Though I hear it talked about often when others talk about how to think clearly, one thing I rarely hear used correctly is logic. Though logic is heralded as an important aspect of how to think clearly and conversation, it is seen as a part of a whole. Often, one can hear a person say he seeks to present himself “with logic and reason,” a statement which shows that he is not (Logic and reason cannot exist separately, and I argue that because they do not exist apart from one another, they are either the same thing or one is a part of the other). Logic is often paired with other things as if these other things are just as good and useful. I advocate logic not as part of good thinking but the foundation for how to think clearly. Without logic, one cannot think clearly.
Why do I argue this? Logic is not merely a cultural thought phenomenon. Logic is a structure of thought created through much labor that seeks to help people best represent reality in the abstract form (i.e. thought form). Though it could be a creation of humankind, it is a creation akin to mathematics in which the laws are inherent in reality as experienced by humans (rather than a creation such as music or dances, which connect to reality but are not created to help us understand reality). Besides this grounding in reality, I advocate for logic for another prominent reason, we cannot begin to think with language without stumbling into thinking along a logical line (even if our logic is in sore error). Those who seek to state that logic is not the foundation for thinking always seems to use a logical framework to build their case. Those who state that this is untrue are likely unaware of what logic is.
Photo: “Spock and Kirk in Star Trek IV” by geraldford is licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/