The development of logical thinking helps improve a person’s ability to reason and think consistently and consistently. Read further about the development of logical thinking.
Logical thinking and logic
Logic is the science of the forms, methods and rules of mental cognitive activity.
People need logic in almost all life situations: from a simple conversation with an opponent, choosing goods in a store, to solving complex technical or information problems.
Thinking helps to find a rationale for certain phenomena. Logic helps to meaningfully evaluate the world around us and competently structure speech and judgments.
5 Features of Logical Thinking
The science of logic studies methods of achieving truth that exclude sensory experience, and are based on the process of studying and cognition of surrounding things on the knowledge that was previously obtained.
There are interesting distinctive features and features of the development of logical thinking:
Empirical knowledge
The basis for logical laws is empirical knowledge. A specific person formed the situation, witnessed the incident, saw its consequences and made his own conclusions and conclusions. The laws of logic are formed experimentally.
Acquired, not congenital
Logic and logical thinking is an acquired, not an innate quality of people. A person studies and develops them throughout his entire life.
Striving for comfort
People sometimes unconsciously do not want to develop their thinking and make competent logical conclusions, trying to think in a way that is more comfortable and simpler.
Cynical calculation
Logical inference and thinking can become a tool for committing inhumane acts.
The world that surrounds people has two opposite sides: good and evil, positive and negative.
Therefore, logic, despite all the benefits it brings to a person, can bring a lot of harm.
Cynical calculation and logic put such concepts as “self-sacrifice” and “love for one’s neighbor” in the background.
Scientificity
Science has some axioms. Deviation from them is a sign of mental disorder.
6 main axioms of logic
The development and improvement of logical thinking is impossible without knowledge of logical axioms, which are the basis of a person’s worldview:
Irreversibility of time
From childhood, people become familiar with the concepts of “yesterday,” “tomorrow,” and “today.” That is, they begin to realize the difference between the past and the future.
Investigative connections, their sequence
The impossibility of the existence of the same facts in a certain period of time: at positive temperatures, water cannot freeze, and a woman expecting a child does not have the opportunity to become pregnant.
Deduction
The deductive method of thinking is based on logical laws and leads from the general to the specific: there was a heavy downpour, the trees became wet. The deduction method gives a 99.99% true answer.
Induction
This method of inference leads from the general to the specific and is based on similar properties of different objects and objects: trees, the road and cars are wet - it’s raining. The inductive method has 90% accuracy, since trees and other objects can become wet not only because of rain.
Sequence of actions
If a person performs several sequential actions in stages, then he receives the expected and satisfactory result.
Man is an illogical creature
Conclusions very often run counter to morality and ethics, and in some cases, to the law.
After all, maniacs and people with mental disorders believe that when they kill and carry out violent acts, they act logically.
The unnatural formation of logical thinking from childhood in the conditions of military operations and extreme situations subsequently provokes people to commit terrible acts from the point of view of humanity.
Science is not perfect, so in real life logic may be inferior to truth. A striking example is a situation when a woman makes a logical, in her opinion, conclusion: a man doesn’t call, behaves aloof, which means he doesn’t like me.
As practice shows, in 85% of cases, indifference on the part of the opposite sex is a sign of interest in the formation and development of relationships. And the errors of the inductive method are to blame for the woman’s conclusion.
Functions of logical thinking
The main task of science is to obtain true knowledge about the subject of reflection, based on reasoning and analysis of various aspects of the phenomenon and situation under consideration.
Logic is the basic tool used in every science known today.
- examine statements and draw other conclusions from them;
- learn to think intelligently, which will help in self-realization and achieving goals.
How to develop logical thinking
People striving for inner harmony, success and well-being in the main areas of life ask a completely natural and relevant question: how to develop logical thinking?
Every person has it to a certain extent. But for the optimal and best understanding of reality and gaining the ability to use it in certain situations, you must be able to think quickly and competently logically. How can you learn this?
Brain training
It is necessary to regularly train your brain, without being lazy or procrastinating.
Many people mistakenly assume that people are born with a preliminary specific mental potential, and therefore cannot become smarter, wiser or stupider than what is inherent in genes and nature.
This statement is incorrect, since any person, by regularly training his thinking, develops until the end of his life.
An effective method of self-improvement is constant mental exercise.
- It is recommended in your free time to solve any logic problems created for both children and adults. It is necessary to solve puzzles. Do not neglect simple riddles of the “find the differences” type.
- It is necessary to take IQ tests regularly. The result is not very important, the main thing is the process during which the development of thinking and mental abilities occurs.
- You should play logic games with friends or acquaintances: chess, backgammon and other types.
