Mathematical Logic Essay

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Logic is defined as the science which studies the formal processes in thinking and reasoning. Lawyers have the job of navigating through the legal system to make valid arguments that are in favor of their clients. In order to be successful, lawyers must come up with a reason or set of reason(s) to persuade a judge, or a jury that an action or idea is right or wrong. These reasons are known as arguments and they require the use of logic so that they are clear and acceptable to a judge or a jury. Therefore, the study of logic is essential to the study of the law. In mathematical logic, the indirect proof assumes that the conclusion of the argument is false and therefore the argument is invalid. After concluding that the argument is invalid, …show more content…

When using deductive reasoning, a lawyer will first develop a broad theory about the case and then attempt to apply it to a specific fact, or person. If this specific instance is proven to be realistic, then the lawyer has proved that their general theory is valid as well. When I learned about it, I realized how closely this theory of deductive reasoning relates to Modus Ponens, a valid argument form that is used in mathematical logic. Within logic, there are two sides to an statement, a left-hand side and a right-hand side. Modus Ponens states that if one premise of an argument is an implication and the other premise is the left-hand side of the implication, then the right hand side of the implication must be true. For …show more content…

Two principles of reasoning are useful to lawyers when constructing arguments or providing support for their arguments; inductive and deductive reasoning. Through careful inspection of these principles, along with the consideration of two theories implemented in mathematical logic, we can conclude that they are very similar. The indirect proof method and the valid argument form of Modus Ponens (in mathematical logic) closely relate to the theories of inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning (used in the field of law). I feel that my knowledge of mathematical logic will help me to form more carefully constructed, valid arguments as a

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