The Birth and Development of Logic:

Logic is one of the courses offered in colleges and universities with a long history. It was taught in
schools of ancient Greece, and in Western Europe it has been offered to students ever since first
universities were established some 800 or 900 years ago. (Barker, 1989).

Its birth is attributed to Aristotle who initiated the formal study of it among the Greeks in the
4th century B.C., thus, he was generally credited with the title “Father of Logic.” His logic is known as
syllogistic logic the fundamental elements of which are terms. Arguments are evaluated as good or bad
on the basis of the arrangement of terms in the argument.

After the death of Aristotle, Chrysippus (279-206 B.C.), also a Greek philosopher and one of the founders
of the Stoic school, developed a logic in which the fundamental elements were whole propositions. To
him every propositions is either true or false; he developed rules on the bases of which the truth and
falsity of the proposition is determined.

Meaning of Logic:

Zeno, the founder of the Stoic School (336-264 B.C.), introduce the word “logic.” He derived the
word logic from the Greek word “Logike” which means “systematized and intelligible.” Logike is closely
related to logos, the Greek word for thought, reason and discourse. Nominally then logic is a systematic
study of matters pertaining to thought and discourse.(Ardales)

Real Definition:

Broad: Logic is order and consistency.

Strict: Logic is the science and Art of Correct Thinking.

Scientific Real Definition:

Subject Matter: Laws, Methods and principles which the mind of man must follow in

his/her thinking.

Objective: To attain a secure and accurate truth.

Method: Rational Method

Thus, Logic is the branch of Philosophy that deals with the study of the Laws, Methods and principles
which the mind of man must follow in its thinking for a secure and accurate truth through human
reason.

Dialectics: Synonym of Logic

Dia= thorough, Legesthai= to speak. Hence, Dialectics is to discuss thoroughly.

Assignment 1: Why is Logical/Critical Thinking is important in one’s life?

Types of Logic:

Approach: Deductive and Inductive

Deductive Logic – is a system of reasoning whereby a person argues from universal or general
truth to the particular, or from the more to the less universal (particular or specific) by way of a middle
term.

Premises: All men are rational beings, but Filipinos are men.

Conclusion: Filipinos are rational beings.

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 - 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.

Validity: Formal and Material

Formal Logic – when the basis of validity of reasoning is conformity with the structure, pattern or
arrangement of the constituent parts of correct reasoning.

Material Logic – when the basis of validity of reasoning is the thought content or the meaning and the
truth of the statement involved in thinking and reasoning. An argument is materially valid when the
ideas therein conform to fact or reality.

An argument which states that “a stone is hard object,” is materially valid because in reality, a stone is,
in fact, hard. To argue, however, that “stones are soft objects” or “elephants are small animals” is wrong
because the arguments are materially invalid because they do not conform to reality. All three
statements or arguments are formally valid because they all follow the subject-predicate pattern or
structure of a declarative sentence.

In actual reasoning, both matter and form are involved. They are both intimately intertwined
and at times are seemingly inseparable.

Division of Logic:

Mental Processes Language Expression Linguistics

Apprehension, Idea Terms Parts of Speech

Judgment Proposition Sentences

Reasoning/Inference Syllogisms Paragraphs

Objectives of the Study of Logic:

1. Logic teaches us to assign the proper term to the specific Idea. e.g. the term aircon

should conform with our idea of aircon. Majority of the classrooms at USLS have aircons.

2. Logic teaches us to communicate better and properly.

3. Logic helps us to reason out with confidence.

Language- is the system of signs and symbols used in communication.

Sign – movement, mark or indication to convey some meaning.

Symbol- something that represents something else.

FUNCTIONS:

1. INFORMATIVE – Language tends to give facts and data. E.g. Declarative sentences

2. PRACTICAL- Language tends to ask the listener to act what the speaker says. E.g. Imperative sentences
3. PERFORMATIVE- Language tends to let the speaker act what he/she is saying. E.g. Subjunctive
sentences

4. EXPRESSIVE – Language solicits emotional responses from the listener. E.g. Exclamatory sentences.

5. LOGICAL- Language solicits critical thinking. E.g. Interrogative sentences

6. CEREMONIAL – Language tends to solicit social interaction. Language without logical value.

7. COMPLEX/MULTIPLE- Language that combines two or more of the previous functions.