ABSTRACT
Modern logic consists in two main strands: the propositional calculus and the predicate calculus. From this, other forms of logic have appeared, including: modal logic which deals with necessity, possibility and impossibility; tense logic which deals with matters related to time; and many-valued logic which assigns truth-values other than merely true or false. An argument consists in a group of statements some of which purportedly provide support for another. For an argument to be convincing it must use true reasons, blend them into a logical framework and draw valid conclusions from the reasons used. Deductive argument is a method of ascertaining validity. A properly constructed deductive argument is valid, so if all its premises are true then its conclusion must be true. Working through some problems using traditional logic is a good way of looking in detail at statements and conclusions and their meaning in argument.
