"Logic," says Sarek to his son Spock in J. J. Abrams' first Star Trek film, "offers a serenity Humans seldom experience: the control of feelings, so that they do not control you." This, and other similar quotations from Star Trek, have provoked me to speak up on this subject. Throughout Star Trek, the Vulcans always insist that one must be logical, and I agree. But what the heck is Logic? Since no Vulcan ever offered a definition, I will have to provide one myself, to the best of my ability. Therefore, I have four questions to ask: (1) What is Logic? (2) Of what is it composed? (3) Where do the laws of Logic come from? (4) What is Logic's purpose?
(1) What is Logic? Logic is not an easy concept to define because it includes many things, but I will do my best. Logic is the tool that the mind uses to think, and often, to gain new knowledge. It is the science of coming to a proper knowledge of concepts, making correct judgments about them, and reasoning validly from two or more premises to a conclusion. We all do these things all the time, no matter where we are. After all, we human beings are always thinking.
(2) Of what is Logic composed? Logic is divided into two main parts: Formal Logic and Material Logic. The former is involved with the structure of argument apart from the content. The latter is primarily concerned with content, the statements of argument, and not with the structure. Formal Logic is divided into deduction, which begins with universal principles and reasons to particular conclusions; and induction, which reasons from particular things to universal conclusions. There are a couple more divisions under deduction, but suffice it to say that under deduction lies the classical syllogism in all its forms, both categorical and hypothetical, and it is with these forms of reasoning that a Traditional Logic course is particularly interested.
As I said above, Logic is divided into two main parts, Formal Logic and Material Logic. The second division, Material Logic, is quite a bit different from the first. Material Logic includes the Ten Categories, the Five Predicables, Definition, and Division (by which the concept we are now exploring is divided). All the things listed above help immensely in understanding concepts.
(3) Where do the laws of Logic come from? The laws of Logic are some of the most fundamental laws in the universe, part of the structure of reality that God has designed. In fact, some of them are so fundamental that we cannot disobey them even if we want to. The law of identity, for example, is that everything is what it is. If you try to disobey this law by saying that things aren't what they are, then you are still assuming that they really are what they are by the very act of saying that they aren't what they are. But there are also many other laws of Logic (many of them formulated by Aristotle). For example, there are certain laws that govern the categorical syllogism, the hypothetical syllogism (in all its forms), the definition of terms, and the division of concepts.
Finally, (4) What is Logic's purpose? Logic's ultimate and highest purpose is the discovery of truth. This truth can be universal and eternal, or it can be particular and temporary. Temporary truths are sometimes very important in our daily lives and sometimes useful. Eternal truth, however, is far more important, and it is toward this truth that we should look more.
I hope this article has been informative. Unfortunately, I don't have time to write more, so I'll just close here.
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