, 8. Legal Check: Confirming Law, 9. Pleadings and Discovery: Specifying Issues and Facts, 10. Moving Targets: Judges and Motions, 11. Demonstration: The Elements of Trial, 12. Appeal, 13. Jefferson and Lincoln, 14. Euclid, the Apple of Newton’s Eye, 15. How Does a Speech Mean?, and 16. Abraham Lincoln: The Great Demarcator.
Positives:
1. A unique book that provides an interesting take of what was behind Lincoln's sound reasoning.
2. Generally well written with a consistent format. Does a good job of consistently comparing the legal practice to Lincoln's day to how it compares today with a recurring section titled, "From Lincoln to Now".
3. Those interested in Lincoln's practice of law and how it compares today will thoroughly enjoy this book. "Litigation is persuasion; it is communication with combative purpose. Parties face skeptical judges and juries who want to do “the right thing.” Frequently the matter to be decided is intractable, or the parties would not be there. We discuss constitutionally protected confidential speech between attorney and client and the relationship between communication and ethics."
4. The authors do a great job of providing compelling arguments for their main thesis, "A comparison of the geometric proof of Euclid’s initial proposition to the first part of Lincoln’s Cooper Union Speech shows that in each the structural elements of a proposition are identical. This was the bone upon which Lincoln laid his muscle of reason."
5. The authors' literally show readers how to put together arguments and compose speeches. " Great speeches and great writings are less a function of words and phrases than of structure."
6. Great deference to President Lincoln backed by supporting narratives. "Finally, in order to frame the facts properly, it is essential to understand the other side’s position. Lincoln was a master at that."
7. This book captures wonderfully Lincoln's progression as a thinker and speaker.
8. Euclid's Elements in Geometry applied to the law. "Lincoln made the leap of applying geometry to philosophy and politics." Clearly show almost painstakingly so how it is applied to some of Lincoln's famous speeches.
9. The mindset and philosophy of Lincoln. "There is a difference between logic and rhetoric, and Lincoln preferred logic." "Lincoln was a sound and analytical thinker; and he applied that thinking to nearly every topic that came to hand."
10. A better understanding of the legal process. "The legal system cannot solve society’s problems, nor can it fully rectify society’s injustices; it can only attempt to keep society civil and safe, without doing violence to fundamental principles and a sense of justice."
11. The progression of technology and how it applies to the law.
12. Everything you wanted to know about a lawyer's job...from Lincoln to now. "Once a lawyer is engaged, a client’s main role concerns the facts: to keep educating his or her lawyer on them, to assist with the development of the factual case, and to make informed decisions about goals, settlement, appeal and related matters. Beyond that, it is up to the attorney to conduct further research into both the facts and the law."
13. The elements of a trial. "A trial itself is a Euclidean proposition. It begins with an opening statement, a listing of facts that are given or will be shown. Each side uses its opening statement to present its version of the enunciation..."
14. Interesting chapter on Jefferson and Lincoln.
15. Newton and Euclid. "In addition to reading Descartes and Kepler and studying Copernican astronomy, he studied Euclid."
16. The connection between the geometry Lincolns studied and his debating skills. "The authors contend that Lincoln’s desire for improvement created a new reality built on transferring the logical structure of the elements of a proposition from geometry to speech."
17. Well-cited book. Links worked great.
18. Excellent bibliography.
Negatives:
1. The book is at times quite dry and repetitive.
2. I did not derive much enjoyment from this book.
3. A hundred pages too long.
4. A timetable of technological milestones and how it applies to the law would have been welcomed.
5. No glossary of legal terms.
In summary, I found the authors' arguments to be compelling and sound. On the other hand, I didn't enjoy this book. It was overall tedious to read and repetitive. Lawyers and Lincoln scholars will enjoy this book but I fear the lay person will not share the same enthusiasm. In short, if you fall within the aforementioned targeted groups you will enjoy this otherwise it may be touch and go for the rest of us.
Further recommendations, "Team of Rivals" by Doris Kearns Goodwin, " Lincoln: How Abraham Lincoln Ended Slavery in America" by Harold Holzer, "A. Lincoln: A Biography" by Ronald C. White Jr., "Abraham Lincoln" by James McPherson, and "With Malice Toward None: A Life of Abraham Lincoln" by Stephen B. Oates.
"Abraham Lincoln and the Structure of Reason" makes the compelling argument that it was Lincoln's application of Euclid's first six books on geometry that provided the structure for his reason. The authors show how Lincoln embedded this knowledge of the structure of geometry into some of his most important narratives. Despite the authors' strong arguments in favor of their thesis, I sense this book will be of interest to mostly Lincoln scholars and enthusiasts of the law. The book has flashes of brilliance but it is also a tedious and repetitive read. This long 249-page book is composed of the following sixteen chapters: 1. Lincoln the Law Student, 2. Unlocking Lincoln, 3. Honest Abe?, 4. Lawyering Like Lincoln, 5. Attorney and Client: Matchmaking, 6. Credibility, Credibility, Credibility, 7. Fact Check: Confirming Truth, 8. Legal Check: Confirming Law, 9. Pleadings and Discovery: Specifying Issues and Facts, 10. Moving Targets: Judges and Motions, 11. Demonstration: The Elements of Trial, 12. Appeal, 13. Jefferson and Lincoln, 14. Euclid, the Apple of Newton’s Eye, 15. How Does a Speech Mean?, and 16. Abraham Lincoln: The Great Demarcator.
