Logic

Some people cringe at the word logic. One particular impression that one might get from that word is that it’s mainly for people who are smart or educated. Sometimes people might simply say, “I want my life to be simple and not complicated”.

I was that kind of person years ago. I thought that studying logic was so abstract and had very little practical insight into everyday life. But eventually my attitude about it changed as a result of a series of experiences that brought about this deep thirst for truth and insight about some of the most critical issues one can face in life. The issues that confronted me head on were issues like these: is there a good reason to believe in God, why do I have the beliefs that I hold to dearly, do I let my emotions or mind determine how I make decisions, do I invite questions and challenges or do I shy away from them, etc.

In this series of blog posts regarding logic, I will set out to accomplish four things and hope you will walk away with encouragement, insight, passion, and razor-sharp critical thinking abilities. But before I do that, let me first give a good definition of what logic is.

Logic is simply the task of bringing order to how one thinks and avoiding errors in how one thinks. Logic isn’t always the same as what makes sense or what is appealing. There are rules that appeal to our intuitions but some of them require more effort to understand. So with that out of the way, let me set out what I hope to accomplish in this series of blog posts.

First, I will attempt to clearly define each rule of reasoning. Before explaining or illustrating what we mean by something, it is crucial to carefully and concisely define our terms so as to avoid confusion and misunderstanding; hence defining our terms must be the initial step in exploring the subject of logic.

Second, I will provide examples of how each rule would work in normal, everyday conversations. I think once people can see how these principles in typical conversations everyday, they will be in a better position to appreciate its practical value. Otherwise, they could end up thinking that it is only detectable in academic papers or highly sophisticated presentations (oral & written).

Third, I will define and illustrate common fallacies/mistakes in how people typically reason. Some of the fallacies are going to be more obvious than others, and others might be tougher to comprehend than some of the straightforward ones. But I will try my best to explain how they work in the clearest way possible.

And lastly, I will give some practical advice for further study or personal improvement in these areas. Hopefully by this time, some of you – if not all of you – will have gained interest into how this subject works and will want to explore other areas that it touches.

My ultimate goal out of this series of blog posts is to enrich you and myself in this field of study and to help you apply some of the most basic principles of reasoning. Last, but certainly not least, I hope to have shown you what it means to apply Matthew 22:38 to your life. That passage refers to what one might call the greatest commandment of all: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.

God cares about the conditions of our hearts and our minds. Since God created us in His image, He wants us to reflect His nature in how we live life. Living a life of character and integrity is part of what it means to honor God with our lives. Sharpening our minds to think logically, pursue knowledge, and wisdom are very important in honoring the Lord in how we live. We may honor God in our hearts, but if we embrace contradictory beliefs or bad reasons for believing certain things and think we are being more “spiritual” by doing so, we will badly miss the mark. We are commanded to honor the Lord in both heart and mind. Hope you have been blessed by this blog post and get ready for this exciting study!