Single Idea 18893

[catalogued under 5. Theory of Logic / E. Structures of Logic / 1. Logical Form]

Full Idea

Modern predicate logic's methods of justification, which involve translation into an artificial quantificational idiom, offer no clues to how the average person, knowing no logic and adhering to the vernacular, is so logically adept.

Gist of Idea

Translating into quantificational idiom offers no clues as to how ordinary thinkers reason

Source

Fred Sommers (Intellectual Autobiography [2005], Intro)

Book Reference

'The Old New Logic', ed/tr. Oderberg,David S. [MIT 2005], p.2


A Reaction

Of course, people are very logically adept when the argument is simple (because, I guess, they can test it against the world), but not at all good when the reasoning becomes more complex. We do, though, reason in ordinary natural language.