– You will learn and apply key concepts in logical and critical thinking. – You will learn to evaluate arguments using basic logical tools. – Anyone with interest in improving their logical and critical thinking skills can pursue this course. – You will be able to recognize and reconstruct arguments. Duration: 8 weeks
Logic is the use of data to develop rational conclusions. Learn the definitions of multiple types of logic, discover the differences between inductive and deductive reasoning, and explore examples ...
Logic is the formal science of using reason and is considered a branch of both philosophy and mathematics and to a lesser extent computer science.Logic investigates and classifies the structure of statements and arguments, both through the study of formal systems of inference and the study of arguments in natural language.The scope of logic can therefore be very large, ranging from core topics ...
Logic is essentially the study of reasoning or argumentation. We use reason all the time to draw inferences that are useful to us. If our car won't start, we reason that the battery may be dead—so we test the battery. If the battery isn't dead, then we deduce the problem must lie elsewhere, perhaps with the starter motor—so we check the starter motor, and so on. The reasoning here is simple, but sometimes chains of reasoning can become quite complex. Training ourselves to construct effective arguments and to spot weak ones is a skill that is useful in just about every field of endeavor, as well as in everyday life. It helps steer us in the direction of truth and away from falsehood.
Fallacious thinking—in the form of propaganda, exaggeration, misdirection, and even outright lies —abounds in our culture. Politicians, pundits, advertisers, and corporate spokespersons attack straw men, appeal to the majority opinion, promote red herrings, or oppose a view simply because they dislike the person who holds it. Familiarity with common fallacies of this sort helps make you a more critical reader, listener, and thinker.
Rhetoric can encompass just about any means of persuasion—short of bribery, blackmail, or physical violence. It includes, for instance, appeals to emotion, provocative images, or clever wordplay. There's no doubt that all of these can be persuasive; however, so can cogent reasoning.
The reasoning here is simple, but sometimes chains of reasoning can become quite complex. Training ourselves to construct effective arguments and to spot weak ones is a skill that is useful in just about every field of endeavor, as well as in everyday life.
Good Logic Is an Effective Tool of Persuasion. Bettmann Archive / Getty Images. The art of persuasion is called rhetoric. Rhetoric, like logic, used to be an essential part of the liberal arts curriculum. Sadly, neither is generally required any longer, and rhetoric has given way to Composition 101.
Rather than immediately jumping to emotional arguments and unfounded insults, or feeling panicky when someone disagrees with you, logic allows us to remain calm and reasoned. There is no need to hurt feelings purposefully or give offense where it is not necessary.
As you can see, logic is not an isolated, unimportant subject , but rather, it opens the door to being a helpful aid for many areas of study and of practical living. I hope you encourage your children to study it as well, you won’t be disappointed.
Logic is a fundamentally important part of a good education. Now, please understand that there are different ways to learn logic, some formal and some informal. When I was in school, I used this series, which was immensely helpful, and also enjoyed the book The Fallacy Detective.
To some, logic is perceived as a “dead” subject. It’s something that was taught in centuries past, but really isn’t necessary today. Nobody actually talks about fallacies anymore, do they? We want to offer 5 reasons to study Logic.
Udemy’s logic courses examine the logic in the context of allied fields like Software engineering, Discrete mathematics, Philosophy, and Gaming. Logic In Philosophy: Logical Fallacies And Common Mistakes talks about ad hominem, misuse of political correctness, and blind spots and helps you perform better in debates. A Clear Logical Argument Guaranteed provides you with a fail-safe logical reasoning template for critical thinking, arguments, debate, and writing. Master Discrete Mathematics: Logic introduces the fundamentals of propositional and predicate logic. Introduction to Logic – Critical Thinking is your guide to Logic of Syllogism. You will examine what logic is, and its role in mathematics, especially proofs in logic and functions.
1. Introduction to Logic by University of Stanford (Coursera) 2. Logic Courses (Udemy) 3. Logic I (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) 4. Language, Proof and Logic ( Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences) 5.
You will learn about the validity and soundness of arguments, truth-functions, truth-tables, and formal derivations, translations to and from a formal language. Sentential calculus and predicate logic, including soundness and completeness results, are more topics you will study.
Even if it is challenging at times, the study of logic is well worth the effort. Logic helps students think rationally and argue well, and it will therefore help students in other subjects. Logic should be studied around middle school age, as children at that age begin to develop the ability to formulate arguments.
The absolute best logic book for middle school is Introductory Logic by James Nance and Douglas Wilson. This book focuses on formal logic, but it also has a few chapters at the end on informal logic and logical fallacies. The book can be challenging, but students will genuinely learn logic. The great thing is that Introductory Logic is easy to teach from. The lessons are short (which can be read out loud together in class), and there are exercises for students after most lessons (which can be done in class or for homework). There is also a teacher’s edition that can be used to prep each lesson in advance, and there is a quiz and test packet —making the teacher’s life even easier! If the teacher is concerned about understanding the material (such as a home school parent), there is even a set of DVD lessons. These can be purchased in an entire bundle for $180, which while not cheap, is worth considering.
