Quotes About Logic

Empiricism: The school of philosophy that maintains that knowledge of the external world (as compared to knowledge of analytic logic and its proper applications) comes only from sensory experience. Seventeenth- and eighteenth-century British Empiricism came in reaction to rationalism. Empiricism is a stance in epistemology. It is sometimes summed up by the statement, "What you see is all you get.

Logical Positivism: An early-twentieth-century school of philosophy that limits the scope of philosophy to the scientific method (empirical verification) and logic. Everything else philosophy once considered, such as metaphysics and ethics and theology, is tossed out the window as unverifiable and therefore meaningless.

In the past hundred years, since Logical Positivists like Bertrand Russell and A. J. Ayer have argued that the idea of a rational basis for ethics is as impossible as a rational basis for the existence of God—or of the Tooth Fairy

Ad hominem: An abbreviation for argumentum ad hominem, meaning an argument against an idea or statement based on the character of the person who authored it. It is sometimes used to discredit a philosophy of life proclaimed by someone who does not live up to it himself, as in, "He talks the talk, but he doesn't walk the walk, so I'm not listening to his advice.

la grammaire est le premier outil de la pensée organisée et (...) la fameuse analyse logique (...) ajuste les mouvements de notre réflexion, laquelle se trouve aiguisée par le bon usage des fameuses propositions subordonnées.

In the narrow application of logic to limited problems some degree of objectivity is perhaps possible. But in the broil of the wider human experience, in deciding what is good and true and beautiful and worth living for in this world, there is so much sheer humanness at work (and there should be, that the claim of cool, rational objectivity is almost laughable.

Keep cool; anger is not an argument.

It is certainly to be regretted that we have so many things to do and our business day is so fully occupied that somehow or other we seem to make mistakes which could have been avoided if we had really spent the time necessary to think the matter through to a logical conclusion.

Feelings aren't sensible. Sometimes you fall in love with people who don't make sense. And the ones who do make sense turn out to be the wrong ones.

Many a statistic is false on its face. It gets by only because the magic of numbers bring about a suspension of common sense

Permitting statistical treatment and the hypnotic presence of numbers and decimal points to befog causal relationships is little better than superstition.

All you get from a circular argument is dizzy.

And I know that the younger generation is doing things that are so ingenious. And for them it's not a matter of a political belief or an environmental stance. It's really just common sense.

The problem with putting two and two together is that sometimes you get four, and sometimes you get twenty-two.

with its graceful language and poetic conceit, and even more because it expressed his own philosophy of science. To wit: As earnestly as men may seek to understand the workings of the universe, they must remember that God is not hampered by their limited logic—that all observed effects may have been wrought by Him in any one of an infinite number of omnipotent ways, and these must ever evade mortal comprehension.

As earnestly as men may seek to understand the workings of the universe, they must remember that God is not hampered by their limited logic that all observed effects may have been wrought by Him in any one of an infinite number of omnipotent ways, and these ways, and these must ever evade mortal comprehension.

The chaos of events in the Inner Court still raged in her mind, like one of those fever dreams where image upon disjointed image pile up before the mind's eye in a nauseating, strobing mass that doesn't even have the saving grace of dream logic.

Why do stories persuade? There are several explanations: First, people deduce a story's logic by themselves. We know from research and common sense that self-discovery is much more powerful than having people talk at you.

We shouldn't make decisions based on feelings alone but rather should make decisions based on creating a positive difference for the future. If it's a good, logical move, or even if it simply interests you, commit to starting and taking it one step at a time. Get started, because the passion you're looking for may be just a few steps away. Passion FOLLOWS commitment, not the other way around.

And how should I know whether or not I speak the truth?" the God asked of him, "since I am but the illusion of an old woman, as you have so frequently proved by logic.

If you would have a right to account of things from illiterate people, let them tell their story in their own way; if you put them upon talking according to logical rules, you will confound them.

Much history as well as popular imagination not only erases their contingency but implicitly attributes to historical actors intentions and consciousness they could not have possibly had...Once a significant historical event is codified, it travels a sort of condensation symbol and, unless we are very careful, takes on a false logic and order that does a grave injustice to how it was experienced at the time.

Passion, rather than logic, often drove public discourse.

DECIPHERING THE LOGIC OF EXTORTION To recognize the megapolitical implications of the current shift to the Information Age, you have to strip away the cant and focus on the real logic of violence in society. This is like stripping away the layers of an overripe onion. It may bring tears to your eyes, but don't look away.