In Need of a Logical Argument

After watching just a little of the political coverage on television over the weekend, I am seeking just one logical argument about anything. I admit that I know little about politics and would be a very poor politician, but as a citizen of these United States, I do not believe asking for just one logical argument is too much to ask.

At Westminster Christian Academy, we desire to teach our students to make sound logical decisions that follow the decision tree above. Logic is a discipline that is dialectical; in other words, it proceeds through a process of arguments and counterarguments. Logical inquiry must be critical and logical to gain any results in logic.

The main subject matter of logic is the argument; unlike today's ever-changing semantical landscape, an argument, in logic, is a group of statements in which one, the conclusion, is claimed to follow the others. What a concept!

In logic the deductive argument is the true and sound argument: the deductive argument can only be sound if the premises of the argument are true and the conclusion is true without a doubt. If this is not the case then it does not matter how smooth one is or who one knows...the argument is still invalid and not sound.

Validity assures us that the conclusion of the argument is true if, and only if, all premises contained in the argument are true. Valid forms of logical arguments include but are not limited to:

Modus ponens: if P, then Q
P therefore Q

Modus tollens: if P, then Q
not Q therefore not P

It is very simple to question the validity and truth of a deductive argument. One merely has to use the method of counterexample. This method states that the claim of validity may be refuted by finding a situation ( that is right, just one situation) in which a premise (only one) would be true and the conclusion false.

One may also "beg the question" by identifying a premise in the argument that is a restatement of the conclusion. What would happen to our debates and news programs if that one was applied. Throw in the fallacies of ridicule and rhetoric, and you have a miserable representation of any form of thinking in our media and political arena.

What are we to do? This is one that is simple even for me. God has a plan, and He is still in control; His plan is found in His book. We are called to "take every thought captive" and to the "renewal of our minds." How do we do this?

We do this by thinking Christianly! Over the next several weeks, I will post summaries of my Sunday School series, Thinking Christianly in a Postmodern World. In this class, I have had the honor of facilitating some great discussions, and from those discussions, we, together, have discovered more of what God would have for us. The class is loaded with very intelligent Christian people who desire more than a nominal walk. They have taught me much, and I am eager to learn more!