ABSTRACT
Logic, we all know, is a science or inquiry dealing with topics such as reasoning, inferring, and arguing, and especially with reasoning, inferring, and arguing aright. We may find it difficult to give an adequate definition of ‘ logic’ and ‘ logical’ but we feel confident that these words are properly used in sentences such as He is a clear and logical thinker, or That may be a logical conclusion but I don’t agree with it, or There is no regard for logic in your argument. All we can at present say is that logic is in some sense an examination of argument, statement, implication, inference, and the like. 1 It is important to understand that the traditional logic confines itself to statements and arguments that can be true or false, valid or invalid, and that it does not deal with the many other forms of speech that make no claim to be either true or false, such as commands, wishes, ejaculations, and so forth. In other words, it confines itself to sentences that have verbs in the indicative mood, or that can be restated as sentences having verbs in the indicative mood.
