The 10 Commandments of Logic

The 10 Commandments of Logic
1. Thou shall not attack the person’s character, but the argument. (Ad hominem)

2. Thou shall not misrepresent or exaggerate a person’s argument in order to make them easier to attack. (Straw man fallacy)

3. Thou shall not use small numbers to represent the whole. (Hasty generalization)

4. Thou shall not argue thy position by assuming one of its premises is true. (Begging the question)

5. Thou shall not claim that because something occurred before, it must be the cause. (Post Hoc/False cause)

6. Thou shall not reduce the argument down to two possibilities. (False dichotomy)

7. Thou shall not argue that because of our ignorance, claim must be true or false. (Ad ignorantum)

8. Thou shall not lay the burden of proof onto him that is questioning the claim. (Burden of proof reversal)

9. Thou shall not assume “this” follows “that” when it has no logical connection. (Non sequitur)

10. Thou shall not claim that because a premise is popular, therefore it must be true. (Bandwagon fallacy)

 

Good post. One would think that after 12 years of school our kids would be taught how to make a coherent argument.

That the basics of Philosophy (logic, logical fallacy, and what constitutes a valid argument) are not taught to our youth is sad commentary on our education system and one of the primary reasons our Government runs roughshod all over us.

 

Does that statement violate at least 3 of the Ten Commandments of Logic? hehe

 

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Good one. A keeper. One could add an eleventh, one of the most abused of all. Ad speculum. Using an imaginary premise to try to prove something in the real world. I usually refer to it as the "if/would" bull(*)(*)(*)(*) argument. People use it out of sheer weakness in their own argument

 

Nice. Should be posted in the Rules as suggestions on how to conduct yourself.

 

Although, there's a difference between this and argumentio ad absurdum. An "If/would" statement is relevant if it's being used to demonstrate that logic is flawed by following it perfectly to an absurd conclusion.

 

11. Thou shalt not presume to hold thy opponent to rules to which he or she has never agreed.

Terrible idea. We have more than enough bickering over nothing around here as it is.

 

logic is not meant to be a religion.

The other things that is being ignored is those who value logic often resort to insulting and berating people who don't use logic because they feel everybody should use logic.

That's the biggest thing that turns me off of logic and why I balk at using it.

In short, people who value logic become neanderthals

 

Using logic is not optional. Either you do or you are an idiot. It really is that simple.

 

The 10 Commandments of Logic are rendered null and void when countered with the charge of racism/racist.

 

No, it isn't.

Logic is not the end all and be all of wisdom, it is the mere beginning of it.

And a lot of the times people who think they are using logic are actually just being argumentative, or are actually being very dishonest too.

Logic is not intelligence nor is it intellectual.

It's just a tool to weed out junk.

When used properly.

But like religion, people become neanderthals who think they are better than everybody else and those who are not like them have to bow down before them.

Your statement is the case in point.

Thus intellectual snobs tend to invalidate their positions when they use logic to validate their fundamentalist behavior.

 

No. If you are not using logic you are not arguing properly and then you are just wasting everyone's time and should (*)(*)(*)(*) from every forum there is. Logic is the universal tools humans are born with and use to determine the truth of things. If you refuse to use it you have no business doing any arguing or being on any forum. It is not optional. Quite frankly, I think people should get infracted when they violate the rules of logic.

 

You do have a point, tram
Being clever does not make a person right

Otoh, logic is generally more effective than the alternative.... What ever that is
And Pretty much all the benefits of civilization have been built up upon logic

 

You do understand you just created a false dichotomy, right?

And are only proving my point.

Logic just turns people into neanderthals who think they're better than everyone else. Anybody who doesn't use logic are inferior people who must be turned into second class citizens who have no rights of any sort.

Thank you for proving my point.

Logic is not meant to be a religion, but people who value logic tend to treat just like one. and they think they're better than everybody else and don't have to treat people in a human fashion just because they're better than everybody else, repeat, wash and rinse.

And you know what?

Nowhere in any book of logic does it teach this attitude.

Nowhere in any classroom on any college or universe campus does it teach this attitude, so it beats how people who value logic come to think they're better or superior to anybody else and everybody is just a cigarette butt to be squashed under their heels.

 

If logic is generally more effective, then why are people losing to the more emotional crowd?

Our society is changing, due to the massive use of emotional reactions more than the use of logic or reason.

What people of logic tend to forget is that most people in America do not use logic, they tend to go by not what is exactly said, but how things seems, how things look, how things feel, and how things sound. They do not base their beliefs and opinions on facts and data, but what makes them feel good.

And that is why American culture is changing, because the forces of that change are manipulating people's emotions, rather than using logic and reason.

