Think Again: Logic’s Golden Question

What’s the point? That is the essential question to ask when critically examining arguments. In logic, the point is always what the argument’s conclusion indicates. Thus, the conclusion is also called the central point of the argument. It is what the arguer is attempting to prove and encourage others to accept. The sooner you identify the point of the argument,…

Think Again: Keep Your Arguments Clear!

Jewish scholar and radio talk show host Dennis Prager often says, “Clarity is more important than agreement.” And when it comes to reasoning, clarity carries its own persuasive power. Clutter and excessive complexity in an argument frequently stand in the way of the argument’s understandability and credibility. Since being clear in one’s reasoning is advantageous, keep clarity in mind as…

Think Again: What Is a Genuine Education?

Learning to think for oneself is one of the most important intellectual duties in life. Truth needs to be pursued and apprehended by each individual person. And one of the great benefits of being made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26–27) is that human beings have been given the faculties to hunt and gather the truth. As a logic…

Think Again: Questioning Conspiracy Theories

Are professional sports on the up and up? Do the “better” teams win by genuinely defeating the “lesser” teams? With the NBA playoffs having just finished, it’s a good time to mention one of the conspiracy theories that was making the rounds a few years ago. According to many sports fans at the time, the NBA’s league officials were conspiring…

Thinking Again about Logic

If you want your thoughts on any given subject to be clear and careful, it usually requires engaging the topic more than once. To think again about something means that you want to get it right. Before I came on staff at Reasons to Believe (RTB), I spent almost ten years teaching courses in logic, philosophy, and world religions at…

God as the Source of Knowledge

Originally published in RTB’s ezine, New Reasons to Believe, vol. 1, no. 1 (2009) Does the Bible indicate where knowledge comes from? Since evolutionary processes can’t guarantee true beliefs naturalism as a worldview faces insurmountable problems. For its part, the historic Judeo-Christian worldview asserts that God is the author of truth, logic, and the laws of nature. They are part…

Reflective Thinking: The Noble Art of Rhetorical Persuasion, Part 2

As we saw in part one of this two-part series, rhetoric is the art of discourse aimed at persuasion—and the skillful and noble use of rhetorical discourse is a valuable facet of communication. But what happens when the power of persuasion is severed from the critical pursuit of truth? What happens when the art of skillful speech and debate is…

Reflective Thinking: The Noble Art of Rhetorical Persuasion, Part 1

When building arguments, how can we make the most persuasive case for our position (say, for example, that the Lakers are the best franchise in the history of NBA basketball)? What specific elements directly impact persuasion? What separates authentic persuasive appeals from the inauthentic? Rhetoric is the art of discourse aimed at persuasion. The noble use of rhetorical discourse is…

Why We Need Logic in Schools

Logic, the science of evaluating arguments, helps order the mind and enhances reasoning abilities. Thus, a logically oriented mind is better prepared to discern truth. The following 15 quotes are a sample of actual statements I’ve heard from students throughout my 20+ years of teaching at the college level. Many of the statements are funny but they also demonstrate the…

RTB Super-Scholar Heroes in the Battle of Fallacies

News Flash—Glendora, CA, USA A climactic battle broke out today between two RTB super-scholar heroes—Fuz-Lightyear-Rana and Logic-Samples-Man! The dispute was over which super-scholar possesses the greater inherent powers of manipulative persuasion. Fuz-Lightyear-Rana launched a preemptive strike that seemed intoxicatingly convincing. Hot air and informal logical fallacies immediately filled the room and fuzzy thinking reigned supreme. Yet Logic-Samples-Man fought back valiantly,…