Ramus, Petrus (1515-1572)

French philosopher and logician. He sought to improve the syllogistic logic of Greek philosopher Aristotle with the rhetoric of Roman orator Cicero. In the 17th century, Ramism was a serious rival to Aristotelian logic in Britain, New England, and Germany.

Aristotelian logic had already been criticized by Lorenzo Valla. Francis I suppressed Ramus's works 1544, but Henry II lifted the ban 1547. From 1551, Ramus was professor of philosophy and eloquence at the Collège de France. Around 1561 he became a Protestant. He was murdered by hired assassins. His works include Dialectique/Dialectic 1555.