Being Logical: A Guide to Good Thinking

Whetherregardedasascience,anart,oraskill–anditcanproperlyberegardedasallthree–logicisthebasisofourabilitytothink,analyze,argue,andcommunicate.Indeed,logicgoestotheverycoreofwhatwemeanbyhumanintelligence.Inthisconcise,crisplyreadablebook,distinguishedprofessorD.Q.McInernyoffersanindispensableguidetousinglogictoadvantageineverydaylife.Writtenexplicitlyforthelayperson,McInerny’sBeingLogicalpromisestotakeitsplacebesideStrunkandWhite’sTheElementsofStyleasaclassicoflucid,invaluableadvice.AsMcInernynotes,logicisadeep,wide,andwonderfullyvariedfield,withabearingoneveryaspectofourintellectuallife.Amasteryoflogicbeginswithanunderstandingofrightreasoning–andencompassesagraspoftheclosekinshipbetweenlogicalthoughtandlogicalexpression,aknowledgeofthebasictermsofargument,andafamiliaritywiththepitfallsofillogicalthinking.Accordingly,McInernystructureshisbookinaseriesofbrief,penetratingchaptersthatbuildononeanothertoformaunifiedandcoherentintroductiontoclearandeffectivereasoning.Attheheartofthebookisabrilliantconsiderationofargument–howanargumentisfoundedandelaborated,howitdiffersfromotherformsofintellectualdiscourse,andhowitcriticallyembodiestheelementsoflogic.McInernyteasesoutthesubtletiesandcomplexitiesofpremisesandconclusions,differentiatesstatementsoffactfromstatementsofvalue,anddiscussestheprinciplesandusesofeverymajortypeofargument,fromthesyllogistictotheconditional.Inaddition,heprovidesanincisivelookatillogicalthinkingandexplainshowtorecognizeandavoidthemostcommonerrorsoflogic.Elegant,pithy,andprecise,BeingLogicalbreakslogicdowntoitsessentialsthroughclearanalysis,accessibleexamples,andfocusedinsights.Whetheryouareastudentorateacher,aprofessionalsharpeningyourcareerskillsoranamateurdevotedtothefinepointsofthoughtandexpression,youaresuretofindthisbriefguidetoeffectingreasoningbothfascinatingandilluminating.FromtheHardcoveredition.,