Logic For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Chapter 3

Just for the Sake of Argument

IN THIS CHAPTER

Describing logical arguments

Breaking down the parts of a logical argument

Identifying some common logical fallacies

Separating logic from the pretenders

Examining the wide-ranging applications of logic

Simply put, logic is the study of how to tell a good argument from a bad one.

In daily life, most people use the word argument to describe anything from a tense disagreement to a shouting match. But an argument doesn’t have to be heated or angry. The idea behind logical argument is simple: I want to convince you of something, so I point out some facts that you already agree with. Then, I show you how what I’m trying to prove follows naturally from these facts.

In this chapter, I explain what logic is and walk you through the elements of a logical argument. I show you a variety of common logical fallacies — that is, types of arguments that may mislead you into accepting them. I also provide you with lots of examples, show you ...