Positives:
1. A unique book that provides an interesting take of what was behind Lincoln's sound reasoning.
2. Generally well written with a consistent format. Does a good job of consistently comparing the legal practice to Lincoln's day to how it compares today with a recurring section titled, "From Lincoln to Now".
3. Those interested in Lincoln's practice of law and how it compares today will thoroughly enjoy this book. "Litigation is persuasion; it is communication with combative purpose. Parties face skeptical judges and juries who want to do “the right thing.” Frequently the matter to be decided is intractable, or the parties would not be there. We discuss constitutionally protected confidential speech between attorney and client and the relationship between communication and ethics."
4. The authors do a great job of providing compelling arguments for their main thesis, "A comparison of the geometric proof of Euclid’s initial proposition to the first part of Lincoln’s Cooper Union Speech shows that in each the structural elements of a proposition are identical. This was the bone upon which Lincoln laid his muscle of reason."
5. The authors' literally show readers how to put together arguments and compose speeches. " Great speeches and great writings are less a function of words and phrases than of structure."
6. Great deference to President Lincoln backed by supporting narratives. "Finally, in order to frame the facts properly, it is essential to understand the other side’s position. Lincoln was a master at that."
7. This book captures wonderfully Lincoln's progression as a thinker and speaker.
8. Euclid's Elements in Geometry applied to the law. "Lincoln made the leap of applying geometry to philosophy and politics." Clearly show almost painstakingly so how it is applied to some of Lincoln's famous speeches.
9. The mindset and philosophy of Lincoln. "There is a difference between logic and rhetoric, and Lincoln preferred logic." "Lincoln was a sound and analytical thinker; and he applied that thinking to nearly every topic that came to hand."
10. A better understanding of the legal process. "The legal system cannot solve society’s problems, nor can it fully rectify society’s injustices; it can only attempt to keep society civil and safe, without doing violence to fundamental principles and a sense of justice."
11. The progression of technology and how it applies to the law.
12. Everything you wanted to know about a lawyer's job...from Lincoln to now. "Once a lawyer is engaged, a client’s main role concerns the facts: to keep educating his or her lawyer on them, to assist with the development of the factual case, and to make informed decisions about goals, settlement, appeal and related matters. Beyond that, it is up to the attorney to conduct further research into both the facts and the law."
13. The elements of a trial. "A trial itself is a Euclidean proposition. It begins with an opening statement, a listing of facts that are given or will be shown. Each side uses its opening statement to present its version of the enunciation..."
14. Interesting chapter on Jefferson and Lincoln.
15. Newton and Euclid. "In addition to reading Descartes and Kepler and studying Copernican astronomy, he studied Euclid."
16. The connection between the geometry Lincolns studied and his debating skills. "The authors contend that Lincoln’s desire for improvement created a new reality built on transferring the logical structure of the elements of a proposition from geometry to speech."
17. Well-cited book. Links worked great.
18. Excellent bibliography.
Negatives:
1. The book is at times quite dry and repetitive.
2. I did not derive much enjoyment from this book.
3. A hundred pages too long.
4. A timetable of technological milestones and how it applies to the law would have been welcomed.
5. No glossary of legal terms.
In summary, I found the authors' arguments to be compelling and sound. On the other hand, I didn't enjoy this book. It was overall tedious to read and repetitive. Lawyers and Lincoln scholars will enjoy this book but I fear the lay person will not share the same enthusiasm. In short, if you fall within the aforementioned targeted groups you will enjoy this otherwise it may be touch and go for the rest of us.
Further recommendations, "Team of Rivals" by Doris Kearns Goodwin, " Lincoln: How Abraham Lincoln Ended Slavery in America" by Harold Holzer, "A. Lincoln: A Biography" by Ronald C. White Jr., "Abraham Lincoln" by James McPherson, and "With Malice Toward None: A Life of Abraham Lincoln" by Stephen B. Oates.
October 10, 2018
Excellent book. It details how Abraham Lincoln used Euclid's mathematical approach of demonstrating truth to demonstrate what he thought was the truth. It's a simple technique, and very effective. The authors analyze many speeches and demonstrate very tangible how Lincoln used this method of demonstrating something time and again. The book, to me, also elegantly highlights how reasoning is connected to the language of mathematics and its powerful systematic structure of describing what is. Great read, highly recommendable.
December 11, 2014
The main thesis of this book is that Abraham Lincoln's greatness came from his mastery of the "six-books of Euclid" geometry, and the subsequent application of the six elements of Euclid into his logic, reasoning, and speeches.
