Logic: Inquiry, Argument, and Order

273 Pages·2009·1.49 MB·English

by  Scott L. Pratt

LOGIC

LOGIC
Inquiry, Argument, and Order
SCOTT L. PRATT
University of Oregon
Department of Philosophy
Eugene, Oregon
A JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC., PUBLICATION
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Pratt, Scott L.
Logic : inquiry, argument, and order / Scott L. Pratt.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-470-37376-7 (cloth)
1. Logic. I. Title.
BC71.P67 2009
160–dc22
2009004195
Printed in the United States of America.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For Alexander and Aaron

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ix
CHAPTER ONE: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LOGIC 1
1.1 The Problem of Abstraction 2
1.2 The Problem of Dualism 5
1.3 The Problem of Incommensurability 8
1.4 The Problem of Boundaries 11
1.5 Examples for Discussion 15
1.6 Premises and Conclusions 19
1.7 Exercises 23
CHAPTER TWO: WHAT IS LOGIC? 31
2.1 The Study of Logic 31
2.2 The Concepts of Truth and Inference 35
2.3 The Process of Inquiry 40
2.4 Exercises 48
2.5 Argument as Inquiry 52
2.6 Exercises 57
CHAPTER THREE: COMMUNICATIVE ACTION 61
3.1 Strategic and Communicative Action 61
3.2 Exercises 64
3.3 Lifeworlds 68
3.4 Exercises 71
3.5 Validity 72
3.6 Fallacies 75
3.7 Exercises 85
CHAPTER FOUR: THEORY OF THE SYLLOGISM 91
4.1 Nominalism, Realism, and Abduction 91
4.2 The Theory of the Syllogism 97
4.3 Standard Form Propositions 98
4.4 Exercises 105
4.5 Direct Inference 106
4.6 Exercises 111
4.7 The Validity of Syllogisms 112
4.8 Exercises 120
vii
viii TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER FIVE: INDUCTION AND THE LIMITS OF REASON 123
5.1 Limits of the Syllogism 123
5.2 The Principles of Induction 129
5.3 Analogical Arguments 139
5.4 Exercises 143
5.5 Causal Arguments 145
5.6 Exercises 148
5.7 Probability 151
5.8 Exercises 160
CHAPTER SIX: PRINCIPLES OF ORDER AND DEDUCTION 165
6.1 Introduction 165
6.2 Modes of Action 167
6.3 Principles of Order 171
6.4 Logic and the Act of Judgment 174
6.5 Deduction: The Logic of Assertions 178
6.6 Graphical Proofs of Validity 190
6.7 Exercises 194
CHAPTER SEVEN: AN OVERVIEW OF QUANTIFIED LOGIC 197
7.1 Introduction 197
7.2 Representing Relations 202
7.3 The Meaning of Quantifi ers 205
7.4 Exercises 207
7.5 Rules of Quantifi cational Logic 208
7.6 Exercises 210
7.7 The Validity of Syllogisms 211
7.8 Graphical Proofs of Validity 214
7.9 Exercises 217
7.10 Border Agents and the Problems of Logic 218
SOLUTIONS 223
BIBLIOGRAPHY 249
INDEX 255