But the paradox is that it is also logical.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

 

no. Your position is that of an exagerated hippe: "everything is okay, everything is valid, everything is just different. Wrong does not exist". I hate to break it you but wrong does exist, everything is not valid. It is not merely different, it is plain wrong.

This is the kind of thing I'd want people infracted for. This is not logic, this is just irrational feelings and unfounded assumptions. Need I tell you that just because one is adhereing to logic, that attitude does not necessarily follow?

More emotional nonsense. If by "treating as a religion" you mean "insisting upon that it is followed" there is nothing wrong with that because logic is the foundation for any sane argumentation. Also, you don't understand what "treating it as religion" actually means. It means that one irrationally defends it and hold it as dogma. There is nothing irrational about insisting on following logic when arguing, just as one should follow logic when doing math.

Quite clearly showing you have no idea what logic is. Let me give you a hint: it hs nothing at all to do with morals.

 

'Thou shall', but the reality is human emotion. Not much logic left when emotions are high.

 

Then you obviously don't understand what a false dichotomy is, and you obvioulsy don't understand me or the point I'm making, and now you're making a strawman, misrepresenting my point and what I said.

So guess what that means?

It means you do not use or understand logic.

Thanks for playing.

Have a good day.

 

11. There is no truth.

12. There is no way to determine how the universe ought to be from how it is (subject to rule 11).

 

That is a good one. See it a lot on here. People take an imaginary scenario, speculate what would happen, and present it like it has even an ounce of validity

 

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Now there's an opinion you don't see everyday. Hardly quantifiable but interesting nonetheless, in a mundane sort of way.

 

The ego likes to fool us into a belief that we're either logical or a basket case and always judges us logical.

Humans are illogical creatures.

Maybe you're thinking about robots.

 

I made a dichotomy, but it was not false. But seeing as you're one who intentionally ignores logic, why should I bother with you on this?

 

Yes it was a false dichotomy.

You said either you use logic or you're an idiot.

A false dilemma, or false dichotomy, is a logical fallacy which involves presenting two opposing views, options or outcomes in such a way that they seem to be the only possibilities: that is, if one is true, the other must be false, or, more typically, if you do not accept one then the other must be accepted.

NExt, you said I must be a happy go lucky hippie where nothing is wrong.

The Straw Man fallacy is committed when a person simply ignores a person's actual position and substitutes a distorted, exaggerated or misrepresented version of that position. This sort of "reasoning" has the following pattern: Person A has position X.

And also in calling me a hippy that is also a personal attack That is also called:

argumentum ad hominem, means responding to arguments by attacking a person's character, rather than to the content of their arguments.

And I never did any of that to you.

You're insulting me and personally insulting me because I stated some truths about logic.

People who value logic think they are superior to everybody else and thinks it's okay to treat them as though they are peons and considers them unintelligent. You can't seem to understand this and can not address it directly in a mature fashion or a logical way, and mistakenly think that is is a personal statement about you. Thus you take it personally and therefore must get upset and resort to the illogical remarks you made in your post, not realizing that what I've said is completely true, and I didn't have to use logic.

Your statement that you have no desire to discuss this with me in a humane and mature manner only reinforces what I said. obviously you wouldn't have that attitude towards me, that you think I'm an idiot because I ignore logic.

Sorry, but that is acting childish and immature and like a neanderthal.

Thank you for reinforcing my beliefs.

In short, you are the one that is acting in a poor fashion, and you are not using or following any logic to do so, and it's ironic considering the original post in this thread.


And this is what I hate the most about logic. It always turns people into (*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)s who think they're above everybody else.

Such as "you either use logic or you're an idiot".

Nothing can be further from the truth.

Logic is not a sign of intelligence or knowledge. Just because people can be very verbose or eloquent is not a sign of education either. Just because people can throw a lot of words at you doesn't mean theya re correct either.

And just because some people prefer the KISS, as in keep it simple stupid,

But you go ahead and prove me wrong by not talking to me or treating me in a mature or human way just because I don't like logic. That only proves me wrong after all. Why, insulting people and misrepresenting what they say is just intelligent and proves that you're just so much more better than me.

I'll buy that for a dollar. All you're really doing is being argumentative, and are not truly having a discussion.

You people are all the same.

I'm just so much more better than you I can use logic and you can't. You're jsut a peon because you don't use logic and i do so I don't have to treat you with any amount of respect and i can just say and do whatever I want to, but, you can't.

Yeah, that's logical.

Small minds breed nasty people.

 

Really? You stipulate that a rule of logic is that it is true that "There is no truth". As part of the universe it is quite a bit above my pay grade to determine how it ought to be.

I have two other true statements you may like:

I always tell the truth. -- I am lying.