Wednesday in class we discussed the benefits of being able to take a given piece of text, then diagram the argument in a way that the premises flow, in order, to the conclusion. Overall we determined the benefits of applying logic to issues outside of deductive formal proofs.
However, I have a different question to ask.
Is there a way to reap the benefits to organizing formal proofs in everyday, non-philosophy classroom discussion? Do the rules of logical inference, the structure of the arguments, and formal (as opposed to informal) fallacies benefit the rest of our studies in college? I'm not sure of an answer, but I'd love to hear what you all have to say.
The skills we are learning in logic will benefit us in our other studies. Our own writing will be clearer, because we understand inferential rules and formal structure. As we evaluate claims made by other authors, we will know if we need to look for more substantiation from other sources before we buy conclusions.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, at times, the exercises that we undertake in logic class seem esoteric and only applicable in a philosophical environment, I believe what we are learning is actually quite useful in everyday practice. For instance, the last question on Friday's quiz concerning pacifism was a perfect example of how these simple rules of inference can be applied to common topics of discussion. The more we get accustomed to these rules, the more obvious logical fallacies (such as FAC and FDA) will stand out in everyday life.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of my leading commentators. I have already noticed my peers saying things that I can instantly or systematically tell are fallible and illogical. I can say the same for some of my other professors as well! So, in those respects, the skills are transferable. Also, I have paid close attention to certain arguments I create within my papers (the last paper I wrote for a class, I even diagrammed the proof, just in case the teacher was interested in that sort of thing). I used my new knowledge to strengthen my argument and weed out the weaknesses.
ReplyDeleteMany students have told me over the years that logic was the single most useful course they took in college -- for other courses, in their working lives, and even in their personal lives (reading the newspaper, being a citizen...).
ReplyDeleteThat said, Colby, watch out for the temptations of "instant" judgment of the quality of others' arguments. You don't want to play gotcha with people; rather, you want to help them make their arguments better. So if you think you see a flaw, instead of pouncing on it or dismissing the speaker as a doofus, offer a way to improve the reasoning. You and the other person have the shared goal of getting at the truth, not sparring for points.