Logic

A Very Short Introduction, 2nd Edition

De: Graham Priest

Narrado por: Kyle Tait

Logic is often perceived as having little to do with the rest of philosophy, and even less to do with real life. In this lively and accessible introduction, Graham Priest shows how wrong this conception is. He explores the philosophical roots of the subject, explaining how modern formal logic deals with issues ranging from the existence of God and the reality of time to paradoxes of probability and decision theory. Along the way, the basics of formal logic are explained in simple, non-technical terms, showing that logic is a powerful and exciting part of modern philosophy.

In this new edition Graham Priest expands his discussion to cover the subjects of algorithms, axioms, and proofs in mathematics.

©2017 Graham Priest (P)2021 Tantor

A bit disappointing.

Generally seems to be a good introduction to logic, though one would walk away from the book under the misleading impression that logic disproves the existence of God. Priest seems to take every opportunity to explain why he doesn't think the Christian theistic proofs hold up, which gives the distinct impression of axe grinding. Granted, some of the theistic proofs offered by Christians do seem to be problematic, such as the teleological arguement, or Pascal's wager. However, Priest seems to either misunderstand or misrepresent the Argument from First Causes, since it is not at all like his example of mothers. Saying that I have a mother, and you have a mother, therefore we must have the same mother is not analogous to saying everything seems to have a cause, and the cause of everything seems to be some prior cause. If we back track the train of causes then we seem to need either an infinite train of causes (an impossibility) or a beginning cause which got everything else going, is a sufficient for it's own existence. Whether or not this works is a serious question, but in any case, it is an argument untouched by Priest, who chose to attack a strawman.

Deceptive title - poor quality

This book is poorly suited to the audiobook format due to its reliance on charts, which are difficult to convey without visual references. Additionally and more importantly, the title feels deceptive, as the author’s primary aim seems to be targeting impressionable readers and those unversed in philosophy with an attempt to discredit theistic arguments. This intention becomes evident through the repeated presentation of strawman versions of classic theistic arguments, which are then dismantled to suggest that all such arguments have been thoroughly debunked.

An introduction to logic should aim to cultivate critical thinking and avoid perpetuating logical fallacies. Unfortunately, this book does the opposite, relying on flawed reasoning while presenting it as objective fact. This undermines its credibility and reveals what appears to be the author’s true agenda. Even if the intent were not so transparently biased (and it is), the pervasive use of logical fallacies throughout the text renders it unworthy of a higher rating.