The historical problem of Hitler -- The third logic : the background and formal structure of abduction -- The characteristics of abduction -- Abductive logic in literature -- The application of Peirce's theory to unraveling the mystery of Hitler's youth -- The genesis of the Fuehrer : the birth of Hitler's character -- "In that hour it began" -- Closing argument : how did he do it?
Summary
Was Hitler rational? This question has spawned vociferous debates among historians, and has fascinated every layman who has ever dipped into a biography of Hitler. In Hitler and Abductive Logic, Ben Novak argues that Hitler was rational-one of the most logical political leaders of modern times-but not according to ordinary inductive or deductive logic. Instead, Hitler used a new form of logic called abductive logic, which he used as a ""trick"" to seduce crowds and rise to power. Now, for the first time, the method that Hitler
