Thursday, August 24, 2006

Logic I...Not Always "Logical"

Tonight was the last day of class for this week. Yeah! This is only the second time this class has met. We are in a cramped, fully-loaded classroom, located in the basement of Agnes Arnold Hall. The desks are small, and we are packed in like sardines. Beyond that, the class is interesting, I guess, but even the instructor pointed out on the first night that by the end of the semester, most of us will be asking, "What does this stuff have to do with ANYTHING?" I think he might be right. If Itchy is a mouse, then Itchy is a rodent. Itchy is a mouse. Itchy is a rodent. This argument is clearly valid and, on the instructor's word (that Itchy is indeed a mouse), sound. If Fido is a dog, then Fido reads philosophy. Fido is a dog. Fido reads philosophy. Again, this argument is cearly valid, but it is not sound. For those of you who have had Logic classes before, this is baby stuff...simple and straightforward...Class 1 basics. But for those of you who will NEVER take Logic, I think I can assure you that you really are not going to miss it at all. By next class session, I will be confidently explaining to you why Stan lives in South Park or Arlen. Stan lives in South Park. is invalid.(As if it matters in the real world!)

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