Logic: The Method of Reason—part 2 by Harry Binswanger

Logic: The Method of Reason -- part 2: Thinking in Principles

Atlas Shrugged has been aptly described as “a hymn to logic.” But today what one finds in logic textbooks are sterile, formalistic diversions from real-life issues. This course, in contrast, will focus on the most personally important — and most neglected — topic in logic: concepts. It is proper conceptualization, not facility with syllogisms, that makes the difference between clarity and confusion, rational and irrational functioning, adhering to reality and wandering through dreamland. Drawing on Ayn Rand’s revolutionary identifications in logic, these five classes focus on the proper formation, definition, maintenance, and use of concepts. Emphasis will be given to working on practical exercises. The course is based on the material in chapters six and seven of How We Know, with class exercises to practice applying the principles to concrete cases.

Class 2. This lesson first focuses on the need to grasp and automatize a concept’s genus in order to integrate it into one's full context. Exercises in class teach the student how to identify the proper genus of any term. Then begin Definitions, the topic for the next two and half lessons. Since the pattern of all thought rests on definition, the five rules of proper definition are presented, with guidance on how to define any term. The homework assignment is to define three terms.

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[dougpridgen]

These videos are philosophical gold. I hope people who encounter them do something with them to improve themselves and by extension the culture.

[YashArya]

16:00 Homework discussion
46:52 Attributes of good examples
56:45 Definitions - Homework for class 3

[borisreitman]

15:40: Re: Feynman and examples example. The religious Jews (the Rabbis) like to illustrate their points with examples in the form of stories.

[hopehoodlife]

I'm working to condense these concepts which are wonderful, but even he misapplies logic specific examples because he has presuppositions about God that make some concepts impossible for him to entertain during the definition step of logic.

[TyyylerDurden]

I don't know about which "europeans" he was talking about regarding education, but I can assure that our "old-fashioned education" doesn't teach how to think, and doesn't involve critical thinking at all. Americans are much more flexible and dexterous. Private schools in America are among the best schools in the World; the higher education in the USA is undoubtedly number 1 in the World. I presume maybe he did speak about the PUBLIC schools?! Public schools are garbage in every single country on Earth! Absolutely pathetic and failed concept, which has been demonstrating its impotency since the very first moment, but there are still lots of idiots, who continue to support it. They are probably the products of public education by themselves.

[Patriotman]

How is that we have not heard confess faith in jesus as the lord and savior?