- It is recommended to engage in self-education and study of science.
- You need to learn to argue based on facts and justify your conclusions.
- You need to get into the habit of reading good detective stories.
- Experts say that intuition plays a big role in the development of logic. As paradoxical as it sounds, a person needs to learn to trust her. After all, intuition is the result of inferences made at a subconscious level, when people unconsciously draw conclusions from information that was once received by the brain.
3 exercises to develop logical thinking
Collective exercises for logical thinking are very effective:
Coding of famous phrases, song verses and proverbs
A group of people is divided into two companies. Each of them invites their rivals to solve a semantic riddle that betrays the content of the text.
Example: The church minister owned a living creature. Despite great feelings and affection for him, the man committed violent acts against the biological species, which led to the death of the latter. The reason for this behavior was that a living creature consumed a piece of animal product that was not intended for it. The algorithm of such actions is endless.
Answer: “The priest had a dog...”
Arguments and reasons
One person from the team begins to look for the reasons for a particular action of someone, then the reasons for the reasons, and so on until the arguments for the behavior are clarified.
Remove unnecessary things
It is very useful to perform exercises where you need to remove unnecessary things from a set of words, numbers or pictures, based on logical thinking.
Example: chair, wardrobe, stool, pouf.
Answer: closet.
You can train your thinking with this exercise on your own, using thematic games on social networks, or in a team, where each team independently comes up with tasks for their opponents.
Exercises for the development of logical thinking will help any person in personal growth, self-affirmation and solving controversial life issues.
Logic itself is not a human skill given from birth; it is learned throughout life, receiving valuable lessons. Such a tool for understanding the world is not close to emotional human nature, so people prefer to think and do as they are more accustomed to. However, this science underlies most of the laws of the Universe. The ability to think and reason consistently and consistently is useful in solving many problems. Be it building business projects, persuading opponents, or shopping in a store. And the question immediately arises: “How to develop logical thinking and live as efficiently as possible?” We will consider the answer to this in the article below.
People often make mistakes that defy logic. They think that it is enough to be guided by common sense and experience gained, ignoring the laws and special techniques of formal logic. However, this may be sufficient only when making elementary judgments and solving simple problems; when carrying out large-scale operations, certain knowledge will be required that will not allow you to make erroneous actions.
What is logic
In order to understand what it is, it is necessary to explain this phenomenon more broadly, dividing it into components.
By thinking we mean the processing of received information by the human psyche, and the establishment of cause-and-effect relationships between objects, events and phenomena of the surrounding world.
Logic is the science of the forms, methods and laws of intellectual mental activity. Its peculiarity is that knowledge is obtained not from sensory experience, but in the process of analyzing previously obtained data, inferential knowledge.
Thus, logical thinking is a thought process that forces a person to use logical constructs and concepts based on evidence, prudence and flexibility of thinking. The main goal is to obtain the most reasonable conclusion from the available data.
Logical laws are based on empirical knowledge of the world through experience. That is, a person draws a conclusion based on the creation or participation in a certain situation and subsequent awareness of its specific consequences.
Workout
The development of creative thinking and logic is only possible if the mind is accustomed to working in different directions. The development of logical thinking needs to be trained, here are some practical tips:
- Studying Natural Sciences
Take up the study of science close to your spirit, which you have been putting off.
Physics, chemistry or history, other exact sciences perfectly stimulate flexibility of thinking. They teach how to build cause-and-effect chains.
- Use reasoned argument
Instead of the standard desire to answer “because I’m in charge” or “it’s necessary,” try to convey your point of view to your opponent without emotions, constructively. Use logical as well as creative thinking, there can be a huge number of dialogue options, get rid of the usual phrases and reactions.
Particularly interesting is the way of leading the interlocutor to the necessary conclusion through indirect statements with which he initially agrees.
- Play chess, backgammon, checkers and card games
This is an amazing opportunity to develop logical thinking. After all, there is training in cause-and-effect relationships, calculating the opponent’s moves in advance. One is trained to learn lessons even from defeats. Thus, a person gradually removes negative thinking from his life.
- Find other ways to use items
This exercise promotes excellent development of creative thinking in adults. Choose one item, be it a box of matches or a stool. And find all possible ways to use the item for other purposes than its intended purpose. You can count matches, lay out drawings, and use a stool as a stand for a Christmas tree. Get creative.
- Association game
Use opposite meanings to emerging associations for specific words. Let's say hard wool, soft glass, hot ice. This helps our brain tune in to a different mindset and remove negative thinking.
