Logic as Art and Science

Basic insights into valid and sound argumentation

  Philosophy: Critical Thinking And Writing

 

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Chapter One: The Logic in Critical Thinking



Logic as Art and Science

1. Logic is the formal study of necessary inferences in our reasoning; when they are done correctly, when they go wrong, and how to distinguish between the two. When Logic yeilds verifiable principles of valid reasoning, then it is a 'science'. When Logic reveals how to formulate valid and sound reasoning, or refute invalid, unsound reasoning, then it is an 'art'. The first requirement in the study is being able to recognize arguments, which are made up of propositions (one of which is the conclusion, and the others which are the premises that support it by 'inference'). Viewed this way, Logic is the common tool for all academic arts and sciences that seek to discover what is real, true, good and beautiful.

2. Arguments can be analyzed, once recognized, by paraphrasing them or by diagramming them. Recognition involves identifying conclusion indicators and premise indicators, and also being aware of the different ways that arguments can be stated (such as with non-declarative premises, or with premises that are not directly stated). In addition, some clusters of propositions are merely explanations, though they at first may appear to be arguments. Students will sometimes need to be sensitive to context and the author’s purpose in order to distinguish between real arguments and explanatory passages.

3. Some arguments are deductive, and some inductive—and all arguments are either one or the other. Deductive arguments have conclusions which follow from their premises with absolute necessity; they are valid when their conclusions are necessarily true if the premises are true. The relationship between true (or false) propositions and valid (or invalid) arguments is sometimes quite complex. Inductive arguments, on the other hand, are never valid or certain; they can be better or worse, more or less probable, but they can never be valid or invalid.

4. Problems of reasoning are interesting and effective ways to strengthen reasoning skills. Often, the solution to such problems can be made clearer with the use of a matrix. Another type of problem involves retrograde analysis, where we must reason from what exists to what the original state of affairs must have been at some point in the past. Even though real-world problems are more complex—and less tidy—than such artificial problems of reasoning, they are nevertheless valuable, even fun activities.


Key Terms - An Essential understanding:

Truth: Any claim that can be publicly verified to correspond to reality

Proposition: Any sentence that claims that something is factually true or factually false

Premise: Any proposition that is used to infer the truth of another proposition

Conclusion: Any proposition that is inferred from a premise or premises

Deduction: Any inference of drawing out one proposition (conclusion) from other propositions (premise or premises). Latin; deduco, to lead out of or from

Induction: Any inference of leading up to a probable general conclusion based on sufficient individual experiments being verified. Latin: induco to lead up to

Explanation: Any statements that answer the who, what, when, where, or even why something is either factually true or factually false

Argument: Any series of propositions that give reasons to accept the truth or falsity of some other proposition.

Validity: When premise propositions deductively entail a conclusion proposition by logical necessity then and only then is the argument valid.

Invalidity: When premise proposition fail to deductively entail a conclusion proposition by logical necessity, then and only then is the argument invalid.

 

Reviews

[Rainbow Rider]

Not really sure you will find many readers here for this sort of thing, but then one never knows. I would suggest you check out www.writersbeat.com or www.writing.com, These two sites have places for one to post infromative articles like this for others to read and learn from, much more easily to be found then in here. They also have actual forums for you to make posts and get people talking about what you have written. But anyway, welcome to the Cafe. Let me know if you ever write anythign that is not instructionally motivated.