Principles of Sound Reasoning class

[WHATEVER]

I'm so glad this class is almost over. I am really disappointed as the name of the class is, IMO, deceiving. Just for the record: I hate truth tables, syllogisms, contradictions, antecedents and tautologies. I want to TALK about whether things are logical or not. I don't want to rewrite sentences to see if they are valid or invalid, sound or unsound. BLAH. Stupid class.

WHAT"I should be taking a test right now, but I'm procrastinating."EVER

[crocoduck_hunter]

Yuck, I've had classes like that. Complete waste of time and money.

[Ducky]

A whole class on that?

I remember learning a bit about truth tables and tautology via google and Wiki for a level in one of the online riddles I did a while ago. Ironically I got that level a LOT quicker than the more seasoned riddlers (read:smarter than me)

On the flip side.. I can't do those logic puzzles to save my life (those "Mrs Smith is giving a birthday gift while the anniversary gift is being given to Brandy" kind of puzzles where you have to figure out who gets what and from who on what day or similar reasonings.)

[ganzfeld]

I hate this arithmetic crap. I want to do calculus, not learn the multiplication tables! What a waste of time grade school is.

[Sister Ray]

Originally Posted by Ducky

On the flip side.. I can't do those logic puzzles to save my life (those "Mrs Smith is giving a birthday gift while the anniversary gift is being given to Brandy" kind of puzzles where you have to figure out who gets what and from who on what day or similar reasonings.)

I love those puzzles. I've even asked for a subscription to a magazine of them for Christmas. I think they take practice, though.

Sister "on the flip side myself, I can't do sudoku to save my life" Ray

[DawnStorm]

Originally Posted by Ducky

On the flip side.. I can't do those logic puzzles to save my life (those "Mrs Smith is giving a birthday gift while the anniversary gift is being given to Brandy" kind of puzzles where you have to figure out who gets what and from who on what day or similar reasonings.)

I couldn't do those or sudoko to save my life either!
FYI, you can order whole books of your favorite puzzles from Penny Press.

[Johnny Slick]

I took one of these classes in lieu of mathematics. I found it to be pretty useful, actually; it gives you the tools to take someone else's argument, parse it into its component forms, and see whether it's a faulty argument just from a stylistic standpoint. It also helps you find the meat of what makes the argument faulty. "No, see, you started out by saying that all hippies are libs and that hippies don't shower, therefore libs don't shower. The problem is that not all libs are hippies."

[RivkahChaya]

Originally Posted by WHATEVER

I'm so glad this class is almost over. I am really disappointed as the name of the class is, IMO, deceiving. Just for the record: I hate truth tables, syllogisms, contradictions, antecedents and tautologies. I want to TALK about whether things are logical or not. I don't want to rewrite sentences to see if they are valid or invalid, sound or unsound. BLAH. Stupid class.

What did you think you were going to study? It's "principles of sound reasoning," not "practice of sound reasoning." And if there is a "practice of sound reasoning" class, the "principles of sound reasoning" is probably a pre-requisite. They don't let you do surgery if you haven't taken that anatomy class, where you dissect the corpse in the formaldehyde room.

I took a class like the one you describe, only is was "Into to Logic." It counted as a "Mathmatical Science" class, and I was desperate for classes like that, that didn't require calculus or trig. Thank goodness for "Introduction to Computer Programming."

You always have the option of looking at the textbook in the bookstore or the library (or online) before you take a class, you know.

[Squirt]

I did a similar class for my maths degree. Hooray for contrapositives!

[Lainie]

Whose fault is it that you misunderstood what the class was about? Did you read a description of it, or just stop at the title?

[Troberg]

As boring as you may find it, it's one of those classes that seem meaningless when you take it, but you will need it if you are to study further logic, philosophy, rhetorics or metaphysics. Just try to learn it, as boring as it may be, because there will be better things down the road.

[Namowal]

Originally Posted by Johnny Slick

I took one of these classes in lieu of mathematics. I found it to be pretty useful, actually; it gives you the tools to take someone else's argument, parse it into its component forms, and see whether it's a faulty argument just from a stylistic standpoint. It also helps you find the meat of what makes the argument faulty.

I agree with Johny.
My only problem with a class like this is this: once you're able to spot clunky arguments, you may be horrified by how many you run into each day.

p.s. then again, knowing me, there's probably a clunky argument within my post somwhere