Hirsch (a lawyer) and Van Haften (and engineer) demarcate many of Lincoln's speeches, letters, and lectures into Euclid's six elements: Enunciation, Exposition, Specification, Construction, Proof, and Conclusion. They use voluminous quotes and passages from Lincoln's writings and employ an equally voluminous and liberal system of endnotes.
Overall, the authors have done an excellent job of documenting Lincoln's use of logic and reasoning, as well as how the elements of Euclid can be used to parse out his speeches and letters. In my view they were somewhat less successful in teasing out whether the structure of Lincoln's writings is the result of his active employment of Euclidean principles or that his natural inclination toward logically oriented demonstration simply backfits well into demarcation according to those principles.
While the use of long passages gives us much context into the topics being discussed by Lincoln, the authors offered little analysis other than the demarcation. This is especially true in the many appendices in which entire Lincoln speeches and letters are categorized into the six elements but no additional analysis discusses how these elements were defined by Lincoln. In fairness, some of these (e.g., the Cooper Union speech) were discussed more in depth in the book's chapters, but the discussion throughout could have used more analytical discussion.
I also found the book to be, in essence, two books. The first is the Euclidean influence on Lincoln as I've focused on in this review, but a significant part of the book is about the legal profession and how Euclid's elements may help lawyers better themselves with respect to courtroom presentation and brief writing. In these chapters, which make up much of the book, Lincoln is brought in anecdotally but isn't the main focus. Therefore, those interested in Lincoln may drift off during the non-Lincoln legal process discussions. Each chapter ends with a section called "From Lincoln to Now" in which the authors record changes in technology and legal procedures through the present. This section may or may not be of interest to Lincoln readers.
The Euclidean influence on Lincoln is fascinating and the authors often provided useful insights for my own research on Lincoln's interest in science and technology. The text itself can be rather dry and technical, so this book is a better fit for serious Lincoln scholars than the general public. While readers may or may not agree that the authors have met the expectations set by their preamble, I personally liked the book.
Hirsch (a lawyer) and Van Haften (and engineer) demarcate many of Lincoln's speeches, letters, and lectures into Euclid's six elements: Enunciation, Exposition, Specification, Construction, Proof, and Conclusion. They use voluminous quotes and passages from Lincoln's writings and employ an equally voluminous and liberal system of endnotes.
Overall, the authors have done an excellent job of documenting Lincoln's use of logic and reasoning, as well as how the elements of Euclid can be used to parse out his speeches and letters. In my view they were somewhat less successful in teasing out whether the structure of Lincoln's writings is the result of his active employment of Euclidean principles or that his natural inclination toward logically oriented demonstration simply backfits well into demarcation according to those principles.
While the use of long passages gives us much context into the topics being discussed by Lincoln, the authors offered little analysis other than the demarcation. This is especially true in the many appendices in which entire Lincoln speeches and letters are categorized into the six elements but no additional analysis discusses how these elements were defined by Lincoln. In fairness, some of these (e.g., the Cooper Union speech) were discussed more in depth in the book's chapters, but the discussion throughout could have used more analytical discussion.
I also found the book to be, in essence, two books. The first is the Euclidean influence on Lincoln as I've focused on in this review, but a significant part of the book is about the legal profession and how Euclid's elements may help lawyers better themselves with respect to courtroom presentation and brief writing. In these chapters, which make up much of the book, Lincoln is brought in anecdotally but isn't the main focus. Therefore, those interested in Lincoln may drift off during the non-Lincoln legal process discussions. Each chapter ends with a section called "From Lincoln to Now" in which the authors record changes in technology and legal procedures through the present. This section may or may not be of interest to Lincoln readers.
The Euclidean influence on Lincoln is fascinating and the authors often provided useful insights for my own research on Lincoln's interest in science and technology. The text itself can be rather dry and technical, so this book is a better fit for serious Lincoln scholars than the general public. While readers may or may not agree that the authors have met the expectations set by their preamble, I personally liked the book.
Read
September 8, 2012An excellent book for anyone who needs to either speak in public or write a public paper. I am going to purchase the book to study it more in depth. A must for anyone no matter what field you are in. Both Hirsch and Van Haften explain how to write and articulate a logical argument the way that Lincoln did in his speeches and writing.
April 7, 2012
The authors do not meet the claim of their dust-jacket, but it is still a useful book. Several sections are of interest only to those interested in how Lincoln's practice of law compares with the modern practice.
February 11, 2016
This book explains the structure of a Euclidean proof and then demonstrates how Lincoln used this structure in many of his speeches and legal arguments. Although it was often very dry reading, I think this book could be a good reference -- especially in a geometry class. ;)
May 2, 2017
This outstanding book shows how Lincoln used Euclid's first 6 propositions (as expounded by Proclus) to structure both his legal pleadings and his major speeches and his debates with Douglas. The book has an extensive appendix in which Lincoln's speeches and pleadings are "demarcated" section by section to show the given, the sought, the exposition, the proof and the conclusion. The authors David Hirsch and Dan Van Haften do their Eucidian analysis without wrecking the profundity, and sometimes the folksieness, of Lincoln's rhetoric. Lincoln was a natural story teller as well as a logician, but he made sure that his speeches had the logical structure embedded.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews