Philosophy Logic Lesson 1
LOGIC Is there anything more important than thinking about thinking? Thinking has been a focal point/cornerstone for philosophical thought
Thinking about Thinking Thinking is central to philosophy Thinking is a process Thinking is a skill that can be developed Emotions can influence thinking (fear, love, etc…) Other influences can affect thinking – stereotype, sexism, racism, etc…
Socrates “The unexamined life is not worth living” Aristotle Defined logic and deductive thinking Descartes Put thinking on a metaphysical pedestal with “I think therefore I am”
Reasoning: The act of coming to a conclusion based on facts Proof: Anything that can be used to show that something is true or correct Thinking: The act of using the mind to reason Inference: A conclusion or opinion arrived at logically from a sequence of events
Logic Defined Opinions: Judgments or beliefs formed without certain evidence Not all have equal weight (judges, lawyers, doctors) Grounds: Support for opinions Argument: A series of related statements leading to a conclusion
Factual/Value Judgments Factual statement: Either true or false and can be determined by empirical means Value judgments: Normative statements about what should or should not be done. Not “true” or “false”; “right” or “wrong”