It follows therefore since we so badly need it,Įverybody should not only but it, but read it. It is vital that all of us learn to think straight.Īnd this small book by D.Q. 'McInernys explanatory outline of sound thinking will be eminently beneficial to expository writers, debaters, and public speakers.' BooklistĪnd the fact that mankind is adrift, if not sinking, And youll see how deductive arguments are constructed.' Detroit Free Press Man’s ability to see is in decline, argues Pieper in that essay, meaning not, of course, the physiological sensitivity of the human eye, but the spiritual. McInerny offers an introduction to symbolic logic in plain English, so you can finally be clear on what is deductive reasoning and what is inductive. My title for this post is borrowed from a short essay first published in 1952 by the Thomist philosopher, Josef Pieper. Written explicitly for the layperson, McInernys Being Logical promises to take its place beside Strunk and Whites The Elements of Style as a classic of lucid, invaluable advice.

McInerney covers the sources of illogical thinking, from naïve optimism to narrow-mindedness, before dissecting the various tacticsred herrings, diversions, and simplistic reasoningthe illogical use in place of effective reasoning.Īn indispensable guide to using logic to advantage in everyday life, this is a concise, crisply readable book. But mastering logical thinking also requires studying and understanding illogical thinking, both to sharpen ones own skills and to protect against incoherent, or deliberately misleading, reasoning.Įlegant, pithy, and precise, Being Logical breaks logic down to its essentials through clear analysis, accessible examples, and focused insights. ed.Material type: Text Format: print Nature of contents: biography Literary form: Not fiction Publication. Being logical is the ability to create concise and reasoned argumentsarguments that build from given premises, using evidence, to a genuine conclusion. Logic is synonymous with reason, judgment, sense, wisdom, and sanity. An essential tool for our post-truth world: a witty primer on logicand the dangers of illogical thinkingby a renowned Notre Dame professor

D.Q. Mcinerny Biography