Whether regarded as a science, an art, or a skill–and it can properly be regarded as all three–logic is the basis of our ability to think, analyze, argue, and communicate. Indeed, logic goes to the very core of what we mean by human intelligence. In this concise, crisply readable book, distinguished professor D. Q. McInerny offers an indispensable guide to using logic to advantage in everyday life. Written explicitly for the layperson, McInerny’s Being Logical promises to take its place beside Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style as a classic of lucid, invaluable advice.
As McInerny notes, logic is a deep, wide, and wonderfully varied field, with a bearing on every aspect of our intellectual life. A mastery of logic begins with an understanding of right reasoning–and encompasses a grasp of the close kinship between logical thought and logical expression, a knowledge of the basic terms of argument, and a familiarity with the pitfalls of illogical thinking. Accordingly, McInerny structures his book in a series of brief, penetrating chapters that build on one another to form a unified and coherent introduction to clear and effective reasoning.
At the heart of the book is a brilliant consideration of argument–how an argument is founded and elaborated, how it differs from other forms of intellectual discourse, and how it critically embodies the elements of logic. McInerny teases out the subtleties and complexities of premises and conclusions, differentiates statements of fact from statements of value, and discusses the principles and uses of every major type of argument, from the syllogistic to the conditional. In addition, he provides an incisive look at illogical thinking and explains how to recognize and avoid the most common errors of logic.
Elegant, pithy, and precise, Being Logical breaks logic down to its essentials through clear analysis, accessible examples, and focused insights. Whether you are a student or a teacher, a professional sharpening your career skills or an amateur devoted to the fine points of thought and expression, you are sure to find this brief guide to effecting reasoning both fascinating and illuminating.
From the Hardcover edition.
Author(s): D.Q. McInerny
Publisher: Random House
Year: 2004
Language: English
Pages: 159
Cover......Page 1
Copyright page......Page 8
Preface......Page 13
Contents......Page 17
Part One—Preparing the Mind for Logic......Page 21
1. Be Attentive......Page 23
2. Get the Facts Straight......Page 24
4. Be Mindful of the Origins of Ideas......Page 27
5. Match Ideas to Facts......Page 29
6. Match Words to Ideas......Page 31
7. Effective Communication......Page 32
Speak in complete sentences.......Page 34
Avoid double negatives.......Page 35
8. Avoid Vague and Ambiguous Language......Page 36
9. Avoid Evasive Language......Page 38
10. Truth......Page 39
Part Two—The Basic Principles of Logic......Page 43
1. First Principles......Page 45
The Principle of the Excluded Middle......Page 46
The Principle of Sufficient Reason......Page 47
The Principle of Contradiction......Page 48
2. Real Gray Areas, Manufactured Gray Areas......Page 50
3. There's an Explanation for Everything, Eventually......Page 52
4. Don't Stop Short in the Search for Causes......Page 53
5. Distinguish Among Causes......Page 55
6. Define Your Terms......Page 57
7. The Categorical Statement......Page 61
8. Generalizing......Page 62
Part Three—Argument: The Language of Logic......Page 65
1. Founding an Argument......Page 67
2. The Move from Universal to Particular......Page 69
3. The Move from Particular to Universal......Page 70
4. Predication......Page 71
5. Negative Statements......Page 72
6. Making Comparisons......Page 75
7. Comparison and Argument......Page 78
8. Sound Argument......Page 79
Conjunctive Argument......Page 81
Disjunctive Argument......Page 82
9, Conditional Argument......Page 83
10. Syllogistic Argument......Page 87
12. The Relevancy of Premises......Page 90
13. Statements of Fact, Statements of Value......Page 92
14. Argumentative Form......Page 93
15. Conclusions Must Reflect Quantity of Premises......Page 97
16. Conclusions Must Reflect Quality of Premises......Page 99
17. Inductive Argument......Page 101
18. Assessing Argument......Page 104
The Truth of Premises......Page 106
The Strength of Premises......Page 107
Part Four—The Sources of Illogical Thinking......Page 109
1. Skepticism......Page 111
2. Evasive Agnosticism......Page 112
3. Cynicism and NaÏve Optimism......Page 113
4. Narrow-Mindedness......Page 114
5. Emotion and Argument......Page 115
6. The Reason for Reasoning......Page 116
7. Argumentation Is Not Quarreling......Page 117
9. Common Sense......Page 118
Part Five—The Principal Forms of Illogical Thinking......Page 121
1. Denying the Antecedent......Page 124
2. Affirming the Consequent......Page 125
4. Equivocation......Page 126
5. Begging the Question......Page 129
6. False Assumptions......Page 131
8. Using and Abusing Tradition......Page 132
9. Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right......Page 133
10. The Democratic Fallacy......Page 134
12. Substituting for the Force of Reason......Page 135
13. The Uses and Abuses of Expertise......Page 136
14. The Quantifying of Quality......Page 137
15. Consider More Than the Source......Page 139
17. Reductionism......Page 140
19. The Red Herring......Page 141
20. Laughter as Diversionary Tactic......Page 142
21. Tears as Diversionary Tactic......Page 143
22. An Inability to Disprove Does Not Prove......Page 144
24. Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc......Page 145
26. The Fallacy of Expediency......Page 147
28. Simplistic Reasoning......Page 148
Afterword......Page 151
Index......Page 153
About the Author......Page 159
