‖ organon
(ˈɔːgənɒn)
[a. Gr. ὄργανον instrument, bodily organ, etc.; the title of Aristotle's logical treatises; = ‘instrument’ of all reasoning: cf. organum. Formerly naturalized in sense 1, with pl. -ons (so F. organon, -ons); now treated as alien in sense 2 with pl. in -a.]
† 1. A bodily organ, esp. as an instrument of the soul or mind: = organ n.1 4, 6. Obs.
| 1590 Marlowe 2nd Pt. Tamburl. v. iii, The soul, Wanting those organons by which it moves, Cannot endure, by argument of art. a 1597 Peele David & Bethsabe Wks. (Rtldg.) 484/1 A more than human skill May feed the organons of all my sense. 1629 Hubert Hist. Edw. II, lxvi, Our Mother Nature..By whom we haue our apt Organons assign'd. |
2. An instrument of thought or knowledge; a means by which some process of reasoning, discovery, etc., is carried on; esp. a system of rules or principles of demonstration or investigation; spec. title of the logical writings of Aristotle.
| a 1643 Ld. Falkland, etc. Infallibility (1646) 193 It is easy to impugne the Organon of faith, or Doctrinall principles, but not easy to compose it. [c 1645 Howell Lett. v. x. 11 When you have devour'd the Organon, you will find Philosophie far more delightfull and pleasing to your palat.] 1823 De Quincey Lett. Educ. ii. Wks. 1860 XIV. 26 An organon of the human understanding is as much above it. 1845 Gladstone Glean. (1879) VII. 156 A sound view of it [probability] is not indeed ethical knowledge itself, but is the organon, by means of which that knowledge is to be rightly handled. 1864 Bowen Logic ii. 40 It [Logic] is not an organon of discovery. 1884 J. Parker Apost. Life III. 346 Human intellect ..as the organon by which we are to acquaint ourselves with God. |