Thinking about Thinking: Basic Logic

This work considers the profound interrelations between our use of words, our thoughts, and our experience and explanation of things. It centers on ordinary language in terms of formal or structural constants that are operative within our effort to make sound and valid inferences.

Its terminology and different sub-themes were developed within an important, long-lived, central tradition that encoded Western philosophical reflection, as well as much of our ordinary language used in other disciplines.

Familiarity with and mastery of its various considerations will be of benefit to anyone who has an interest in how coherence is achieved and guaranteed when we make conclusions.

Reflection on these matters also tends to reinforce our ability to not only recognize when and why conclusions are unsound or invalid, but also our own ability to reason better.