Burned out by logic Intro book

I have the same problem with getting fit. I think if you want to climb the mountain of philosophy, you have to break through the logic pain barrier. A training buddy and a fitness instructor can be a great help in keeping you on the treadmill; try joining a class if you can.

Are you just reading it passively or trying exercises?

This user has been deleted and all their posts removed.

Reply to fdrake I do try the exercises but there are no answers in this book. how would i know if i am going right? are there online answers in pdf form?

Reply to tim wood yes. what else can we do haha. thanks for the encouragement though!

1. If I read my logic book then I will feel tired and frustrated
2. I feel tired and frustrated
3. Therefore I read my logic book

Question: is this a valid argument? a fallacy?
If you can't get this right, you' d better return to reading it.

(p->q & q) -> p, is invalid. It is false when p=F and q=T.
T T T T T
F T T F F
T F F T T
F F F T F

Logic, especially formal logic, is hard in the same way that mathematics is hard. It takes a certain kind of intellect to be comfortable with it right out of the gate.

I think that the best way to initially approach it is slowly, in small chunks. You can't read a formal logic text as if it was a novel. Read a subsection of a chapter. Over and over if necessary until you can really see and feel comfortable with what it's doing. Then move on to the next bit.

Another thing to try is perhaps reading one of the less technical books on philosophical logic first. (Many philosophical logic books concentrate on non-classical logics or otherwise assume that readers are already thoroughly familiar with propositional and predicate logic. They probably aren't the best choice for beginners.) Find a book that discusses logic in prose rather than symbolism, inquiring into what logic is and some of the questions and problems that arise regarding it. That way you can get your mind around what the symbolism is meant to accomplish before you actually attack the symbolism with proofs, derivations and whatnot.

Something like this perhaps (you can decide for yourself what you like):

https://www.amazon.com/Philosophical-Logic-Introduction-Sybil-Wolfram/dp/0415023181

I totally agree with you about the process of learning logic being unbearable. Let us make the learning interactive. We like communicating with each other, right? Let us bring the pleasure of sharing our humanness with each other into our desire to learn logic.

What is your reason for wanting to learn logic? I want an organized mind, so my thinking is habitually logical and not habitually controlled by my emotions. I want to be on my own authority on truth and right and wrong, rather than have my thinking controlled by others.

Quoting yazata

Logic, especially formal logic, is hard in the same way that mathematics is hard. It takes a certain kind of intellect to be comfortable with it right out of the gate.

I think that the best way to initially approach it is slowly, in small chunks. You can't read a formal logic text as if it was a novel. Read a subsection of a chapter. Over and over if necessary until you can really see and feel comfortable with what it's doing. Then move on to the next bit.

Another thing to try is perhaps reading one of the less technical books on philosophical logic first. (Many philosophical logic books concentrate on non-classical logics or otherwise assume that readers are already thoroughly familiar with propositional and predicate logic. They probably aren't the best choice for beginners.) Find a book that discusses logic in prose rather than symbolism, inquiring into what logic is and some of the questions and problems that arise regarding it. That way you can get your mind around what the symbolism is meant to accomplish before you actually attack the symbolism with proofs, derivations and whatnot.

Something like this perhaps (you can decide for yourself what you like):

https://www.amazon.com/Philosophical-Logic-Introduction-Sybil-Wolfram/dp/0415023181

Those are words of wisdom. And I am motivated to give your words of wisdom a try.

Reply to krishnamurti

I don't think the answers are necessary. You actually get a lot more writing out proofs and checking them for errors systematically yourself. Unless you have a really short time frame for learning all this stuff, it pays to take it slowly.

Don't feel dumb, a lot of people could care less about logic... sad. It's that you ARE doing it that matters.

I remember going through the equations. You just have to get the rules down (truth tables and valid forms) and find exceptions. Everything else you set up the problem for all possibilities of the variables and take it bit by bit and run it through some checks at the end. That's how I passed the class.

Also remember why you are doing it - your meaning. Mine was to try to see BS it helped me streetwise. I wanted more informal logic too but didn't get it. Even with a critical thinking class.

Reply to Owen I just went with affirming the consequence. Good on you for knowing specifically when and the other cases. Been awhile for me, my retention is poo.

(p->q & q) <-> q
[(p->q & q) -> p] <-> (q -> p)

Quoting krishnamurti

How do I deal with this because I sure don't want to quit?

Well, it is generally considered logical to stop doing things which cause us pain.

Reply to Jake Doing math or physical exercise is all about enduring the pain.
or else, why bother waking up of bed... there's only pain and misery awaiting us in this life.

Reply to Jake

There are problems with waiting until the pain gets our attention.

Diabetes is known as the silent disease because we can have it for a long time before having symptoms. A lot of damage is done without us knowing it. Same with smoking. Logic is about becoming informed before I have pain and avoiding that which causes pain. Not doing so is ignorance.

It would be really nice if we took the destruction of our earth more seriously. Thinking only of ourselves and passing the problems on to future generations when the pain is too great to deny, is not being responsible. Government should not be irresponsible management of the future.

Reply to krishnamurti

"..... it's making my brain hurt like hell!"

Yeah? Just wait until you get to probability theory. You'll find logic rather tame by then. :cool: