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C Definitions of Logic

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Amethyst Chiong
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31 views2 pages

C Definitions of Logic

Uploaded by

Amethyst Chiong
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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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Definitions of Logic

Zeno the Stoic (circa 334-262 B.C.) introduced the term “Logic,” which was derived from the Greek
word, ​logike​ meaning a “treatise on matters pertaining to thought”. It has been defined in various
ways:

Logic​ is the science of analyzing and evaluating arguments; the art of reasoning; or the science of
the methods of correct and certain inference.

Logic​ is the study of the ways used to distinguish correct and wrong reasoning. Reasoning is a
process in which a conclusion is arrived at from previously accepted judgments. The moment
reasoning is put into words, it is called argument. Argument is a series of asserted statements that
contain reasons offered in support of a conclusion (Torres and Hernandez, 2002:4)

For purposes of uniformity, let us define​ Logic as the philosophical science of correct thinking​.

As a science, logic follows certain scientific laws, patterns and principles in arriving at correct
inferences (Fetizanan and Gajete, 2003: 4). As a science, Logic implies two things; (1) that it is a
body of systematized knowledge, and; (2) that it investigates, discovers, expresses, systematizes
and demonstrates the laws of correct thinking (Gualdo, 2000: 7).

Thinking, generally speaking, occurs when a person begins to activate his or her mind. Most of the
time, thinking is associated with some mental acts like memorizing, remembering, imagining,
guessing, daydreaming, and the like. But not all mental acts are thinking proper.

There are two criteria for a mental act to be considered thinking, namely, when the objective is
truth (examples: analysis, definition, classification) and when this truth becomes the foundation of
further knowledge such as criticism, comparison, synthesis, or generalization (Meer at al., 2004:6,
citing Cruz).

In Logic, therefore, thinking is a mental act that draws out the correct conclusion or knows what
is true. Truth is the object of thinking. If the mind acts without intention of attaining truth, the act
is not thinking. Hence, logically thinking is not having an opinion or guessing.

Correct thinking​ occurs when the mind follows certain rules of reasoning or inference. ​Inference​ is
the process in which, from a series of sentences (propositions), we make a conclusion.

On the other hand, thinking is true when it conforms to reality. For example, “Pedro is rational
because he is a human being.” It is false when it does not conform to a fact (for example:
“Airplanes are birds because they can fly”). If the process of knowing involves certain rules, we
say “correct” or “wrong”. If it involves conformity with certain facts, we say “true” or “false”. For
this reason, there are four possibilities involved in the act of thinking:

(1) thinking may be both correct and true,


(2) thinking may be correct but false,
(3) thinking may be wrong but true, and
(4) thinking may be both wrong and false.

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