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On Formal Logic

Formal logic refers to traditional logic, narrow deductive logic and broad inductive logic.

Generally understood formal logic refers to traditional formal logic, that is, formal logic based on daily natural language, rather than modern formal logic based on artificial language or mathematical language, that is, mathematical logic.

Although the content and form of thinking are inseparable, the form of thinking is relatively independent of the content of thinking, which is the basis of the existence of formal logic. But the form of thinking is determined by the content of thinking, so formal logic also has its limitations and needs mathematical logic and dialectical logic to supplement it.

The formal structure of thinking refers to putting aside the content of thinking temporarily, but only the connection between the internal elements of thinking, so it is also called thinking structure and thinking logic structure.

Example: 1, s is P 2, all m are p, all s are m, so all s are p.

Here, the formal structure of thinking is abstracted from the concrete objects in the content of thinking, and it has the same formal structure. In short, the formal structure of thinking is the connection between the concept in judgment and the judgment in reasoning. Because concept constitutes judgment and judgment constitutes reasoning. Therefore, to study the logical form of thinking, we must start with the concept, so as to study judgment and reasoning. Concept, judgment and reasoning are the three basic elements of formal logic.

So what's the point of learning formal logic?

1, which is helpful to improve thinking quality and ability level.

Engels said that if a nation wants to stand at the highest peak of science, it can't be without theoretical thinking for a moment. In other words, the quality of thinking and intelligence play a decisive role in the rise and fall of a country and a nation. The fierce competition among countries in the world today is essentially a big contest between people's thinking quality and intelligence level. Marxism holds that people's thinking ability is not innate, but acquired through practice and training. Only by strengthening thinking training can people continuously enhance their judgment ability, reasoning ability and verbal communication ability, and improve their thinking efficiency and scientific IQ.

2, help to acquire new knowledge.

Formal logic can help people seek knowledge from the known, acquire new knowledge and establish a scientific system. Theory comes from practice. It is necessary for people to acquire knowledge from practice, but it is not enough. People have to use logical reasoning to acquire new knowledge. Engels said that formal logic is the first way to explore new results from the known to the unknown. After learning formal logic and mastering the necessary reasoning methods, we can make effective reasoning and acquire new knowledge.

3. It helps to express and demonstrate ideas accurately.

Generally speaking, people always express their ideas and demonstrate them through speeches or articles. Therefore, it is necessary to temper words to make concepts clear, choose words and make sentences to make judgments appropriate, dialectical reasoning effective and article layout convincing. In scientific research and daily work, if people want to determine their own views and convince them, they must make logical arguments, otherwise their views will not be established, and even lead to mistakes in understanding and decision-making, which will bring great losses to their work.

4, help to get rid of the false and keep the true.

In daily life and political struggle, some people are full of fallacies and heresies in order to achieve ulterior motives. The fallacy mentioned here refers to the logical error that violates the laws of thinking, and sophistry is a special logical error, which is more deceptive and concealed. When people master the knowledge of formal logic, they can discover and denounce all kinds of fallacies in time and avoid being deceived.

To sum up, learning formal logic is very important and necessary.