The Laws of Thought

The Quest for a Mathematical Theory of the Mind

By: Tom Griffiths

Narrated by: Tom Griffiths

From the coauthor of Algorithms to Live By, an exploration of the quest to use mathematics to describe the ways we think, from its origins three hundred years ago to the ideas behind modern AI systems and the ways in which they still differ from human minds.

Everyone has a basic understanding of how the physical world works. We learn about physics and chemistry in school, letting us explain the world around us in terms of concepts like force, acceleration, and gravity–the Laws of Nature. But we don't have the same fluency with concepts needed to understand the world inside us–the Laws of Thought. While the story of how mathematics has been used to reveal the mysteries of the universe is familiar, the story of how it has been used to study the mind is not.

There is no one better to tell that story than Tom Griffiths, the head of Princeton's AI Lab and a renowned expert in the field of cognitive science. In this groundbreaking book, he explains the three major approaches to formalizing thought–rules and symbols, neural networks, and probability and statistics–introducing each idea through the stories of the people behind it. As informed conversations about thought, language, and learning become ever more pressing in the age of AI, The Laws of Thought is an essential read for anyone interested in the future of technology.

©2026 Tom Griffiths (P)2026 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"Tom Griffiths offers a fascinating journey through the frameworks that have shaped our understanding of the mind. From early logic to artificial intelligence, Griffiths–the head of Princeton's AI Lab–unpacks the math behind how we have tried to capture human thinking. Blending history, science, and cutting-edge research, this book is about the deep connections between artificial and human intelligence, and is a must-read for anyone curious about how we think, and how machines are learning to rival us."

–Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit and Supercommunicators

"The Laws of Thought is an engaging tour of how great minds have used math to crack the code of human thought. With delightful story-telling and memorable examples you'll want to share with friends, Griffiths provides an essential guide for understanding the history of cognitive science and for how to best think about what intelligence means in a more AI-filled future."

–Laurie Santos, Professor of Psychology at Yale University and host of The Happiness Lab podcast

"In The Laws of Thought, Tom Griffiths invites readers on a captivating exploration of the historical milestones that have shaped our understanding of intelligence. His insights illuminate the evolving relationship between human thought and artificial intelligence, encouraging us to reflect on what it truly means to be intelligent in an age dominated by machines. This book is an indispensable resource for navigating the complexities of our AI-driven world. Griffiths masterfully bridges the gap between theory and practicality, making it a must-read for both scholars and curious minds alike."

–Annie Duke, author of Thinking in Bets

clarity

The themes - technical and historical. The blend of personalities and adroit argument.
The text missed the analogues in functional linguistics...especially the work of Halliday and Lamb on networks and Halliday on "Learning how to mean". Ergo the notion of the company a word keeps (mentioed once sans ref.) and the role of Firth's "piece", not sentence.