WHY BE LOGICAL?

 

WHY BE LOGICAL?

(MYKE IAN A. HECHANOVA)

In this vast world where everyone is vulnerable to be deceived and susceptible to be tricked by false arguments and beliefs. Why be logic? Why should individuals need to be critical enough in all aspects? Why study logic?

In studying philosophy, logic is one of the fundamental foundations of reasoning. People are asking questions which only philosophy can provide an explanation. As what Aristotle said “Man is a rational being” that is, man is a thinking person. He categorized men as the highest animal being. For it is only human beings can philosophize. Moreover, philosophy aims to search for the truth, it is therefore, using reason. Thus, it is nature to human person to ask for the meaning of life and to search of fulfillment and happiness as started to have a sense of wonder in the world. Then, lead the person to ask questions.
            Logic is concerned with methods and rules of reasoning and ensures the accuracy of thought. It has a wide-range scope of reason to explain the laws of correct thinking as it distinguishes shreds of evidence and conclusions towards a valid ground of arguments. Hence, logic guides man’s reason to proceed with order and precision in the search for meaning and applied in a scientific discipline.

Every human beings are unique from the others and what makes us unique is that we have our different stack and capacity of acquiring knowledge. I am reminded by a dictum, “quid quid recipitur ad modum recipientis recipitur,” that is, “what is received is received according to the capacity or mode of the receiver.” This means that we can only acquire knowledge based on what we can. In other sense, logic has something to say with this matter as well. We cannot generalize that all individuals have this common sense because not all common (referring to a human person) have sensed. Moreover, what may be sensible to me, may not be sensible to others. Again, we have different capacities. Also, we have to take into consideration the varied upbringing family background, cultural differences, and other factors that had contributed to the formation of a student’s intellectual activity.

In logic, the relativity of the subject matter does not conform to what is comprehensible. Thus, the objectivity of what is correct really matters. For instance, this personal orientation that we have should be disregarded from what is generally set in a community to attain this so-called generic and universal truth. Conventional truth plays a significant role that holds the community toward what is accepted by society.

Overall, logic helps everyone to have a keen mind of understanding especially learning philosophy. Since, then, one of the focuses of this course is to develop the student’s critical thinking because there are a lot of philosophical thoughts that need good reasoning and logical articulation. It is one step closer to grasping the reality of inquisitiveness. Hence, logic conforms to what is real.