Practical Logic

The present book is an elementary textbook on logic for university undergraduates. It is intended mainly for students of law. For nineteen years this book has served students of law as well as those of other branches of the humanities in Poland. In comparison with the last Polish edition of 1973 the English translation contains modifications of a number of examples that were specifically Polish. The most important amplification, however, is the addition of a supplementary section on Deontic Logic written by Zdzislaw Ziemba, since it is this part of formal logic that should be of particular interest to jurists. The textbook contains the fundamental elements of knowledge in the field of semiotics (Part One: 'Formulation of Thoughts by Means of Words'), and in the field of formal logic and general methodology of sciences (Part Two: "Foundation of Statements'). Semiotics, formal logic and the general methodology of sciences are jointly called by the name oflogic in the widest sense of this word. The selection of materials from these fields and of supplementary information concerning other adjacent branches of knowledge, has been made primarily with a view to making more evident and contributing to the mastery of those skills which turn out to be useful in practice, for the thinking processes of lawyers. This does not, of course, mean that the whole subject matter has been restricted to a choice of examples that might in one way or another be connected with juridical problems. The final part of the textbook (Part Three: 'The Intellectual Work of Lawyers') contains the presentation of some specifically juridical applications of logic and an analysis of the intellectual activities of lawyers. The first two parts of the textbook constitute, however, an independent entity and may be used as an elementary textbook on logic for students of various branches of the humanities.