Logic, Law and Dreams

Abstract

In considering what might be appropriate to discuss with a group of law librarians three words kept intruding into my thoughts-the words "logic," "law" and "dreams." For a good reason too, I think, the reason being that these words suggest ideas that are very relevant to one of the big problems faced by all librarians today. To orient myself a little about what these words suggest to other people, I turned to a pair of standard desk books. Of the many comments listed there about these words, my attention focused on just three. In Ambrose Bierce's Devil's Diction ary' "logic" is defined as: The art of thinking and reasoning in strict accordance with the limitations and incapacities of the human misunderstanding. "Law" fared no better in an excerpt from Plutarch included in Franklin Pierce Adams' Book of Quotations: Written laws are like spiders' webs; they hold the weak and delicate who might be caught in their meshes, but are torn in pieces by the rich and powerful. But the word "dreams" moves men to express thoughts that are more optimistic and enthusiastic in tone. Among Adams' quotations we find Henry David Thoreau saying: If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.