- Read books from the end
In addition to the understandable difficulties in completing this task, there are also nuances. Our brain is accustomed to the fact that resolution can only come when specific actions are taken. But both in life and in books, this is not always true. Sometimes the most unexpected events lead to results that were not intended. A gradual transition from the denouement to the preface will help debunk your guesses and learn an abstract vision of the situation, and also develop mobility and flexibility of thinking.
- Expand your vocabulary
When you hear an unfamiliar word, look up its meaning in the dictionary. And also: what is the history of origin, original meaning and use now. This will help you look at the world in a more multifaceted way.
- Words backwards
When in transport or on the street, read signs backwards. It will be very difficult. At first, you will only get short words, and then you will master the ability to read entire phrases! This is a great brain workout that shows there are alternatives. And, once in a problematic situation, it will be easier to see other options.
- Invent something that doesn't exist
The exercise is to come up with an animal or object, a name that does not exist in nature. Leopard or birdfox, for example. And imagine or depict all this in detail. The point is that it is very difficult to invent something that does not exist. The brain still tries to reduce everything to familiar forms, especially in adults.
Sometimes negative thinking takes over, and it becomes difficult to complete a task that seems absurd. The ability to abstract from familiar forms and concepts, concentrate on still little-studied facts, and create fundamentally new things will be useful in any profession.
- Solve anagrams
You need to make a word from the mixed letters. Develops the ability to quickly find hidden meaning and see meanings that are incomprehensible at first glance.
- Use your other hand
If you are right-handed - left, if vice versa - right. Change your hand while performing everyday tasks. This stimulates both hemispheres, improving concentration, activating new neural connections, thus stimulating logical and creative thinking.
Who needs to develop logic
Logical thinking is necessary for any person, regardless of his goals. After all, with flexible thinking, each of us can:
- find the optimally beneficial solution to a problem situation;
- always be several steps ahead of enemies or competitors, calculating their possible actions;
- choose the right way to achieve your goal;
- express your thoughts in a form understandable to everyone;
- It’s quite easy to find arguments to sway opponents in your direction;
- avoid making professional and life mistakes;
- deal with sophistry and demagoguery;
- be able to quickly formulate an answer to the question posed, avoiding blurting out the first thought that comes to mind, which can cause great harm later;
- clearly see manipulations on the part of other people, do not become a victim of their deception;
- be aware of mistakes made by other people or yourself, and quickly and easily eliminate them.
Why do you need to develop logic?
How to develop thinking? Every person has it to one degree or another. But for a better understanding of reality and the ability to operate with it, logical thinking, developed at a fairly high level, is necessary. This can only be learned through training.
Creative thinking can be developed and negative thinking can be eliminated. The brain is trained no less than the muscles, perhaps more. By constantly training thinking and memory, a person can develop throughout his life, methodically improving his performance. The development of intellectual abilities is a guarantee of effective self-improvement.
Thanks to the ability to think logically, a person acquires the ability to think creatively, because a completely different understanding of reality opens up, which gives many advantages.
It is commonly believed that creative thinking is opposed to logic and reason, but this is a false statement. Creative perception of reality is fundamental to creativity. This does not at all mean the need for negative thinking, which is characterized by focusing exclusively on the bad. On the contrary, it allows you to train your brain, clear it of stereotypes and interfering attitudes, and look at everything from the outside. This is how perfect horizons open up. As a result, the ability to solve problems in a non-standard way, to find previously impossible ways.
Logic translated from classical Greek is reasoning. It would seem that we all reason, therefore, inseparably from our mind. However, reasoning operations are only one type of process of understanding and cognition. When thinking about a task or solving a problem, we can use one or another type of thinking or several at once.
Young children have not yet developed the ability to think logically and abstractly. Remember how kids are taught to count: in order to give the child an idea of the non-existent number “3” in nature, he is given to touch three objects of the same type. The child will need effort to distract himself from insignificant differences between these objects (for example, from the fact that one of the three apples is green and the other is red) and combine the objects into one group.
Consequently, logical thinking, unlike figurative thinking, operates with abstract concepts. This is a special type of comprehension process, where ready-made logical structures, concepts, judgments are used, and in the end a conclusion or conclusion is developed. This is not to say that using such a construction will necessarily lead to the correct conclusion. It is also not true that if a person uses imagination, thinks emotionally, figuratively, or listens to intuition, this will lead him to erroneous conclusions. It is good to use all types of thinking in the process of thinking about a problem, without forgetting the critical approach.
Our understanding, starting from a specific case, moves on to abstract logical constructions and inferences in order to, having created a solution, transfer it again to this specific, isolated case. Thus, logical thinking goes through the following stages. Analysis is when we break down a particular complex situation into its constituent characteristics or parts. At this stage we use the methods of induction, deduction and analogy. allows us to conclude that if something is applicable to a group of objects, then it is applicable to one object of this group. Inductive, on the contrary, allows us to assume that some basic qualities of one object apply to all objects in the group. An analogy connects specific objects of two different groups that are similar in some of their properties.
