The gold standard book, and books, on logic? +more
Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2023 1:10 pm
Hello everyone nice to met you all,
I have found if you have perfect logic on your side you can defeat anyone’s argument in no time at all. Right now I’m reading an old book called ‘Arguing Well’ by John Shand of Routledge Press. I was wondering if it looks like a good book to you? Because I’m getting a lot out of it so far anyway. It’s more about reasoning and arguing well to get to the truth rather then logic per se. In any case I think I need something better, although he did give a good chapter on symbolic logic which I found very interesting ( I.e. breaking down your arguments down to just letters, like a mathematical equation) , but it’s short and I certainly would like to learn more about symbolic logic. Is there such a thing as mathematical logic by any chance? If so how does it work and is it effective? Also how can I disprove my opponent with math , or symbolic logic?
I find debate is like a game of chess if you lose, you can see how your opponent beat you and I usually just laugh and wonder “That was very clever how he or she beat me like that”. I love that , but I really want to be on the winning side from now on. I’m wondering if you guys and gals had any suggestions for a ‘Gold standard book on Logic’ and if not perhaps the best books you know on logic , and symbolic logic too. Im hoping these books will give me an edge that will help me win debates and virtually crush my oppents in real life and on-line.I hate to say the word “crush” because when philosophers speak of arguing and debate they mean two people coming together to get to a truth of a matter. But I’m so tired of losing that I’m ready to destroy my opponents, and I wouldn’t be the only one, Ben Shapiro likes to ‘destroy’ his oppents in debates as well...but maybe he’s wrong seeing debate and arguments this way?
Logical fallacies are great , but if you have a solid foundation in logic itself then one doesn’t really need them, do they? Perhaps they have some usefulness, but I find logically fallacies to be less relevant, what matters is your knowledge of how logic really works. It’s like this writer Bo Bennett Ph.D who said in one of his logical fallacies books:
“Expose an irrational belief keep a person rational for a day, expose irrational thinking keep a person rational for a lifetime.” Which basically means I could throw all kinds of logical fallacies at someone to win my argument, or I can completely bypass that and use cold hard rhetoric and logic to win.
Essentially I’m looking for some ammo, mostly books, or even a simple technique you know of that I can use to win debates and arguments, ( to gain knowledge of good logic and to win arguments and debates every time ) or maybe if you have an idea of a course that might help me, like maybe a Logic Certification Course perhaps, or something like that? Anyway what’s it really take to win an argument or debate? Just cold hard logic, or is there more to it? Logic, reasoning, critical thinking, arguing well, etc. is outside my field of study but now I am ready to learn enough to be a master at it. Sometimes I often find myself getting sucked into someone’s bad argument on television or YouTube for example, so it would be good to go threw the rest of my life as a logical person, that can tell when someone is giving me a bad argument whether that be on-line or off-line.
From what I understand so far in reading stuff on-line that , if the conclusion does follow from the premises then it’s a sound argument? Im most likely wrong here, it just goes to show how much of a beginner I am and you are all geniuses in comparison, literally. If I’m wrong what is a “sound argument”? You have a premise, then another premise and a conclusion. How are they supposed to work together I have no idea, but I bet it’s really simple. Can you tell me how a sound argument works?
I think it means you have a premise, and after that another premise and then a conclusion. If the premises make sense then the conclusion will too? Which is what a sound argument is? Please enlighten me, I’m here to learn. Thank you.
Also if you know of any good online YouTube videos on logic, especially symbolic logic which I find very interesting, or about debate, and even logical fallacies ( if you think they will help in a real hard argument) then please let me know and I will watch them. I know Yale and other Universities sometimes do free online courses, but I have yet to find one on logic or debate, but let me know if you find anything relevant for me. Also if you have any legally free PDF books on logic, symbolic logic, skepticism, critical thinking, reasoning and arguing well please by all mean send them to me, I’m eager to learn how to use logic to undermine anyone’s argument.
Thank you everyone for everything I appreciate your help very much
I have found if you have perfect logic on your side you can defeat anyone’s argument in no time at all. Right now I’m reading an old book called ‘Arguing Well’ by John Shand of Routledge Press. I was wondering if it looks like a good book to you? Because I’m getting a lot out of it so far anyway. It’s more about reasoning and arguing well to get to the truth rather then logic per se. In any case I think I need something better, although he did give a good chapter on symbolic logic which I found very interesting ( I.e. breaking down your arguments down to just letters, like a mathematical equation) , but it’s short and I certainly would like to learn more about symbolic logic. Is there such a thing as mathematical logic by any chance? If so how does it work and is it effective? Also how can I disprove my opponent with math , or symbolic logic?
I find debate is like a game of chess if you lose, you can see how your opponent beat you and I usually just laugh and wonder “That was very clever how he or she beat me like that”. I love that , but I really want to be on the winning side from now on. I’m wondering if you guys and gals had any suggestions for a ‘Gold standard book on Logic’ and if not perhaps the best books you know on logic , and symbolic logic too. Im hoping these books will give me an edge that will help me win debates and virtually crush my oppents in real life and on-line.I hate to say the word “crush” because when philosophers speak of arguing and debate they mean two people coming together to get to a truth of a matter. But I’m so tired of losing that I’m ready to destroy my opponents, and I wouldn’t be the only one, Ben Shapiro likes to ‘destroy’ his oppents in debates as well...but maybe he’s wrong seeing debate and arguments this way?
Logical fallacies are great , but if you have a solid foundation in logic itself then one doesn’t really need them, do they? Perhaps they have some usefulness, but I find logically fallacies to be less relevant, what matters is your knowledge of how logic really works. It’s like this writer Bo Bennett Ph.D who said in one of his logical fallacies books:
“Expose an irrational belief keep a person rational for a day, expose irrational thinking keep a person rational for a lifetime.” Which basically means I could throw all kinds of logical fallacies at someone to win my argument, or I can completely bypass that and use cold hard rhetoric and logic to win.
Essentially I’m looking for some ammo, mostly books, or even a simple technique you know of that I can use to win debates and arguments, ( to gain knowledge of good logic and to win arguments and debates every time ) or maybe if you have an idea of a course that might help me, like maybe a Logic Certification Course perhaps, or something like that? Anyway what’s it really take to win an argument or debate? Just cold hard logic, or is there more to it? Logic, reasoning, critical thinking, arguing well, etc. is outside my field of study but now I am ready to learn enough to be a master at it. Sometimes I often find myself getting sucked into someone’s bad argument on television or YouTube for example, so it would be good to go threw the rest of my life as a logical person, that can tell when someone is giving me a bad argument whether that be on-line or off-line.
From what I understand so far in reading stuff on-line that , if the conclusion does follow from the premises then it’s a sound argument? Im most likely wrong here, it just goes to show how much of a beginner I am and you are all geniuses in comparison, literally. If I’m wrong what is a “sound argument”? You have a premise, then another premise and a conclusion. How are they supposed to work together I have no idea, but I bet it’s really simple. Can you tell me how a sound argument works?
I think it means you have a premise, and after that another premise and then a conclusion. If the premises make sense then the conclusion will too? Which is what a sound argument is? Please enlighten me, I’m here to learn. Thank you.
Also if you know of any good online YouTube videos on logic, especially symbolic logic which I find very interesting, or about debate, and even logical fallacies ( if you think they will help in a real hard argument) then please let me know and I will watch them. I know Yale and other Universities sometimes do free online courses, but I have yet to find one on logic or debate, but let me know if you find anything relevant for me. Also if you have any legally free PDF books on logic, symbolic logic, skepticism, critical thinking, reasoning and arguing well please by all mean send them to me, I’m eager to learn how to use logic to undermine anyone’s argument.
Thank you everyone for everything I appreciate your help very much