Relationship Between Logic and Critical Thinking

Relationship Between Logic and Critical Thinking.The words “logic” and “logical” tend to be overused, often without any understanding of what they mean.

Relationship Between Logic and Critical Thinking
Relationship Between Logic and Critical Thinking

A logician is someone who studies and evaluates arguments and reasoning using logical principles. It’s not an opinion, it’s a science about how arguments should be constructed to be reasonable and correct. It is obvious that gaining a better understanding will help us reason and think more clearly. It’s too easy for us to make mistakes without it.

Despite its widespread use, the term “critical thinking” is not always well understood. In other words, critical thinking involves evaluating arguments and ideas in a reliable, rational manner.

The purpose of critical thinking is to distinguish truth from falsehood and reasonable beliefs from unreasonable ones. Often, it involves finding flaws in other people’s arguments, but that is not all it involves. The objective is not just to criticize ideas, but to develop the ability to think critically about them.

Critical thinking and logic thinking

The process of critical thinking involves more than just thinking since it involves analyzing information as well as identifying logical connections among ideas.

Critical thinking involves more than memorizing and recalling facts; instead, it involves relating new facts to previously acquired knowledge and using the new information to form rational decisions and predict future events. A critical thinker can also spot inconsistencies between arguments and common logical fallacies in other people’s speeches.  In addition to demonstrating valid logical reasoning, the critical thinker can construct their own arguments using the same logic.

The process of critical thinking involves questioning information and data. A textbook may contain inaccurate information, or a politician, professor, or classmate may make a claim that you doubt. It is also possible to question a widely held belief or a new idea. Everything and anything can be questioned and examined through critical thinking.

Logic is the study of correct reasoning principles, which is the foundation for critical thinking. In logic, arguments are constructed to support a particular idea, and logic studies the process of argumentation. 

Making claims based on a certain position, supporting them with reasons, and defending them with evidence is part of this process. Making inferences, persuading someone, explaining something, and explaining something are all examples of argumentation.

Deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning are both methods of logic. Using deductive reasoning, you make a specific conclusion based on general premises. By contrast, inductive reasoning involves making generalized conclusions based on specific premises. Formal and informal logic are also divided into two categories.

Deductive reasoning is used in formal logic, which focuses more on the form of arguments than their content. The purpose of formal logic is not to determine whether an argument is true; rather, it is to determine whether its structure is valid or not.

It follows that formal logical arguments have at least two premises, the first of which defines a formal logical argument, and the second identifies its type and the criteria for judging its validity. Contrary to formal logic, informal logic is based on inductive reasoning and focuses on the relevance and weight of evidence. The validity of informal arguments can sometimes be tested by translating them into formal arguments.

Relationship between logic and critical thinking

In critical thinking, you think past the point at which normal people would stop thinking about something. This is what I call “thinking all the way through and around it”. The ability to think without bias, blinders, or “colored glasses”. Instead of relying on intuition or instinct, critical thinkers identify, analyze and solve problems systematically.

The foundation of critical thinking is logic. In my opinion, the first test is the “sniff test” or the “acid test”. When something isn’t logical from the start, red flags pop up everywhere, BUT we don’t just dismiss it right away (like most people would), we try to “fix that foundation” first. Look for any missing information or a ‘not so logical’ explanation for why it’s not logical. It is then dismissed if it is not.

The good thing about critical thinkers is that they are also knowledgeable about physics and geology, meteorology, chemistry, biology, and the like (we’re always studying and learning). A favorite program of ours is the TV show “How It’s Made.” We understand how things work in the real world.

From THAT perspective, everything must make sense. There are only a few things in life that defy logic, and we know which ones they are. It has been proven that Bumble Bees can fly despite being physically incapable of doing so. You can drive to the bottom of a hill in Florida and put your car in neutral, and it will roll up the hill despite it being seemingly flat. You can get colder than 32 degrees by putting water in a bucket of ice.

Importance of logic and critical thinking

Through continual self-assessment, we can learn from new experiences. Our ability to think critically allows us to form sound beliefs and judgments, which in turn, provides us with a basis for a rational and reasonable emotional existence.

Difference between logic and critical thinking

There are some main differences between the two: truth is preserved from premises to conclusions in the simplest logical relationships. Usually, the reasoning is more concerned with grounds, reasons, or justifications. There is no reason why these two cannot part ways.

How is it related to psychology?

Critical thinkers practice discernment, analysis, and evaluation in their mental processes. To form a sound judgment that reconciles scientific evidence and common sense, individuals can reflect upon tangible or intangible items.

Conclusion:Relationship Between Logic and Critical Thinking

In this article, the concepts of critical thinking and logic are discussed. The difference between formal and informal logic was also discussed, along with deductive and inductive approaches to logical reasoning.

Read also: Relationship Between Logic and Philosophy; Aristotle philosophy; Business Philosoph; Relationship between logic and language; Relationship between logic and law; Relationship between logic and mathematics;

External resource: Wikipedia

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