But logical thinking is not limited to simple thinking. In its process it goes through certain stages. The first of them is the search and determination of cause-and-effect relationships. What gave rise to this phenomenon? Why did this problem occur? The correct establishment of such connections is already the key to the success of the correct conclusion. The second stage is the separation of the main from the secondary. “After” does not mean “as a result.” If we accept the secondary, the particular as essential, we will build an incorrect conclusion. Next comes operating with concepts and judgments - in fact, the search for a solution.
Judgments can be erroneous and stereotypical. If we accept them without a critical approach, we risk ending up in a dead end. At this stage, we abstract from our specific case and think globally, using verbal terms. There is no longer a specific image of an object in our mind, but there are linguistic constructions. Verbal and logical thinking is very important at all stages of problem solving: with the correct formulation of the question; when identifying what caused it; when identifying what exactly needs to be created (or eliminated) to solve the problem. And, of course, in order to understand how to apply your abstract conclusion to this specific situation.
It would be wrong to assume that it can completely replace or displace the figurative, sensory, intuitive and associative. Therefore, a person is stronger than a robot because he is able to simultaneously apply all types of understanding, in addition to solving standard problems using stereotypical methods. Our emotional attitudes (likes or dislikes), our fantasy and imagination, associations that allow us to mentally compare things and concepts that are completely different from each other, sometimes lead us to completely non-trivial, illogical, but surprisingly ingenious conclusions.
Hello, dear readers!
So, I still didn’t get any questions about the previous one. Although it is the questions that indicate that the topic has touched a person, and he wants to clarify something for himself.
I think there will be a lot of questions on today’s topic. I will be happy to answer.
How often do we lack the ability to logically express our thoughts, especially if the result of this presentation is important to us. It is at this moment that we are overwhelmed with emotions, and our inability to argue only leads to heightened passions, turning to elevated tones. But since this does not lead to results, insults often come into play, which then turn into threats or even a fight.
Mutual understanding never materialized. And the reason is the inability to competently construct one’s thoughts and conduct a discussion.
I think many people are familiar with the situation described. Almost every day we can observe something similar in life, and even more often from television screens.
Disputes in which there is little logic, but a lot of emotion and aggressiveness.
It is believed that 70% of conflicts arise during communication. How can we communicate correctly if our emotional competence is not developed (which I wrote about), and no one taught us the logic of statements and the ability of logical thinking.
Development of logic and thinking
What is usually the emphasis when it comes to developing thinking?
The main emphasis is shifted to the development of creative thinking. Solving creative problems, finding new solutions, and generating ideas certainly requires unconventional thinking.
And the bulk of the literature is devoted to this development.
It's fashionable to think outside the box. True, sometimes this unconventionality becomes too shocking and, in order to attract attention, elementary logic is neglected.
Throwing a bucket of paint on a canvas and calling it a work of art may be true, but then you have to define in terms what art is.
It is pointless to argue about this until definitions and concepts are introduced, which is what logic actually does.
Although many people think that Logic is the ability to solve logical puzzles. First of all, logic is the science of correct thinking . Consistent, consistent, justified.
We agree that we are missing logical thinking . Yet in life this is what is most often required. You don’t have to make discoveries and generate ideas very often, but you have to communicate, convince, prove, and think every day.
There are people who are difficult to understand - there is no logic in their reasoning. And, unfortunately, there are more and more of them. Just listen to any talk show.
So today we'll talk about development of logical thinking and about Logic , as science and its application in everyday life.
Is it possible to reason logically without knowing the basics of logic??
Yes, you can, because you can speak and write decently without knowing grammar. But by studying logic, we improve the level of our thinking. We learn to express our thoughts more clearly and consistently.
Why do we need this?
We are so accustomed to practical results from our efforts, but learning logic requires effort. Therefore, I will dwell on this issue in more detail.
Although, as usually happens, - yeah, the reader thinks - the title is “Development of Logical Thinking”, now I’ll drop in for 20 seconds (by the way, such visitors are more than 60%), I’ll see a list of actions with 10 points, and I’ll start thinking logically.
And the entire Internet is filled with such motivating algorithms, consisting of 7-10 steps. But after superficially going through one method and another, a person becomes disappointed - how can this be, but where are those great changes that are promised. Kindergarten, in a word...
Unfortunately, this doesn’t work, motivation wears off within an hour, at best, and another motivational kick is required. The motive to do something must be stable, perceived as a necessity, and not as a simple satisfaction of curiosity. Needed emotional vector , to put it “simpler”.
