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SYMBOIC LOGIC
What is logic? When is something logical?
According to my logic, Trump must step down as the president.
Logic says that 2+2 is 4.
Use logic, stop poking the snake.
Way of thinking; Reasonable; Good judgement; Sensible-ness
In the field of philosophy, Logic has a more specific meaning.
Someone tells me something. I have some information. On the basis of that, I conclude something,
i.e I arrive at a conclusion.
Is my conclusion correct provided the information?
From what I know, can I really say what I am saying?
Does the conclusion follow the premises/given information?
Given: Blaze was circumcised by the Rabbi.
Conclusion: Blaze is a female.
Given: Blaze loves the pink colour and likes to play with dolls.
Conclusion: Blaze is a female.
Given: Blaze gave birth to a baby boy.
Conclusion: Blaze is a female.
Conclusion follows the premise in only the last instance. Only the last instance is a logical conclusion.
Logic deals with: Does the conclusion reached necessary follows from the premises? If yes, then the
conclusion is logical. If not, then the conclusion is not logical, or illogical.
In other words, a logical conclusion cannot be wrong with respect to the provided information.
Arriving at a conclusion involves thinking.
Thus: Is thinking logic? Does logic deal with how we think and arrive at the conclusion?
No. Thoughts may or may not be logical.
Think of a random number between one and ten. There is a thought involved, but not logical. There
is no reason involved.
Thinking involves also recalling, imagining, assuming, hating, loving, etc.
Logic does not deal with them. Logic is only concerned with the relationship between premises and
conclusion.
Is logic reasoning? What is reasoning? What is reason?
Reason = The ability to arrive at a conclusion given the premises.
Logic = Relationship between the conclusion and premises.
Reasoning = Using the ability/reason to arrive at the conclusion.
Logic = Is your reasoning correct or not?
Can something be rational yet illogical?
Can something be irrational yet logical?
YES.
Law: Murders with malicious intent and not in self-defence are punishable with death penalty.
Given: A murder is committed. The murderer is caught. It is established that the murderer acted on
malicious intent, and not in self-defence.
Conclusion: The murderer is given the capital punishment.
Rational and logical.
Given: A murder is committed. The murderer is caught. It is established that the murderer acted on
malicious intent, and not in self-defence. The murderer is a 5 year old girl.
Conclusion: The murderer is NOT given the capital punishment.
Rational and illogical.
Given: Earth is flat like a disk.
Conclusion: You will fall off the edge of the earth.
Irrational and logical.
Reasoning = Using the ability/reason to arrive at the conclusion.
Logic = Is your reasoning correct or not?
Exactly what do we need the logic for?
(i) To make correct decisions.
Decisions can be made on feelings, intuitions, hunches, guesses, habits.
For matters which have serious impact, we need something to make reliable judgements. That
ability is “reason”.
We need logic to check if our decisions are correct or not.
(ii) To make correct arguments.
