Logic
At one time in western civilization, training the mind in logic was an accepted and important part of classical education. Learning how to systematically use deduction to reach valid conclusions was considered of primary importance to the educated mind. With the dilution and subversion of the mainstream educational system, it is now rare for a student to be formally trained in the trivium (grammar, logic, and rhetoric). Training our minds to think logically allows us to objectively evaluate the validity of arguments.
Logic is an important tool for evaluating arguments. A statement has two possible truth values: truth and falsity. A logical argument is made up of one or more premises, followed by a conclusion. Here are examples of two different logical arguments:
If an animal is a bird, then it has feathers. A cat does not have feathers. Therefore, a cat is not a bird.
If an animal has feathers, then it is a bird. A flamingo has feathers. Therefore a flamingo is a bird.
See Also
References
Hurley, Patrick J. A Concise Introduction to Logic. Wadsworth, 1988.
Joseph, Miriam. The Trivium: Logic, Grammar and Rhetoric: Understanding the Nature and Function of Language. IPG, 2002.
Shapiro, Stewart, and Teresa Kouri Kissel. “Classical Logic.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 11 Mar. 2018, plato.stanford.edu/entries/logic-classical/.