Therefore, to begin with, I will give a few advantages of studying logic:
1. Logic teaches you to think clearly and express your thoughts clearly. Incoherent speech, when a person cannot connect even two words, is common.
2. The ability to persuade and defend one’s point of view is developed. A convincing, logically structured speech is required.
3. The study of logic develops the habit of analyzing one's own and other people's judgments. And also find errors in them and fight demagoguery. After all, often there is nothing to argue with other than “he’s a fool himself.”
4. Logic teaches you to argue. And do not lead the dispute to an altercation and a fight. Helps to find compromises and refute false reasoning.
5. Logic generally develops the ability to think. Have your own thoughts, and not thoughts imposed by an external source.
I think even this is enough to read the article to the end. What if something comes in handy?
Although, as Bertrand Russell said, “ Many people would rather die than think. And they die before they even begin ».
I think that this does not apply to my readers.
A little history of the study of logic
Before the 1917 revolution, logic was studied in gymnasiums. But after the revolution, logic was declared a bourgeois subject and excluded from the school curriculum.
The Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, in its resolution “On the teaching of logic and psychology in secondary schools” of December 3, 1946, considered it necessary to introduce, starting from the 1947/48 academic year, the teaching of these subjects in all schools of the Soviet Union.
There was such a famous textbook on logic by Vinogradov in 1954.
But in 1956, the teaching of logic in high school was abolished. Like this….
Now Logic is studied only in certain universities.
And a little more about the sad.
The study of formal logic does not always contribute to the development of thinking. You can study logical operations, work with judgments, etc., but not everyone succeeds in applying this in life. Logic students simply don't know how to do this.
The problem with most logic textbooks is in abstract examples: all mosquitoes are insects, if autumn comes, leaves fall, etc. Logical, yes logical, but some non-real-life examples, so it’s difficult to move on to real situations.
It is even more difficult to use the laws of logic or how to apply the semantics of the predicate logic language. What kind of desire do you need to have to deal with all this?
How to develop the ability for logical thinking?
Of course not by solving logic puzzles and crosswords. The most you can get from these classes is to improve your ability to solve puzzles, nothing more. And although this is certainly useful for the brain, the goal is still to learn how to correctly construct your thoughts, and the exercises should be of a different kind.
First of all, those close to those situations when such a need arises: to prove, convince, discuss, etc.
It is in real conditions that one can gain experience, and not by studying the theoretical laws of logic. What you need to learn is how to apply theory in practice.
And to do this, you first need to find out for yourself when the need for logical thoughts arises. I mentioned five such situations above, but there are many more.
To understand in general terms what Logic studies, let us consider its main sections:
1. Concepts.
2. Definitions.
3. Judgments.
4. Basic laws of logic. Law of identity. Law of contradiction. The law of the excluded middle. Law of sufficient reason.
5. Inductive reasoning
6. Deductive reasoning.
7. Analogies, hypotheses, evidence.
Let's add the basic techniques of logical thinking - comparison, analysis and synthesis, abstraction and generalization. That's all the sections.
Approach to training
The problem is how to translate knowledge of formal logic into practical logic.
I will suggest one approach that may be of interest to you. I mentioned him in my book ""
Pyotr Spiridonovich Agafoshin (1874-1950) is a famous Russian guitarist. In the book “The School of the Six-String Guitar,” he described one of the basic principles of training:
The student must study play playing . Those. to acquire the necessary playing skills not on dry educational and training material such as exercises and etudes, but on skillfully selected highly artistic material that cultivates taste and brings, along with practical and technical skills, aesthetic satisfaction.
Why not use this principle here too, i.e. solve practical mental problems that arise in reality, where the use of logic is required. These are not educational cases that are solved under ideal conditions, but life situations where there is room for surprises and manifestations of emotions.
For example, discussions/disputes.
In order for various discussions, disputes and simply discussions to be logically cultural in nature, it is important that the participants equally understand the exact meaning of the terms involved in this discussion.
For example, it is difficult to understand a person - what he is talking about if he has not given a definition of the subject of his conversation. Without specifying the concept and definition, each participant in the conversation/dispute can understand this concept as something different (to the best of their knowledge). It’s not clear what the debate is actually about.
And if a scientific dispute concerns concepts - infinity, matter, space, etc., then in working discussions more prosaic things appear: for example, margin, strategy, marketing, and in everyday situations the number of things discussed is much larger.
Therefore, the first rule of logic: the main terms of the statement, theses must be clearly defined, regardless of whether others know them or not. Uniformity of understanding is important.
