Essay 2/2016 https://au.linkedin.com/in/adrianbarbulescu

THE IMPORTANCE OF LOGIC

Abstract: When you want to convince someone about your point, you

need to come up with logical sound arguments. In reverse, when you

listen to another person, you need to be able to detect any fallacious

argument, a flaw in an argument, in order to make sure that that person

is justified in their conclusion. “Logic” is the study of the form of valid

arguments. This skill, to produce valid arguments or to detect fallacious

ones, is key in any field of activity. Mastering this skill is very important

and through this article, I present you with some resources which help you achieve this.

In Europe, the word “logic” was first associated with Aristotelian logic, based on Aristotle’s

texts (known as Organon). In simple words, the basic form of communication is a proposition

which has two terms, the predicate and the subject. When we have more propositions, we

are concerned with the relationship between them. In particular, we are concerned with the

inference, or syllogism, in which one proposition (called “conclusion”) becomes necessary

based on two others (called “premises”).

Logic teaches you how to apply correct reasoning by using deductive or inductive arguments.

In a deductive argument, if all premises are true, then the conclusion must be true. The

inductive argument is more based on observations; therefore, the conclusion is probable

based on the strong evidence of the premises.

Rick Grush is currently Professor of Philosophy at the University of California in San Diego, CA.

His research centers on cognitive linguistics, history of theories of spatial and temporal

representation, spatial and temporal representation, and theoretical cognitive neuroscience.

You can find more information about Rick Grush at: http://mind.ucsd.edu/

Among other courses, Rick teaches “Introduction to Logic” which covers the basics of formal

sentential logic, including translations into formal notation, truth tables, and proofs; it also

covers informal reasoning, focusing on ways that it can commonly go wrong. The videos of all

lectures are available for free at:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_jOluHMn7INuN6S6IWBGjw

I have gone through an older version of the videos and they were simply excellent. There are

a lot of examples that can guide you through the correct reasoning in order to avoid various

types of fallacies (“Ad Hominem” seems to be very relevant in today’s politics!)

To learn more about the importance of logic, I recommend the following links:

Five Fallacies | Idea Channel | PBS Digital Studios

inFact: Logical Fallacies

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logic

What is a Fallacy?

http://www.fallacyfiles.org

A Concise introduction to Logic by Patrick Hurley

With Good Reason: An Introduction to Informal Fallacies by S. Morris Engel

Logically Fallacious: The Ultimate Collection of Over 300 Logical Fallacies