Critique of “Being Logical”

Being Logical A Guide to Good sentiment by D. Q. McInerny is an introduction to the science and art of hark backing and living system of logic onlyy. The 129-page look at was published in 2005 by Random Ho mapping Trade Paperbacks and nookie be purchased for around ten dollars. The author D. Q. McInerny is currently a professor at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Lincoln, Nebraska and has written a signifier of pieces on ghostlike philosophy to include Philosophical Psychology, and an article on the use of contraception. In the words of McInerny, Logic is the very backb whiz of squ be education (McInerny, 2005, p. x). Yet in the Preface, he goes on to say To my mind, logic is the missing piece of the Ameri sens educational system, the subject that informs every new(prenominal) subject from English to history to science and math (McInerny, 2005, p. ix). In his day moderate McInerny attempts to guide his readers through the process of seeing the realism and evaluating t heir circumstances in an objective and critical manner. Ultimately he aims to instill an intrinsic consider for legality gained through logic that his readers will utilize in prevalent life.Being logical consists of volt sections, the first three serve as a foundation for logical thinking. They consist of Preparing the Mind for Logic, The Basic Principles of logic and contrast the Language of Logic. The last two sections, The Sources of disoriented idea and The Principal Forms of Illogical Thinking sit the foundations of logic into action by pointing out errors that ane may make while attempting sound logic. The last two sections, specifically section five synthesizes the material previously cove rubicund in the loudness by delimit the modalitys in which cerebrate potty go awry.McInerny wrote of 28 principal forms of abrupt thinking. The eleven most notable forms of bewildered thinking can be grouped by their basic causes a basic be amissation of language and arriv al at a certainty through illogical processes, a lack of critical thinking or attention to the number at hand, and finally, purposefully misleading and manipulative stockation. undistributed middle, begging the move and inability to repel does not ground all occur when iodine misinterprets the language of an argument or comes to a outcome through an illogical process.According to McInerny Undistributed middle occurs when one falsely attributes traits to the cultivation dwellingd on a term or statement in the premise that is not universal or al shipway uncoiled. For example, many selected marathon runners be Kenyan. Aallyah is Kenyan hence she is an elite marathoner. Similar to undistributed middle, begging the question is when a statement seams like an argument that proves the completion when in truth the boldness is simply stated twice in different words. There is not actually any supporting present to prove the assertion.For example, because jemmy goes to the gym on a regular basis, Jimmy has good physical fitness. An an opposite(prenominal) form of illogical thinking is the assertion that the inability to disprove something in effect proves it. For example, just because one cannot disprove the existence of a higher power or God, does not prove that God exists. It is a matter that has not been proven or disproven therefore it is simply a matter of faith or suasion not at all based in logical fact. Abusing customs duty, democratic false belief and abuses of expertise all stem from lack of critical thinking, attention to the matter at hand or weak-minded group think.Sometimes tradition is followed simply because it is the way things have always been regardless of its logical merit or usefulness. Conversely, a sound tradition is a great deal abandoned simply for the sake of innovation. both(prenominal) of these failures in logic be forms of using and abusing tradition. The quality of a tradition should be judged on its merit and effectiv eness not simply its longevity. The republican Fallacy occurs when a stopping point or opinion is held as true simply because the majority believes it. For example, society used to believe that the world was flatcar and the sun revolved around the earth, which is obviously a false assertion.The use of an expert opinion can be very powerful in an argument as long as the expert backs up his or her opinion with fact and concrete rational. If one asserts that a specific conclusion is true simply based on the fact that an expert says so, they are not in essence proving their assertion at all because they arent making an argument, they are simply making a statement. If a lawyer in a murder trial aspired an expert innocence on the stand, and simply asked them in your expert opinion, did the defendant committed the disrespect they would be abusing expertise and not actually presenting any argument at all.If the lawyer asked the expert to explain the evidence and why it leads to the conclusion, then he or she would be presenting a good argument. In section five McInerny points out that it is essential to be aware of purposefully misleading and manipulative argumentation when attempting to logically analyze a situation. Ad hominem, red herring, stem man, false dilemma and simplistic reasoning are all ways in which one can skirt an audience incorrectly. Ad hominem and red herring are both forms of false reasoning in which one philanders on the emotions of the audience to manipulate them.The ad hominem fallacy is when one responds to the individualistic making an argument, using information irrelevant to the argument to gain stirred control over the audience and sway them against the opponent. If one is discussing a exit with someone they dislike and rather than analyzing the others argument, they simply attack the other personally, the fight individual is guilty of the Ad Hominem Fallacy. The opinion of the audience