Veritas Press Logic Exam 1 Flashcards
what is reasoning?
Drawing proper conclusions from other information.
Why has God given men the ability to reason
So that we could communicate with Him and with one another
What is formal logic?
Formal logic deals directly with reasoning, by considering the means of distinguishing between proper and improper modes of reasoning
In what way is logic an attribute of God?
It is reflected in creation
How does formal logic differ from informal logic?
Formal logic deals directly with reasoning, while informal logic deals with with operations of thinking that are indirectly related to reasoning
What are some of the topics dealt with under informal logic?
terms, statements, and informal fallacies
What are the two branches of formal logic?
deduction and induction
What are some differences between induction and deduction?
induction deals with arguments that are strong or was, while deduction deals with arguments that are valid or invalid.
What are two branches of deduction?
categorical logic and propositional logic
Who first developed categorical logic, and when did he live?
Aristotle developed categorical logic, and he lived from 384-322 B.C
What is one difference between categorical logic and propositional logic?
Categorical logic deals with the syllogism, and Propositional logic connects entire propositions together in arguments
What are the branches of logic dealt with in this book?
Informal and categorical logic
LESSON 1
LESSON 1
What is a term?
A term is a concept that is expressed precisely in words
What is the connection between a term and a word?
one word can carry the meaning of many terms
What does it mean to define a term?
to give some idea of the relationships which that term has with other terms
What are six purposes for defining terms?
to show relationships, remove ambiguity, reduce vagueness, increase vocabulary, explain concepts theoretically, and can influence attitudes
What are the five types of definitions?
Lexical, premising, stimulative, theoretical, persuasive
Which types would you likely find in a dictionary?
Lexical
What is an ambiguous word?
A word that has more than one possible meaning
What is a vague word?
A word whose extent is unclear
What is a lexical definition?
A definition that shows relationships or reduces ambiguity by providing a single, established meaning of a term.
What is a precising definition?
A premising definition seeks to make more precise what was previously vague or fuzzy.
what is a stipulative definition?
The definition given to a newly invented word, or a word that is used in a new way. These words increase the vocabulary of the language.
What is a theoretical definition?
Theoretical definitions are scientific or philosophical in nature. Example: defining water as H2O instead of using the word “water”.
What is a persuasive definition?
A persuasive definition aims to persuade the listener one way or another towards the term being defined. Example: “mob rule” (it implies something bad, trying to persuade to to accept that it is bad just by how it is defined”.
LESSON 2
LESSON 2
What is a genus?
A higher category that often defines terms. A general, broad, abstract category than the term.
What is a species?
The term under a genus. It defines which type, kind, or example is the term. More specific or narrow than the genus.
Can a term be both the genus of one term and the species of another?
Yes. The words genus and species are relative terms. Each term can be both a genus and a species - a genus of the terms below it, and a species of the term above it.
What are some of the common errors made in constructing genus and species charts?
Confusing the genus and species hierarchies of logic with the similar hierarchy you may have learned in biology. In LOGIC, there are no levels OTHER THAN Genus and Species. (There is NO Family, order, class, phylum, or kingdom).
LESSON 3
LESSON 3
What is the EXTENSION of a term?
The sum of all the individual objets to which the term applies. (Example: the extension of BOOK is all sets of books - dictionaries, textbooks, etc)
What is INTENSION of a term?
The sum of the common attributes of a term. (Example: the intension of BOOK is having pages, on which words are written, which are bound together)
How are EXTENSION and INTENSION related in any given genus and species chart?
They are inversely related. The EXTENSION of each term is GREATER than the previous terms, but the INTENSION is SMALLER. (see chart on pg 21 for an example)
LESSON 4
LESSON 4
What are three methods of defining terms?
Defining by synonym, Defining by example, Defining by genus and difference.
Do other methods exist?
Yes. There are many methods of defining a term. These three are most common.
What are some limitations of defining by synonym?
It’s only helpful if you already understand the meaning of the synonym. (for example, if you are looking for a synonym of the word vicissitude and you find the synonym mutability, you may not understand what either of them mean.)
What are some rules for defining by example?
Define by example by pointing out the species of the term.
Also give examples. (define sickness by giving chicken pox and the flu as examples).
How is a term defined by genus and difference?
Name it’s genus, and then add descriptive words that distinguish that term from every other species under that genus - that is, by providing the difference.
(Example: the term backpack may be defined as “a bag carried on the back”. The genus is bag, the difference, is carried on the back.)
LESSON 5
LESSON 5
What are the six rules for defining by genus and difference?
- A definition should state the essential attributes of the term.
- A definition should not be circular.
- A definition should not be too broad nor too narrow.
- A definition should not be unclear or figurative.
- A definition should be stated positively, if possible.
- A definition should be of the same part of speech as the term.
Can you restate these rules using your own words?
- (A definition should state the essential attributes of the term): restate only the necessary parts.
- (A definition should not be circular): The word being defined should not be used as part of the definition.
- (A definition should not be too broad nor too narrow): It can’t include too much, or exclude too much. For example - you can’t define table as “a piece of furniture with legs” because that includes chairs and couches.
- (A definition should not be unclear or figurative): A definition should bring understanding to the word. If it’s unclear, it doesn’t define it. For example, defining RAY as a “light beam” is unclear because light and beam both have several meanings.
- (A definition should be stated positively, if posible): Do not state what it is NOT, instead say what it IS.
- (A definition should be of the same part of speech as the term): If the term being defined is a noun, then the definition should be a noun, etc.
What is the difference between an ESSENTIAL and an ACCIDENTAL attribute?
Essential means necessary
Accidental means superficial
Would this term cease to be what it is, if this attribute were shomehow changed or removed? If changing the attribute would destroy the meaning of the term, that attribute is essential.
What are three ways that a definition can be unclear?
- It uses words that are ambiguous, vague, or obscure.
- The language of the definition is figurative or metaphorical.
- Using the words WHERE and WHEN in the definition usually signals a problem with the definition.
