Logic and Its Limits
This book grew out of the conviction, not in itself strange or startling, that the ordinary person can and should think straight rather than crooked.' Patrick Shaw has written a commonsense introduction to the use of logic in everyday thought and argument. It explains some of the rules of good argument and some of the ways in which arguments can fail, drawing illustrations from a variety of contemporary and international sources, such as the
press, radio, and television. Symbols and technicalities are kept to a minimum in this thorough and provocative investigation of the rational approach to thought - and its limitations. Logic and Its Limits emphasizes the use of logic in helping to settle and clarify disputes. It will help the reader
to avoid bad arguments, to detect them in others, and so to think and argue more effectively. A wide range of thought-provoking examples and exercises concerned with contemporary social and political issues make this a readable and stimulating guide for the student and general reader alike.
press, radio, and television. Symbols and technicalities are kept to a minimum in this thorough and provocative investigation of the rational approach to thought - and its limitations. Logic and Its Limits emphasizes the use of logic in helping to settle and clarify disputes. It will help the reader
to avoid bad arguments, to detect them in others, and so to think and argue more effectively. A wide range of thought-provoking examples and exercises concerned with contemporary social and political issues make this a readable and stimulating guide for the student and general reader alike.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0192892800
ISBN13:9780192892805
Release Date:December 1997
Publisher:Oxford University Press, USA
Length:272 Pages
Weight:0.52 lbs.
Dimensions:0.7" x 5.1" x 7.7"
Customer Reviews
2 ratings
Excellent introduction to informal logic
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
Shaw's "Logic and its Limits" is an excellent self-study text. It is clearly written and it succeeds in making logic enjoyable and understandable. Every significant point in the book is followed by excercises, which are answered in an appendix at the end of the book. Any student of philosophy would profit from working through the book.
informative
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
This book is a good, common sense discussion of logic for a layperson such as myself. Several examples of bad reasoning even come from another logic book, i.e. 'Thinking Straight'! However, I think Shaw is correct in his criticisms, which shows even academics in logic can make mistakes.I particularly like how he addressed a death penalty argument. It is often pointed out that foes of the death penalty wouldn't feel that way for the killers of their own family. Shaw points out that even if this was true, those people may later regret a decision that they made in anger, so this argument falls apart.The material necessarily makes the reading a little dry, but the effort is worthwhile.
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