Logic as a Branch of Philosophy: Featuring Critical Thinking and Debate

Logic as a Branch of Philosophy

“I DON’T AGREE with his Logic”.

In this sentence, the word ‘Logic’ is used to refer to someone’s argument or reasoning. It exemplifies one of the various ways the term ‘Logic’ is defined.

Here, we are however more concerned with the word ‘Logic’ as referring basically to the title of an academic subject taught in colleges around the world to develop students’ ability to reason correctly. This Philosophy subject also serves as one of the foundations of Debate and Critical Thinking.

Logic as a branch of Philosophy defined

Etymologically, the word ‘Logic’ came from the Greek word ‘logos’ which means ‘reason.’ It is thus not surprising that the subject deals with human reason or modes of reasoning. As a field of study, Logic teaches the rules for correct and proper reasoning.

The famous philosopher Thomas Aquinas defines Logic as “the science and art which directs the act of the reason, by which a man in the exercise of his reason is enabled to proceed without error, confusion, or unnecessary difficulty.” The classic Logic textbook ‘Port Royal Logic’ (1662), on the other hand, defines it as “the art of using reason well in the acquisition of the knowledge of things, both for one’s own instruction and that of others.”

Nowadays, Logic is comprehensively defined as “the philosophical science and art that analyzes arguments and inferences to discern valid from invalid forms of reasoning.”

Logic as a science and an art

Though Logic is fundamentally under Philosophy, it is also considered a science and an art. Logic is a science for it is a ‘systematic study’ of the standards of good reasoning. In formulating rules for correct thinking, for instance, Logic does not do it arbitrarily but deduces those rules from general principles.

As an art, Logic is an act of the mind which directs one to create or formulate thought-provoking works like agreeable reasons or explanations. Hence, as the fine arts direct a person to produce a beautiful painting or sculpture, Logic leads one to generate sensible and sound arguments.

Philosophy and Logic

In almost all schools around the world today, finishing a course in Logic means earning units in Philosophy. But why is this so? What’s the relationship between Logic and Philosophy?

The word ‘Philosophy’ came from the Greek words ‘philo’ (love) and ‘sophia’ (wisdom) and is thus literally defined as “the love of wisdom.”Considered by some as “the mother of all branches of knowledge,” it may be defined as the systematic examination of principles and presuppositions of any field of inquiry.

One basic relationship between Logic and Philosophy is that Logic is a branch of Philosophy. Among the many branches of Philosophy, Logic is considered special or unique for it serves as the ‘language’ of Philosophy. By this, we mean that any other branch of Philosophy, say Ethics, uses the principles of Logic in analyzing and presenting the theories under that field. Logic is thus used in all areas of philosophy.

So how do we explain Logic as a branch of Philosophy? Historically speaking, Logic grew out of Philosophy. Considered the founder of Logic for teaching the first Logic classes on record, Aristotle was in Plato’s Philosophy class, pondering on various philosophical theories, when he (Aristotle) began thinking of an independent field of study that studies the universal standards of reason itself. Aristotle would eventually write his Logic textbooks, collectively known as the ‘Organon’, the logical principles therein are still used today. Clearly, the study of philosophy had inspired the birth of Logic as an academic discipline.

Today, Logic is considered a basic tool in philosophizing—that no writing can be considered philosophical unless it conforms to the fundamental logical principles such as coherence and consistency. Philosophers subscribe to the principles of Logic in justifying their theories.

Logic as a branch of Philosophy and Critical Thinking

Logic and Critical Thinking are essentially linked to each other. In fact, in no way can an illogical person be counted as critical-minded.

Like Logic, Critical Thinking traces its historical roots in analytic Philosophy as in the Greek Socratic tradition.Socratic Method is asking a series of incisive questions to determine whether a supposed knowledge could rationally be justified, defended, and accepted with clarity and logical consistency. In many ways, both Logic and Critical Thinking use this Socratic Method.

Experts in Critical Thinking agree that the ability to think critically necessarily involves the knowledge of logical principles and methods and some skills in applying them. Indeed, to practice Critical Thinking is to apply some principles of Logic. Essentially, Logic forms the heart of Critical Thinking.

Nonetheless, some find Critical Thinking as more applicable than Logic in evaluating everyday life reasoning especially where one deals with gray areas, fuzzy boundaries, and less clear-cut responses. Critical Thinking’s subject matters are also deemed more wide-ranging and its topics more relevant to many situations. These points, however, do not make Logic an inferior subject, because Critical Thinking, without the proper guidance of the sensible principles of Logic, will become groundless and unsound. Ineludibly, studying Logic is an imperative exercise in developing one’s critical thinking skills.

Logic and Debate                                      

Logic is the philosophical science that studies argument while Debate is a contest in argumentation. Clearly, Debate, by nature, has to be logical. Debate is not about “mere reasoning” but “logical reasoning.” In fact, a debater in a contest wins for exhibiting logical skills and practically loses for being less logical if not totally illogical.

To be a good debater, a significant background in Logic is a must. Many principles of Logic definitely serve as the foundation of debate’s very essence. Hence, selected topics in Logic are discussed in this site which can prepare you for debate practices.

© by Jensen DG. Mañebog/MyInfoBasket.com

ALSO CHECK OUT:
Reasoning and Debate: A Handbook and a Textbook by Jensen DG. Mañebog

SUPPLEMENTARY ONLINE READING

Look for the article “Ambiguity and Vagueness” through the search engine (upper right section) of www.OurHappySchool.com. The lecture teaches, among other things, how to rephrase ambiguous and vague sentences and expressions.