From here first skill of practical logic – ability to operate with concepts.
Knowing the importance of this, you can study in more detail the theoretical part of the logic section - “ Definitions" Here are its subsections (for example, according to Vinogradov’s textbook):
1. Content and scope of concepts.
2. The relationship between the content and scope of the concept.
3. Limitation and generalization of the concept.
4. Generic and specific concepts.
5. Main classes of concepts.
6. Relationships between concepts.
7. The essence of the definition of the concept.
8. Determination rules.
9. Genetic determination.
10. Nominal definition.
11. Meaning of definitions.
12. Techniques that replace definition.
13. The essence of the division of the concept.
14. Division rules.
15. Dichotomous division.
16. Techniques similar to division.
17. Classification.
By studying this issue theoretically, you can already imagine how this knowledge can be used in practice.
Another important skill is the ability to ask questions.. As I said earlier, our thinking consists of questions and the search for answers to them.
But in order to correctly pose questions and answer them, you need to know what a correctly posed question is. This is already in the area of Logic.
Any question has premise question, i.e. information about the object about which the question arose.
For example: question - do you like articles on my benefit?
The question assumes the presence of a blog and articles posted on it, as well as the author. Those. premise.
What is a correctly asked question??
Firstly, it is necessary to have the necessary amount of information and the ability to use this information.
It is also necessary to check all the premises of the question - they must be true, if at least one premise is false, then the question is incorrect.
For example, if there is only one article on the blog, and the question is about “articles”. The premise is not true, therefore the question is incorrect.
In general, a question is correct if, in principle, there can be an answer to it.
After all, there is also this: “ One fool can ask a question that even a hundred wise men cannot find the answer to.».
Knowing that the question must satisfy the formal rules of logic, we study this part of Logic more carefully.
Let's consider another logical form - reasoning .
Reasoning is a mental activity (i.e. our thinking) when interaction of individual judgments and on their basis new judgments emerge. This whole process is reasoning.
We can talk about the structure of reasoning: i.e. Some judgments are known to us, others are not. They are connected by a logical operation.
There are several types of reasoning. If from a known judgment (called premise ) a previously unknown judgment comes out ( conclusion ), then this is called conclusions e.
Known deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning.
You can also find out what logical laws reasoning is based on from a logic textbook.
But it is better to do this after clearly, in a real situation, highlighting the reasoning and trying to understand how it is constructed now, without knowledge of formal logic. Then turn to the textbook.
So the sequence is like this:
1. Let's get acquainted with the main sections of Logic.
To do this, you will need the skills to read complex business literature, which I described in the book "", in particular synoptic reading and techniques for reading business literature.
Result: a general idea of formal logic.
2. Applications. You already know the areas where logic will be useful. We defined this above, in general terms.
The next thing you can do is to gradually introduce logical forms into these situations, i.e. practically use individual elements of the theory of Logic.
To begin with, you should choose situations that are not too critical for you - after all, you don’t have experience yet. We learn from simple everyday situations where failure will not affect you personally. Gradually we increase the complexity of the situation.
There are a lot of such opportunities in life - from a store to a visit to government institutions.
It can be useful to notice logical tricks that arise along the way. For example, advertising “Today - on credit, tomorrow - for cash.” It is necessary to eliminate logical uncertainty: today is when, and tomorrow is when? Find out from the advertiser why the laws of logic are violated. And there are many such examples.
3. We introduce logical forms gradually, step by step, element by element.
Task: analyze individual logical forms and try to use them in practice.
First we introduce definitions and concepts. Those. When starting any discussion, we define the concepts involved in it. To do this, we carefully study the theoretical part of logic – Definitions and Concepts.
In any communication, try to find the subject of discussion, formulate definitions and try to apply the knowledge gained.
Then - the formulation of questions. We try to ask the right questions.
Then we try to reason. We study the theory of reasoning. And so on, we include the remaining elements of logic.
To some extent, we can say that this approach uses logical thinking techniques, such analysis and synthesis, abstraction and generalization.
By using analysis We have identified individual parts of Logic. Studied and applied.
Abstraction helped us eliminate secondary, unimportant features of logical forms. By using synthesis and generalization – combined individual parts into a single one. And now we can use all logical elements in our communication.
This is how, gradually moving from simple to complex, Logic will take an important place in your thinking.
At the same time, we study not only theoretical, but also popular literature on Logic.
The main thing is to start.
It is not necessary to become a great mathematician whose mathematical logic comes first. The level of logical thinking required in everyday life is sufficient.
You can talk endlessly about logic, but you can’t cover everything in one article.
Therefore, I will offer you a list of literature to study, but this is not an easy subject.
