Introduction

Logic1 is the analysis and appraisal of arguments. When you do logic, you try to clarify reasoning and separate good from bad reasoning. As you work through this book, you’ll examine reasoning on various topics, both philosophical (like free will and determinism, the existence of God, and the nature of morality) and non-philosophical (like backpacking, water pollution, football, Supreme Court decisions, and the Bible). You’ll come to see logic not as an irrelevant game with funny symbols, but as a useful tool to clarify and evaluate our reasoning – whether on life’s deeper questions or on everyday topics.