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Informal Logic

The document discusses different types of logic used in reasoning: - Informal logic is used in daily reasoning and arguments between individuals, and examples given include weak arguments based on personal experiences and generalizations. - Formal logic uses deductive reasoning where premises must be true facts, and conclusions logically follow from the premises. Examples of valid deductive arguments are provided. - Symbolic logic represents verbal statements as symbolic propositions and uses mathematical processes to check their validity. An example symbolic logic argument is given.

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Joycelyn Bangalan
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917 views3 pages

Informal Logic

The document discusses different types of logic used in reasoning: - Informal logic is used in daily reasoning and arguments between individuals, and examples given include weak arguments based on personal experiences and generalizations. - Formal logic uses deductive reasoning where premises must be true facts, and conclusions logically follow from the premises. Examples of valid deductive arguments are provided. - Symbolic logic represents verbal statements as symbolic propositions and uses mathematical processes to check their validity. An example symbolic logic argument is given.

Uploaded by

Joycelyn Bangalan
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Informal Logic

Informal logic is what’s typically used in daily reasoning. This is the reasoning
and arguments you make in your personal exchanges with others.

 Premises: Nikki saw a black cat on her way to work. At work, Nikki got
fired. 
Conclusion: Black cats are bad luck.
Explanation: This is a big generalization and can’t be verified.
 Premises: There is no evidence that penicillin is bad for you. I use
penicillin without any problems. 
Conclusion: Penicillin is safe for everyone. 
Explanation: The personal experience here or lack of knowledge isn’t
verifiable.
 Premises: My mom is a celebrity. I live with my mom.
Conclusion: I am a celebrity.
Explanation: There is more to proving fame that assuming it will rub off.

Formal Logic

In formal logic, you use deductive reasoning and the premises must be true.
You follow the premises to reach a formal conclusion.
 Premises: Every person who lives in Quebec lives in Canada. Everyone in
Canada lives in North America. 
Conclusion: Every person who lives in Quebec lives in North America.
Explanation: Only true facts are presented here.
 Premises: All spiders have eight legs. Black Widows are a type of spider. 
Conclusion: Black Widows have eight legs. 
Explanation: This argument isn’t controversial.
 Premises: Bicycles have two wheels. Jan is riding a bicycle.
Conclusion: Jan is riding on two wheels. 
Explanation: The premises are true and so is the conclusion.

Symbolic Logic
Symbolic logic deals with how symbols relate to each other. It assigns symbols
to verbal reasoning in order to be able to check the veracity of the statements
through a mathematical process. You typically see this type of logic used in
calculus.

Symbolic logic example:

 Propositions: If all mammals feed their babies milk from the mother (A).
If all cats feed their babies mother’s milk (B). All cats are mammals(C).
The Ʌ means “and,” and the ⇒ symbol means “implies.”
 Conclusion: A Ʌ B ⇒ C

Explanation: Proposition A and proposition B lead to the conclusion, C. If


all mammals feed their babies milk from the mother and all cats feed
their babies mother’s milk, it iDeductive Reasoning Examples

Deductive reasoning provides complete evidence of the truth of its conclusion. It uses a specific
and accurate premise that leads to a specific and accurate conclusion. With correct premises, the
conclusion to this type of argument is verifiable and correct.
 Premises: All squares are rectangles. All rectangles have four sides. 
Conclusion: All squares have four sides.
 Premises: All people are mortal. You are a person. 
Conclusion: You are mortal.
 Premises: All trees have trunks. An oak tree is a tree. 
Conclusion: The oak tree has a trunk.

Inductive Logic Examples

Inductive reasoning is "bottom up," meaning that it takes specific information and makes a broad
generalization that is considered probable, allowing for the fact that the conclusion may not be
accurate. This type of reasoning usually involves a rule being established based on a series of
repeated experiences.
 Premises: An umbrella prevents you from getting wet in the rain. Ashley took her
umbrella, and she did not get wet. 
Conclusion: In this case, you could use inductive reasoning to offer an opinion that it was
probably raining. 
Explanation: Your conclusion, however, would not necessarily be accurate because
Ashley would have remained dry whether it rained and she had an umbrella, or it didn't
rain at all.
 Premises: Every three-year-old you see at the park each afternoon spends most of their
time crying and screaming. 
Conclusion: All three-year-olds must spend their afternoon screaming. 
Explanation: This would not necessarily be correct, because you haven’t seen every
three-year-old in the world during the afternoon to verify it.
 Premises: Twelve out of the 20 houses on the block burned down. Each fire was caused
by faulty wiring. 
Conclusion: If more than half the homes have faulty wiring, all homes on the block have
faulty wiring. 
Explanation: You do not know this conclusion to be verifiably true, but it is probable.
 Premises: Red lights prevent accidents. Mike did not have an accident while driving
today.
Conclusion: Mike must have stopped at a red light. 
Explanation: Mike might not have encountered any traffic signals at all. Therefore, he
might have been able to avoid accidents even without stopping at a red light.

 mplies all cats are mammals.

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