Informal Logic

by Burgess-Jackson, Keith

• ISBN13: 9780132290487
• ISBN10: 0132290480
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1995-09-25
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

The aim ofInformal Logic, Third Edition is to cultivate readers' basic critical, analytical and reasoning skills through the examination of arguments and explanations as they appear in natural language. Unlike traditional logic texts, which are densely laden with symbols and jargon, this book is written in plain English to the utmost extent possible.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction.

The nature and utility of logic. Premises and conclusions. Diagrams for single arguments. Recognizing arguments. Passages expressing several arguments. Deduction and Induction. Truth, validity, and soundness. The use of reason in problem solving.

2. Language.

Functions of language. Discourse serving multiple functions. Forms of discourse. Emotive words. Kinds of agreement and disagreement. Emotively neutral language.

3. Fallacies.

The nature and classification of fallacies. Common informal fallacies. Passages for analysis.

4. Definition.

Purposes of definition. Types of definition. Kinds of meaning. Techniques for defining. Rules for definition by genus and difference.

5. Analogy.

Uses of analogy. Evaluating analogical arguments. Refutation by logical analogy.

6. Causal Connections: Mill's Methods of Experimental Inquiry.

The nature of causation. Mill's methods. The alleged circularity of Mill's methods.

7. Science and Hypothesis.

Values and disvalues of science. Explanations: scientific and nonscientific. Evaluating scientific explanations. The detective as scientist. Scientists in action: the pattern of scientific investigation. Crucial experiments and ad hoc hypotheses. Classification as hypothesis.

Solutions to Selected Exercises.
Index.