Being Logical : A Guide to Good Thinking

Whether regarded as a science, an art, or a skill–and it can properly be regarded as all three–logic is the basis of our ability to think, analyze, argue, and communicate. Indeed, logic goes to the very core of what we mean by human intelligence. In this concise, crisply readable book, distinguished professor D. Q. McInerny offers an indispensable guide to using logic to advantage in everyday life. Written explicitly for the layperson, McInerny’s Being Logical promises to take its place beside Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style as a classic of lucid, invaluable advice. As McInerny notes, logic is a deep, wide, and wonderfully varied field, with a bearing on every aspect of our intellectual life. A mastery of logic begins with an understanding of right reasoning–and encompasses a grasp of the close kinship between logical thought and logical expression, a knowledge of the basic terms of argument, and a familiarity with the pitfalls of illogical thinking. Accordingly, McInerny structures his book in a series of brief, penetrating chapters that build on one another to form a unified and coherent introduction to clear and effective reasoning. At the heart of the book is a brilliant consideration of argument–how an argument is founded and elaborated, how it differs from other forms of intellectual discourse, and how it critically embodies the elements of logic. McInerny teases out the subtleties and complexities of premises and conclusions, differentiates statements of fact from statements of value, and discusses the principles and uses of every major type of argument, from the syllogistic to the conditional. In addition, he provides an incisive look at illogical thinking and explains how to recognize and avoid the most common errors of logic. Elegant, pithy, and precise, Being Logical breaks logic down to its essentials through clear analysis, accessible examples, and focused insights. Whether you are a student or a teacher, a professional sharpening your career skills or an amateur devoted to the fine points of thought and expression, you are sure to find this brief guide to effecting reasoning both fascinating and illuminating. Cover Copyright page Preface Contents Part One—Preparing the Mind for Logic 1. Be Attentive 2. Get the Facts Straight 3. Ideas and the Objects of Ideas 4. Be Mindful of the Origins of Ideas 5. Match Ideas to Facts 6. Match Words to Ideas 7. Effective Communication Don't assume your audience understands your meaning if you don't make it explicit. Speak in complete sentences. Don't treat evaluative statements as if they were statements of objective fact. Avoid double negatives. Gear your language to your audience. 8. Avoid Vague and Ambiguous Language 9. Avoid Evasive Language 10. Truth Part Two—The Basic Principles of Logic 1. First Principles The Principle of Identity The Principle of the Excluded Middle The Principle of Sufficient Reason The Principle of Contradiction 2. Real Gray Areas, Manufactured Gray Areas 3. There's an Explanation for Everything, Eventually 4. Don't Stop Short in the Search for Causes 5. Distinguish Among Causes 6. Define Your Terms 7. The Categorical Statement 8. Generalizing Part Three—Argument: The Language of Logic 1. Founding an Argument 2. The Move from Universal to Particular 3. The Move from Particular to Universal 4. Predication 5. Negative Statements 6. Making Comparisons 7. Comparison and Argument 8. Sound Argument Conjunctive Argument Disjunctive Argument 9, Conditional Argument 10. Syllogistic Argument 11. The Truth of Premises 12. The Relevancy of Premises 13. Statements of Fact, Statements of Value 14. Argumentative Form 15. Conclusions Must Reflect Quantity of Premises 16. Conclusions Must Reflect Quality of Premises 17. Inductive Argument 18. Assessing Argument 19. Constructing an Argument The Truth of Premises The Strength of Premises Part Four—The Sources of Illogical Thinking 1. Skepticism 2. Evasive Agnosticism 3. Cynicism and NaÏve Optimism 4. Narrow-Mindedness 5. Emotion and Argument 6. The Reason for Reasoning 7. Argumentation Is Not Quarreling 8. The Limits of Sincerity 9. Common Sense Part Five—The Principal Forms of Illogical Thinking 1. Denying the Antecedent 2. Affirming the Consequent 3. The Undistributed Middle Term 4. Equivocation 5. Begging the Question 6. False Assumptions 7. The Straw-Man Fallacy 8. Using and Abusing Tradition 9. Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right 10. The Democratic Fallacy 11. The Ad Hominem Fallacy 12. Substituting for the Force of Reason 13. The Uses and Abuses of Expertise 14. The Quantifying of Quality 15. Consider More Than the Source 16. Stopping Short at Analysis 17. Reductionism 18. Misclassification 19. The Red Herring 20. Laughter as Diversionary Tactic 21. Tears as Diversionary Tactic 22. An Inability to Disprove Does Not Prove 23. The False Dilemma 24. Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc 25. Special Pleading 26. The Fallacy of Expediency 27. Avoiding Conclusions 28. Simplistic Reasoning Afterword Index About the Author An essential tool for our post-truth world: a witty primer on logic—and the dangers of illogical thinking—by a renowned Notre Dame professor Logic is synonymous with reason, judgment, sense, wisdom, and sanity. Being logical is the ability to create concise and reasoned arguments—arguments that build from given premises, using evidence, to a genuine conclusion. But mastering logical thinking also requires studying and understanding illogical thinking, both to sharpen one's own skills and to protect against incoherent, or deliberately misleading, reasoning. Elegant, pithy, and precise, Being Logical breaks logic down to its essentials through clear analysis, accessible examples, and focused insights. D. Q. McInerney covers the sources of illogical thinking, from naïve optimism to narrow-mindedness, before dissecting the various tactics—red herrings, diversions, and simplistic reasoning—the illogical use in place of effective reasoning. An indispensable guide to using logic to advantage in everyday life, this is a concise, crisply readable book. Written explicitly for the layperson, McInerny's Being Logical promises to take its place beside Strunk and White's The Elements of Style as a classic of lucid, invaluable advice. Praise for Being Logical “Highly readable... D. Q. McInerny offers an introduction to symbolic logic in plain English, so you can finally be clear on what is deductive reasoning and what is inductive. And you'll see how deductive arguments are constructed.”—Detroit Free Press “McInerny's explanatory outline of sound thinking will be eminently beneficial to expository writers, debaters, and public speakers.”—Booklist “Given the shortage of logical thinking, And the fact that mankind is adrift, if not sinking, It is vital that all of us learn to think straight. And this small book by D.Q. McInerny is great. It follows therefore since we so badly need it, Everybody should not only but it, but read it.” —Charles Osgood "Whether regarded as a science, an art, or a skill - and it can properly be regarded as all three - logic is the basis of our ability to think, analyze, argue, and communicate. Indeed, logic goes to the very core of what we mean by human intelligence. In this book, Professor D.Q. McInerny offers a guide to using logic to advantage in everyday life. Written explicitly for the layperson, McInerny's Being Logical promises to take its place beside Strunk and White's The Elements of Style as a classic of lucid, invaluable advice." "In Being Logical, D.Q. McInerny breaks logic down to its essentials through clear analysis, accessible examples, and focused insights. Whether you are a student or a teacher, a professional honing your career skills or a generalist devoted to the fine points of thought and expression, you are sure to find Being Logical an invaluable guide to reasoning."--Jacket A layperson's guide to using logic in everyday life defines the elements of clear reasoning, discussing the uses of major argument types while explaining how to avoid common logic errors. Reprint. 12,500 first printing. Being logical presupposes our having a sensitivity to language and a knack for its effective use, for logic and language are inseparable.