`This book grew out of the conviction, not in itself strange or startling, that the ordinary person can and should think straight rather than crooked.' Patrick Shaw has written a commonsense introduction to the use of logic in everyday thought and argument. It explains some of the rules of good argument and some of the ways in which arguments can fail, drawing illustrations from a variety of contemporary and international sources, such as the press, radio, and television. Symbols and technicalities are kept to a minimum in this thorough and provocative investigation of the rational approach to thought - and its limitations. Logic and Its Limits emphasizes the use of logic in helping to settle and clarify disputes. It will help the reader to avoid bad arguments, to detect them in others, and so to think and argue more effectively. A wide range of thought-provoking examples and exercises concerned with contemporary social and political issues make this a readable and stimulating guide for the student and general reader alike.

About the Author
Patrick Shaw is lecturer in Logic at the University of Glasgow

Reviews
Within its set limits, the book is both accessible and entertaining. ...I was particularly pleased by the discussion on statistical inference. ...Logic and its Limits contains many pleasures. ...Moreover, in an appendix, Shaw present as clear an exposition of the shortcomings of syllogistic logic as I have yet seen. ...a simple, easily-digested introductory text on logic, one that will help you analyse both your arguments and those of others, and one that will at least tell you something of what logic is about, you can do a lot worse than buy this book. I have no hesitation in recommending ogic and its Limits to my students. * Edward Ingram is Fellow in Philosophy, School of Psychology *



Book Information
ISBN 9780192892805
Author Patrick Shaw
Format Paperback
Page Count 272
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 287g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 129mm * 17mm