It is better to study theory from textbooks, and from old textbooks. Still, the previous generation had a better command of Logic. So the list could be like this:
1. V.G. Chelpanov. Textbook of logic. 1915
2. V.F. Asmus. Logics. 1947
3. S.N.Vinogradov, A.F. Kuzmin. Logics. Textbook for high school. 1954
4. A. D. Getmanova. Logic textbook. 1995
5. D.A Gusev. A short course in logic. The art of correct thinking. 2003
6. V.I. Kirillov, A.A. Starchenko. Logics. 2008
7. A.L. Nikiforov. Book on logic. 1998
8. D. Halpern. Psychology of critical thinking. 2000 g
And more useful books:
9. A.I. Uemov. Logical errors. How they interfere with thinking correctly. 1958
10. Yu.A.Petrov. The ABC of logical thinking. 1991
11. A.A. Ivin. The art of thinking correctly. 1986
You can get acquainted with the book by M. Cohen, E. Nagel. Introduction to Logic and the Scientific Method. 2010 (656 pages). For a long time it was the main textbook for universities in the United States.
You can study and Aristotle- the founder of formal logic. His Organon.
Organon (instrument, method) is the traditional name of Aristotle’s philosophical works on logic.
The Organon includes:
1. Categories.
2. On interpretation.
3. First analytics.
4. Second analytics.
5. Topeka.
6. Sophistical refutations.
Aristotle calls logic " Analytics", and in the treatise "The Analyst" (First and Second), he outlined its main teachings: on inference and on proof.
I think this will be enough. Next time we will continue to look at other approaches to developing thinking.
I look forward to your comments and questions.
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Best regards, Nikolay Medvedev.
6 comments on the post “Formation of logical thinking”
Thanks Lana for your comment!
Why was logic excluded from the school curriculum?
The official version is the fight against overload of schoolchildren. At this time, many changes took place in the education system, textbooks were rewritten, the management system changed, etc.
Although logic was introduced in 1948, the level of teaching was ? Who taught, as a rule, these were not specially trained teachers, but more often literature teachers.
It’s the same now - teaching the fundamentals of religion is questionable - who will teach this discipline.
Unfortunately, logical thinking skills are not inherited. At the level of everyday logic, we learn from examples from life.
But this is not enough. In addition, logical thinking is not only knowledge of logical forms, but also a general outlook. Without it, there will simply be nothing to connect logically.
Thank you Konstantin for the excellent continuation of the article!
In one of my articles, I mentioned 10 issues of a systematic approach to the study of a subject, so I completely agree with you on the technology for creating your opinion about the subject that you described.
I also prefer earlier editions, and I usually read the creators of ideas and teachings, and not their subsequent interpretations and “chewing.”
In the next article I will provide practical tips on using logical forms. Let's talk about critical thinking, especially important for the present time.
I can already see that this article is too lengthy, so I’ll take the 3,000-character format as a basis (this one has 17,000 characters).
I’ll also add a few old publications on labor organization, and before they knew how to organize:
1. G.F. Popov. Personal work technique.
2. A.K. Gastev. How to work. 1972
3. P.M. Kerzhentsev. Principles of organization. 1968
4. M.A. Shtremel. Engineer in the laboratory. Labor organization. 1983
Amazing features of Russian education: asking what was not taught. On the Unified State Exam in Russian, even the logical coherence of the text was included in the essay criteria, who else would have taught this to a graduate. Only a talented teacher will combine very superficial teaching of his subject and logic. Therefore, children, except for screaming, have nothing to learn from adults, and sometimes it is embarrassing to watch programs with a discussion agenda.
And now the question: “Why has the study of logic and psychology been excluded from schools and is not taught in some universities? How many insults do you have to receive from misunderstanding by your interlocutors in order to acquire logical thinking skills, or are they given by nature and passed on by inheritance?” Thank you for your material, it is very important.
Where is the logic in not teaching Logic?
After the change of the tsarist regime, the abolition of Logic was dictated, most likely, as its replacement with the code of the builder of communism, and this was an underestimation of its importance in everyday life. Now its absence is the result of thoughtless education reform under Western influence.
