A Brief Introduction to Logic

Bremer Acosta
9 min readSep 26, 2024
“Contrariwise,” continued Tweedledee, “if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn’t, it ain’t. That’s logic.” (Lewis Carroll)

What Is Logic?

Some philosophers claim that logic can’t properly be defined. But it can be shown (from doing it or teaching it) (Delancey 2).

Generally speaking, logic is a discipline that constructs and evaluates arguments (Hurley xi, 1) (Cohen, Copi, McMahon 2). In the study of logic, certain methods are used to differentiate correct from incorrect reasoning (Knachel).

In the first chapter of Introduction to Philosophy: Logic, Matthew Knachel wrote that “In logic, we study the rules and techniques that allow us to distinguish good, correct reasoning from bad, incorrect reasoning” (5).

Every day, people try to justify their beliefs and convince others to agree with them (Cohen, Copi, McMahon 2). They look for reasons that support their conclusions. But that does not mean their arguments are always sound.

It is a wise practice to question the assumptions of every argument. The conclusion may not follow from the premises. The premises may not be true.

Sometimes ideas are accepted by people without much reflection on their part. When making their points, they may appeal to the fallacies of authority, emotion, tradition, ignorance, popularity, and so on. Those who understand the principles of logic can learn to tell the difference “between sound and faulty reasoning”…

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