Meaning and logic

It can simply be described as the process for the use of reason in the pursuit of the truth. When thinking critically one must assess all assumptions for validity and appropriateness using our logic as a basis. Although the two concepts are closely tied, it is possible for a person to be logical but not be thinking critically. In this paper we will discuss the nature of logic and how it relates to critical thinking. Logic and Critical Thinking Critical thinking involves knowledge of the science of logic, including how to analyze information and using corrective reasoning.

What philosophers had been saying could simply not be said. Their philosophy was beyond the scope of what could be said and was therefore nonsense. By plotting the limits of language, Wittgenstein expected to be able to deal with the problems of philosophy finally. Outside the limits of what can be said lies nonsense, so any theory of language must occur within these limits. Wittgenstein thought that the nature of language could tell us what can and cannot be done with it.

But first, what is the science of logic? The object of knowledge involved in the science of logic is "thinking," but it is "thinking" approached in a special way. Generally speaking, logic is that branch of knowledge which reflects upon the nature of "thinking" itself. But this may confuse logic with other branches of knowledge which also have the nature of "thinking" as a part of their specific object of investigation. We need a more detailed and accurate definition to eliminate any confusion.

Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus evolved as a continuation of and reaction to Bertrand Russell and G Frege’s conceptions of logic, which Russell has left unexplained. Wittgenstein developed a theory of language that was designed to explain the nature of logical necessity. For Wittgenstein, a factual proposition is true or false with no third alternative. He endorses a ‘picture’ theory of meaning: propositions are meaningful insofar as they ‘picture’ facts or states of affairs: if their structure mirrors the structure of the world. The book addresses the central problems of philosophy which deals with the world, language and thought, and proposes a solution to these problems which is grounded in logic and in the nature of representation.

There are two main schools of thought, or methods, in regards to the subject of epistemology: rationalism and empiricism. These two, very different, schools of thought attempt to answer the philosophical question of how knowledge is acquired. While rationalists believe that this process occurs solely in our minds, empiricists argue that it is, instead, through sensory experience. After reading and understanding each argument it is clear that empiricism is the most relative explanatory position in epistemology. To begin with the question of rationalism versus empiricism, it is important to understand, first, what it is that rationalists argue.

Logical Fallacies Summary and Application What do you see when you look at Begging the Question, Hasty Generalization, and Appealing to Emotion? When you initially look at these three categories they may not seem to have too much in common. However, when you look deeper you will see that in fact, they are all different types of logical fallacies. Logical fallacies are errors of reasoning, errors that may be recognized and corrected by prudent thinkers (Downes, 1995). The following quote helps explain why logic is important to us in today’s society.

But this motto is usually treated as the search for general knowledge of the individual or of human nature. Is it possible for a student to acquire some knowledge about him or herself during this course and reflect on it in a philosophically relevant way? Can personal experience help in understanding philosophical concepts such as this one? These are the questions which I address. Since I think that philosophers have yet to develop didactical tools for these purposes, I will present techniques derived from Gestalt therapy which can be useful for the teaching of philosophy.

We rely on memory to acquaint us with the continuance and exert of this succession of perceptions. This is where the metacognition comes in. People need to be metacognistant, this is, they need to realize that they could never know everything possible. Searching for answers is pointless. As David Hume said, “It is impossible to know everything so we need to concentrate on what we know.” A decision not to decide but to leave the question open is in itself a decision and this will lead to the risk of losing truth.

This act came for a philosophical stance. Philosophy is the reasoning behind the action’s one makes in regards to the quest to obtain knowledge, by establishing validity, existence, and behavior patterns. It goes beyond the daily rhetoric and deciphers the fundamental analysis of logical thinking. It educates and demises assumptions that are political correct or stereotypical. In order to study philosophy, one has to be open minded, so that new knowledge can be gain and old knowledge can be re-evaluated.

On one hand, it is necessary to discover and investigate correct modes of reasoning in which the property of «truth» is preserved. This task which can be formulated as the question «what is a correct reasoning (proof)?» is considered in Logic. In order to decide this problem, Logic is based upon the concept of «logical form». There is a special syntactical method to deal with this concept—the method of construction of a logical calculus. In this respect, the calculus in question is a «black box» which guarantees the «true» conclusion under the «true» premisses.