can be changed solely on their emotiona l response to the individual making the argument not on the logic of their position.The red herring fallacy is lots like the ad hominem fallacy in that they both divert the audiences attention from the actual issue being argued. In this fallacy, one interjects inflammatory information aimed at distracting and swaying a specific audience base solely on their emotions. This ploy is seen constantly in debates for political office. The conundrum between public approval of the death penalty and disapproval of abortion is one that is seen frequently in political debate. In this example the opinion of specific majorities seem to be swayed to a greater extent by emotional and religious appeals than consistent logic.One may play to the emotional image of an innocent baffle being murdered, saying that humans cannot play God per say and that it isnt our good to choose. While in the latter instance they can play on the image of an evil murderous criminal needing to be penalise for his or h er actions, and completely disregard the original assertion that it is not right for humans to play God. stem man, false dilemma and simplistic reasoning are all ways in which one can manipulate their audience not by emotional appeals but by in some way falsifying a specific aspect of the situation being analyzed.Straw mankind Fallacy is when one purposefully misinterprets anothers argument in order to weaken it. If one realized that they were wrong, yet pretended to misinterpret the other persons argument to evade admitting that their argument is inferior they would be committing the Straw Man Fallacy. A false dilemma occurs when one analyzes a question or situation on the false pretext that there are only two options when, in fact, there are many possibilities. A historic example of a false dilemma can be seen in the political and social drama surrounding the United States stopping point to invade Iraq in 2003.According to a Pew query Center peak in 2003 over 71 percent of A mericans were proponents of Operation Iraqi immunity (Keeter, 2007). This sentiment was furthered by emotional patriotism brought on by kinfolk 11th, which led to the attitude of you are either for us or against us. Although many Americans viewed the situation as a dilemma, there were many other options at the governments disposal that could have utilized other forms of national power and influence. Simplistic reasoning is the act of simplifying a thickening situation or reality so much that its true mean is altered and the truth is lost.Parents often use simplistic reasoning when respond their childrens complex questions about life. Often when a child asks where they came from, a parent will respond with a myriad of simplistic stories. These responses are completely untrue but the parent wants to protect the child from the truth that they feel is inappropriate and may also think the child system understand the complexities of procreation. Simplistic reasoning in this instance my be justified, however when it is used to manipulate or shelter adult audiences it is a swinish misrepresentation of the truth.In section five, McInerny succeeds at highlighting the many ways in which attempted logic can fail. He defines each form of illogical thinking with brevity and in terms any reader can understand. Awareness of these possible mistakes will assuredly help readers follow more logical thought processes and avoid illogical thinking. The first three chapters of the book however, are not as helpful or pertinent. McInerny starts out by explaining the close relationship between language and logic, stating that they are in fact inseparable (McInerny, 2005, p. 3).Conscious thought is indeed dictated by language. One can have feelings and emotions without language but when one realizes an actual cognitive thought, they think it in words. McInerny states that the concrete expression of logical reasoning is the argument (McInerny, 2005, p. 47). thereof he spends a gr eat deal of time detailing and defining the basic structure and function of the English language and the language of an argument. He caveats these first three sections by saying that readers might be put off by what they perceive to be an emphasis upon the obvious.I do, in fact, place a good deal of stress on the obvious in this book, and that is quite deliberate. In logic, as in life, it is the obvious that most often bears emphasizing, because it so easily escapes our notice (McInerny, 2005, p. x). Although language and our use of it holds a symbiotic relationship with logic, McInerny spends 88 uninspired pages defining and over complicating aspects of language that are, as he says, obvious. Instead of putting his readers to sleep by dissecting and defining the profound construct of the English language, he could have emphasized the importance of remunerative attention to obvious details.Using interesting historical examples of either sound logic or attempted logic gone awry wou ld make a much more memorable impact. Instead, readers feel as though they are wading through the sludge of an SAT or ACT preparatory guide. Ultimately, McInerny succeeds in writing a basic guide to the science of logic however Being Logical A Guide to Good Thinking does not inspire readers to internalize a desire for truth gained through the art of logical thinking.The book is a dry and simplistic psychoanalysis of logic that lacks any inspiring or memorable real world examples that a reader could call upon while logically navigating their everyday life. References Keeter, S. (2007). Trends in Public Opinion About the War in Iraq, 2003-2007. Retrieved October 3, 2011 from Pew Research Center Publications http//pewresearch. org/pubs/431/trends-in-public-opinion-about-the-war-in-iraq-2003-2007. MCInerny, D. Q. (2005). Being Logical A Guide to Good Thinking. red-hot York Random House Trade Paperbacks.