Straight Thinking

• Literally, "loving knowledge/wisdom"
• Investigation of truths & principles of knowledge, conduct and being.

"An unusually stubborn attempt to think clearly about the basic issues of life."

Ultimate Reality

How we can do. How we know.

The nature of ultimate reality

Basic Values

Right conduct

Beauty

Humanity

Social Organization

Right Thinking

• Socrates
• Plato
• Aristotle

• "The unexplained life is not worth living."
• Socratic method: dialectic, struggle for truth through dialogue

Atheist who believes in God.

Apology, Crito & Phaedo [ the hemlock ]

" Everything in philosophy since Plato is merely a footnote to Plato"

• Alfred Norh Whitehead.
• Taught "eternal ideas".
• Forms, Universials, the Logos; the Allegory of the cave [ shadows= matter, nature]

a "World Soul" [ Universal Force ] or Demiurge [ intermediary creator ]

The Doctrine of Reminiscence; philosopher kings.

• Agreed with Plato. No particulars without forms, but Universals, Forms, etc.
• Not the only reality; study of particulars [ science ] is dialectic opportunity to know Forms, Universals;
• Shadows have significance.

Aristotle's Thinking Tool.

• Three Laws; Identity A = A;
• Contradiction A cannot be A and Not A
• Excluded middle: Everything is either A or not A.

verbal devices that so organizes two propositions that a third, a conclusion, follows necessarily

Premise and Proposition

statement or proposition which supports a conclusion: Major & Minor Premise

A statement which is either true or false

logical of premises and propositions

From logos:

the science of correct/ valid reasoning; conclusions from facts, ideas, evidence

To think correctly; sound judgement

A valid relationship/connection between evidence/premise & conclusion

A fallacy; fallacious reasoning

Were first to formally investigate & establish standard reasoning

Deliberately shifted from valid arguments to subtle. "tricky" & insincere arguments; "sophistry"

Gave Latin names to types of fallacious reasoning

"hominem"

Is language an innate gift of the Creator for his special creation?

Is the propostiion or statement true or false; fact or opinion: need to seek verification

Allows propositions to be presented logically

words or inferred/implied words indicate the direction of the argument

For, since, because, etc

so, therefore, thus etc

unsaid, the logical conclusion of a rational mind.

Are the facts,evidence, true; verifiable?

Is the reasoning process sound [ valid ]?

Starts with Major Premise, "truth"; if a valid connection the conclusion follows necessarily

Starts with gathering evidence; if convincing & logical connection it is probably true

Most knowledge is "probable"

We over-rely on deductive; need more inductive [ scientific research ]

"count the teeth"

Number of senses & meanings & sound a like

Controlled by conventional usage [ its technical meaning ] & through its context [ verbal environment ]

Occurs when doubt is in context

Sometimes intended for humorous effect, a pun, or to deliberately mislead, equivocation

Maybe caused by grammar

Unintended Humor; Question Regarding the Meaning; Mistaken Meaning

When the meaning of a word is deliberately changed in the course of an argument or discussion with deceptive purpose

"I did not have sex with that woman."

Statement is not clear; caused by indefiniteness [ "Some guy said you need to call him"];

Undefined Degree [ "She's a pretty good musician" ]

Obscurity- was not clear what was said

Can be used by euphemism, a term that lessens negative impact

Mumbling- unclear speech

Gobbledegook- obfuscation

deliberately and complicated language