Start here...First Principles (B)

Written by Terry Dashner


Start here…first principles (B)

Terry Dashner………Faith Fellowship Church PO Box 1586 Broken Arrow, OK 74013

Here are some concepts in logic that are fundamental to establishing truth. When we assign words (symbols) to correspond to certain aspects of reality (referents), we are using another law of logic calledrepparttar law of identity. This law simply states that something is what we say it is: A is A. A correlative principle,repparttar 143242 law of excluded middle, asserts that it is either A or non-A (but not both). All valid thinking rests on these principles: they are absolute, and without them thinking would not be possible. [Norman Geisler and Peter Bocchino, Unshakable Foundations (Bethany House: Minneapolis, Minnesota) p. 24]

Alexander Pope correctly observed that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing! This cliché could be true in our case if we fail to point outrepparttar 143243 principal limitation of logic. When we use logic asrepparttar 143244 focal point of our intellectual lens, we must be very careful to recognize that its effectiveness is limited to finding error alone. Logic’s function is to correct faulty thinking, or groundless reasoning, and is therefore a negative test for truth. This is a very important characteristic: logic by itself will not help us find truth but will only help us detect error. What is true must be logical, but what is logical is not necessarily true. [Ibid, p. 28]

For example,repparttar 143245 statement “two plus two equals four” is logical. Similarly,repparttar 143246 statement “two leprechauns plus two leprechauns equals four leprechauns” is also logical. Both statements are logical; however,repparttar 143247 second statement does not mean that leprechauns actually exist. You would have to test and see if there is any evidence to supportrepparttar 143248 claim that leprechauns are real. Consequently, what is real or true must be logical, but what is logical is not necessarily real or true. [Ibid, p. 28] The law of noncontradiction,repparttar 143249 law of identity, andrepparttar 143250 law of excluded middle all relate torepparttar 143251 field of study called, logic.

Start here...First Principles (A)

Written by Terry Dashner


Start here…first principles (A)

Terry Dashner……..Faith Fellowship Church PO Box 1586 Broken Arrow, OK 74013

Mortimer J. Adler said, “The fundamentals of logic should be as transcultural asrepparttar mathematics with whichrepparttar 143208 principles of logic are associated. The principles of logic are neither Western nor Eastern, but universal.” That’s interesting.

Aristotle was keen on “first principles.” He said that every science begins with certain obvious truths, and these truths formrepparttar 143209 foundations upon which all knowledge rests. [Norman Geisler and Peter Bocchino, Unshakable Foundations, (Bethany House: Minneapolis, Minnesota) p.19]

These days most Christians are too quick to respond to an opposing worldview by critiquing it atrepparttar 143210 conclusion of an argument. Mortimer Adler rightly points out that most ofrepparttar 143211 timerepparttar 143212 errors exist inrepparttar 143213 beginning. This means we must focus on these “points of departure” used by philosophers, professors, authors and skeptics to see if any errors exist in their foundations (most basic assumptions). [Ibid, p.21]

Now most everyone has a worldview. Andrepparttar 143214 worldviews are varied to sayrepparttar 143215 least. Why? Because everyone looks atrepparttar 143216 world through lens of various colors. If one’s glasses are blue lens, then his worldview will be blue. The question I raise is this. Is it possible for everyone to see throughrepparttar 143217 same colored lens? Maybe. It depends on whether or not everyman with a worldview wants to paintrepparttar 143218 color of his lens with “first principles.” If everyman shapes his worldview with logic, everyman is going to come to logical conclusions. Right? Let me explain myself, please.

Everyone uses logic to think about life. All people have at one time or another given thought torepparttar 143219 fact that they exist; existence and human reason arerepparttar 143220 two most fundamental assumptions that all people have in common. These two assumptions are unavoidable; in order to deny existence and reason, one would have to use reason to think aboutrepparttar 143221 denial. Further, one would have to exist in order to be engaged inrepparttar 143222 reasoning process. Therefore, existence and reason must berepparttar 143223 place to start an honest and impartial search for truth. [Ibid, pp. 22-23]

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