Category Archives for "Logic"

The False Choice – Logic 101

Logic , Some Education

Yesterday, we featured a post in which Razi Zacharias conducted a review of Stephen Hawking's new book The Grand Design, in which Ravi mentions that Hawking is presenting a "False Choice".  What is a "False Choice"

A False Choice is a logic error that is usually an aggressive attempt by someone making an argument, attempting to limit you to usually undesirable options.  He will present you with a question, and then give you several options for answers – except that the answers are NOT all the options available to you, and they are usually presented in a fashion that puts your answer in a bad light. 

Here's an example. Lets say that someone is asking you "What is your favorite color – red or blue"?  Well obviously the person asking the question left out many options.  You may like green, and reply:  "You have presented me with a false choice – you have limited the options that I may select from.  The truth is that I like green."

In apologetics, a False Choice may be presented as thus:  "Science and God are incompatible.  Either you believe in God, or you trust science.  You cannot do both."  All we have to do is present the real definition of science, that being the study of God's creation in order to exercise our dominion over the creation, to assist those of His Kingdom who need medicine, etc."  We could also trot out the list of God fearing scientists as a disproof to this attack of logic

Grace and Peace

Mike

Logic 101

Logic , Some Education

A Christian is called to use their mind.  Logic is one tool to use to discover Truth via the mind.  Christ is the Logos: the Word (aka reason, vision, logic or order).  So when we discover Truth via the mind we find order, and logic.  The tools of logic are the Premise, and the Conclusion.

Logic follows several basic rules: 

-The law of identity:  A is A

-The law of non-contradiction:  Non-A is not A

-The law of the excluded middle:  Something is either A or non-A

-The law of rational inference:  If A, then B

An argument is a series of propositions that follow rational inference, and result in a conclusion that is valid.

-All dogs are mammals

-This is a dog

-Therefore, this is a mammal

An argument that is invalid results from irrational inference of propositions

-All dogs are mammals

-All cats are mammals

-This is a mammal

– Therefore, this is a dog / cat

Key items to look for when someone is appealing to logic (even if they dont realize it) are signals such as:  "If", or "When" or 'Because"

Such as:  "If God can do all things and is all powerful, can He create a rock that even He can't move"?  Or: "If God created all things, did He create sin"?

What are the logical issues with these statements?  Let me know what you think!