Abraham Lincoln and the Structure of Reason

For more than 150 years, historians have speculated about what made Abraham Lincoln great. How did he create his great logic, reason, oratory, and writing? Some point to Lincoln's study of grammar, literature, and poetry. Others believe the deep national crisis was a factor.

Authors Hirsch and Van Haften persuasively argue, for the first time, that it was Lincoln's in-depth study of geometry that gave him his verbal structure. Most historians have concluded that this was little more than mental calisthenics. In fact, argue the authors, Lincoln embedded the ancient structure of geometric proof into such speeches as the Gettysburg Address.

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 previously realised, and show how the structure of the legal system also played a role of unforeseen significance. Through these new findings, Abraham Lincoln and the Structure of Reason has given Lincoln a new importance and opened an entirely new avenue of scholarly study.

About the Authors

David Hirsch is an attorney with a BS from Michigan State University and a JD, with distinction, from the University of Iowa College of Law. The idea for this book was conceived during his time writing for the American Bar Association Journal.

Dan Van Haften has BS, with high honour, and MS degrees in mathematics from Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology.