The Critical Thinking Handbook by
Comprehensive and flexible in structure, this handbook offers an up-to-date exploration of deductive reasoning, inductive reasoning, reasoning about concepts and reasoning about values - each presented in a self-contained section.
Formal Logic by
This book introduces the techniques of formal logic in a way suitable for all students of philosophy. Chapter 1: Logical Reasoning introduces the ideas behind formal logic. Chapter 2: Propositional logic and Chapter 3: Entailment and Equivalence develop the language of propositional logic and its meaning. Chapter 4: Proof Trees shows how to use the simple tree method to test whether an argument is valid. Chapter 5: First Order Logic introduces first-order logic, including the theory of quantification, and Chapter 6: Identity adds identity to the first-order language. Finally, Chapter 7: Proof Trees for First Order Logic shows how to use the tree method for testing arguments in first order logic.
Key Terms in Logic by
The Key Terms in Philosophy series offers clear, concise and accessible introductions to the central topics in philosophy. Each book offers a comprehensive overview of the key terms, concepts, thinkers and major works in the history of a key area of philosophy. Ideal for first-year students starting out in philosophy, the series will serve as the ideal companion to study of this fascinating subject. Key Terms in Logic offers the ideal introduction to this core area in the study of philosophy, providing detailed summaries of the important concepts in the study of logic and the application of logic to the rest of philosophy. A brief introduction provides context and background, while the following chapters offer detailed definitions of key terms and concepts, introductions to the work of key thinkers and lists of key texts. Designed specifically to meet the needs of students and assuming no prior knowledge of the subject, this is the ideal reference tool for those coming to Logic for the first time.
Logic: A Very Short Introduction by
Logic is often perceived as having little to do with the rest of philosophy, and even less to do with real life. In this lively and accessible introduction, Graham Priest shows how wrong this conception is. He explores the philosophical roots of the subject, explaining how modern formallogic deals with issues ranging from the existence of God and the reality of time to paradoxes of probability and decision theory. Along the way, the basics of formal logic are explained in simple, non-technical terms, showing that logic is a powerful and exciting part of modern philosophy.
Logic and Its Limits by
`This book grew out of the conviction, not in itself strange or startling, that the ordinary person can and should think straight rather than crooked.' Patrick Shaw has written a commonsense introduction to the use of logic in everyday thought and argument. It explains some of the rules of good argument and some of the ways in which arguments can fail, drawing illustrations from a variety of contemporary and international sources, such as thepress, radio, and television. Symbols and technicalities are kept to a minimum in this thorough and provocative investigation of the rational approach to thought - and its limitations. Logic and Its Limits emphasizes the use of logic in helping to settle and clarify disputes. It will help the readerto avoid bad arguments, to detect them in others, and so to think and argue more effectively. A wide range of thought-provoking examples and exercises concerned with contemporary social and political issues make this a readable and stimulating guide for the student and general reader alike.
The Philosopher's Toolkit by
The Philosophers' Toolkit provides all the intellectual equipment necessary to engage with and participate in philosophical argument, reading and reflection. Each of its 87 entries explains how to use an important concept or argumentative technique accurately and effectively.
Schaum's Outline of Logic by
Schaum's Outlines present all the essential course information in an easy-to-follow, topic-by-topic format. You also get hundreds of examples, solved problems, and practice exercises to test your skills.
Thinking about Logic by
Thinking about Logic is an accessible and thought-provoking collection of classic articles in the philosophy of logic. An ideal companion to any formal logic course or textbook, this volume illuminates how logic relates to perennial philosophical issues about knowledge, meaning, rationality, and reality. The editors have selected each essay for its brevity, clarity, and impact and have included insightful introductions and discussion questions. The puzzles raised will help readers acquire a more thorough understanding of fundamental logic concepts and a firmer command of the connections between formal logic and other areas of philosophical study: epistemology, philosophy of language, philosophy of science, and metaphysics.
Weaponized Lies by
It's becoming harder to separate the wheat from the digital chaff. How do we distinguish misinformation, pseudo-facts, distortions, and outright lies from reliable information? Levitin groups his field guide into two categories -- statistical information and faulty arguments -- ultimately showing how science is the bedrock of critical thinking. Infoliteracy means understanding that there are hierarchies of source quality and bias that variously distort our information feeds via every media channel, including social media. We may expect newspapers, bloggers, the government, and Wikipedia to be factually and logically correct, but they so often aren't. We need to think critically about the words and numbers we encounter if we want to be successful at work, at play, and in making the most of our lives. This means checking the plausibility and reasoning -- not passively accepting information, repeating it, and making decisions based on it. Readers learn to avoid the extremes of passive gullibility and cynical rejection.