It’s not only a pleasure to read Aristotle, but any ancient book, in which there is no double meaning, unnecessary complications of speech, and everything is presented simply and clearly. There is no more magical and meaningful language on earth than Russian, from which other languages actually originated, which is easy to see in the example of English if you pay attention to words. The ease of reading ancient literature also speaks of the author’s full understanding of what he writes, in contrast to modern books and especially textbooks (everything that the author of this blog, Medvedev, writes does not apply here), filled with completely unnecessary complexity of presentation, coming from an insufficient understanding of the subject. And now take the Russian word “complicated”, what does it mean? Difficult = false. And, on the contrary, “simple, like everything ingenious.” While studying at school in the 60-70s, I really didn’t like writing essays, although everything was excellent with the Russian language. And once I took old textbooks from my mother, a Russian language teacher, pre-war and post-war, I was amazed at how much better they were than ours - everything was explained in them so simply and clearly. These textbooks were a godsend for me; writing essays using them was a delight. And already in those from which I studied, the widespread prevalence of formalization over simplicity and clarity of presentation began. Why do we need formalization, especially for children? At home, we speak to them not in a formalized language, but in a simple one. And remember what Lenin used at his speeches. He spoke to people in a language that was understandable and accessible to ordinary people, although at that time the theory of Marxism-Leninism was considered very complex and few could understand it. By the way, in the library, where I was a regular weekly visitor, I somehow came across an article by Lenin on the correct organization of labor. There’s no other way to call it genius; I still regret that I didn’t rewrite it then.
I see the most important meaning of logic as the ability to create one’s own opinion on any issue, and not to use other people’s mental “chewing gum.” And I understand the main property of logic as a sequence of thoughts to achieve a certain result, in which each subsequent thought follows from the previous one. Those. Logic is the structure by which we organize our thoughts to achieve a specific goal.
For example, I need to create my opinion about an object, phenomenon or situation. I start collecting information, then I separate the facts, the objective information from the subjective. I consider the subject of study in its development, evolution, determining patterns and trends of development. And, based on these objective factors, I form my opinion. If my opinion is different from another, then I will try to determine what the other opinion is based on, on what premises, facts or subjective things.
It was this main feature of logic - the sequence of thoughts - that the famous Socrates used in his disputes and convictions, when, starting from some indisputable fact recognized by both sides, he began a consistent movement from one indisputable statement to another, ultimately arriving at his opponent to the conviction that one is right.
Today I, too, using logic, namely, by showing the bank employee the lack of consistency between their declarations of good service and the real state of affairs, convinced him of the need to take appropriate action.
Thank you, Nikolay, for a good, relevant topic and, as always, an interesting article!
Many people have probably heard that life becomes much easier if...
But how to think logically, and not everyone knows what needs to be done for this.
Let's start with the most important thing: the concept of logic. The ancient Greeks were so smart and advanced that modern people will have to master for a long time what they invented in their ancient Greek city-states.
It was they who introduced into our everyday life the term “logic” and the corresponding science of operations and certain laws of correct (reasonable) thinking. Therefore, to find out how to think logically, it is necessary to understand the essence of these laws, the rules of logic.
Logic is a formal science, that is, what is important for it is not the content of statements, phenomena, or anything else, but their form, structure, and interconnection.
Therefore, all the rules of logical thinking are based on constructing the correct form of reasoning.
The basic rule of logical thinking: “the correctness of the conclusion lies in the fact that from true, true premises (that on the basis of which conclusions, conclusions are drawn - facts, judgments about facts, principles, phenomena, events, statements, etc.) always follows a true conclusion .
From which we can conclude that logical thinking can only be based on real facts, and not on hypothetical (alleged) events. Otherwise, the conclusion will also be assumed, ambiguous, inaccurate, conditional.
The second rule of logic is the duality of nature. That is, every judgment can be either false (not corresponding to the truth) or true.
Such rules allow us to obtain new information from existing facts using only logical reasoning.
A feature of logical thinking is also the unacceptability of everything irrational (that which goes beyond the concept of reason: intuition, premonition, etc.).
Therefore, in logical thinking only the laws of logic are used and nothing other than them.
Let's try to master the simplest law of logic: from two true judgments we get a true conclusion.
Premise No. 1: “An apple tree is a tree,” Premise No. 2 “Some apple trees bear fruit.” Conclusion: “Some trees bear fruit.”
We came to a particular conclusion from two different judgments. This conclusion arises from two known and true facts. An apple tree is really a tree. And some apple trees, however, bear fruit.
Why some? Because young apple trees do not bear fruit, and there are still lean periods. Therefore, we cannot say that all apple trees bear fruit.
Of course, logic contains a huge number of confusing and sometimes contradictory laws, which over hundreds of centuries have been discovered by numerous scientists in the hope of at least somehow surprising the world.
To how to think logically, you always need to start simple. Break all available information into the smallest details and make a logical constructor out of them.
So, 1. “Ivanov is an entrepreneur.” 2. “All entrepreneurs.” Conclusion: “Ivanov registered his business activities.” It’s not difficult to work with simple judgments; the main thing is to understand the principle of logical inference.