Logic can be divided into two parts, informal and formal . Informal logic involves the study of critical thinking. It focuses on making strong arguments in debate and avoiding logical fallacies. Formal logic involves the study of syllogisms.
There is also a teacher’s edition that can be used to prep each lesson in advance, and there is a quiz and test packet —making the teacher’s life even easier! If the teacher is concerned about understanding the material (such as a home school parent), there is even a set of DVD lessons.
Logic is rarely studied in schools today, and the effects are evident. Even people with college degrees cannot think critically or formulate good arguments. It is thus safe to say that individuals, and society as a whole, would benefit from the study of logic—the art of reasoning well. Logic can be divided into two parts, informal and formal.
Logic is a tool to develop reasonable conclusions based on a given set of data. Logic is free of emotion and deals very specifically with information in its purest form. There are many subsets in the study of logic including informal logic, formal logic, symbolic logic, and mathematical logic. We will discuss each type of logic ...
One type of logical reasoning is deductive . Deductive reasoning uses information from a large set and applies that information to any member of that set. The major premise makes a statement concerning members of a profession. The minor premise identifies a member of that profession.
Another type of logical reasoning is inductive. Inductive reasoning uses specific data to form a larger, generalized conclusion. It is considered the opposite of deductive reasoning. For example: Yesterday, you left for work at 7:15 a.m. and arrived at work on time.
Formal logic deals with deductive reasoning and the validity of the inferences produced. For an argument to work, the conclusion must logically follow the premises and the premises must be true. For example:
In writing, informal logic can assist with the formulation of sound arguments. Like an outline, using inductive and deductive reasoning models can help keep writing organized and on point. Once this reasoning is understood, it is fun to apply it to everyday occurrences.
Proof theory is, quite logically, the study of formal proofs. Sets of propositions can be used to conclude new relationships. Set theory studies 'sets,' which are collections of objects. Model theory studies these sets and other mathematical structures. Recursion theory deals with the definability of sets of numbers.
Logic is free of emotion and deals very specifically with information in its purest form and can be applied to many areas. Formal logic, symbolic logic and mathematical logic tend to exist mainly in academia, but the methods of formal logic have inspired informal logic, which can be used anywhere.
One reason we study formal logic before material logic has to do with the structure of these two parts of logic. Formal logic is extremely systematic in its structure, whereas material logic is more topical. In formal logic, every piece is related to some other piece in the total system.
Both math and logic deal with abstraction, but math does it with quantities; logic (at least in its traditional form) does it with language.
The Different Branches of Traditional Logic. Let’s point out first that there are two main divisions in logic: formal logic and material logic. Formal logic studies the form of reasoning, whereas material logic deals with the content of reasoning.
Every subject that is systematic has a certain inherent order to it that dictates how it should be approached. In some subjects this order is more explicit than others. In mathematics, for example, there is a widely acknowledged sequence in terms of what should be learned and when it should be taught. In other subjects, however, such as history, ...
In other words, by learning the rules of good reasoning, a student learns to spot bad reasoning as well, but learning about bad reasoning does not enable him to spot good reasoning. This rule flies in the face of the way logic is often taught.
Material logic has more abstract, pre-philosophy concepts that are appropriate for older students. While, as we have already observed, logic is not the same thing as math, it does share one important characteristic with mathematical disciplines: It is systematic and orderly.
They view math as an extension of logic, and because of this the system of modern logic is very mathematical. But here we are discussing traditional logic, which is very different from modern mathematical or symbolic logic.
If you want to pass your logic class, you'll still need to do the basics: attend class, do your reading, and complete all the homework. If you are already afraid of the subject matter, avoiding it, will only make it harder.
Remember that logic is supposed to make sense. There are no hidden tricks, and your professor isn't trying to teach you some kind of mysterious language. Once you have figured out how one axiom, law, or derivation works, it will never do anything differently.
Don't over think the problems. Symbolic logic works by following very simple rules. They are also the only rules that can be used. If you know P and P → Q, you may write down Q. If you know ~ Q and P → Q, you may write down ~ P. Think like a robot if that helps. If you don't know a rule for how to do something, try another rule.
Do extra practice exercises. Even if it feels like torture, getting good at logic is like getting good at a game. You have to practice in order to know when each rule is appropriate to use.
Most philosophy departments, and many maths departments too, teach little or no serious logic , despite the centrality of the subject. Many students will therefore need to teach themselves, either solo or by organizing study groups.
Or at least, that’s the plan! Mathematical logic is indeed a big subject, and different people have different backgrounds/requirements. So you’ll want detailed advice from which you can work out which books on which areas might be suitable for you.