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Logic And Wisdom


Jean Valjean

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:kaukau: Recently, while on another forums site, I was discussing on a subject about politics. Feeling it necessary and relevant to the topic, I posted bonesiii's mega-blog entry, "The Debate Guide". There was another member who frequently posted on the topic, and also the only one who seemed to have any political opinions whatsoever, who I had had good discussions with, but when she saw what I had posted, her response was this.

 

The only problem I see with that is the fact that people follow different logic than others. A point may seem logical to my brother but will follow no rational logic to me, and so his logic dictates that his point is reasonable while my logic dictates it wouldn't work at all, or is irrelevant to the topic.

 

 

This was my response:

 

Well, we just got down to the very foundation of political differences. The reason that there are different political parties is because different peoples' logic has pointed them toward different ideas of the truth, whether they be true or not. When it comes to political debate and building political opinions, it is easy to be persuaded by ideology that is only valid, but not altogether sound.

 

I'm not sure exactly how people could follow different types of logic. Perhaps you were misusing the word as a replacement for the word "opinion"?

 

 

More can be added to that. Our opinions are based off of our logic, but if we look just a little bit deeper, we see that our logic is based off of facts. For example, let's say that I, figuratively, believed in global warming. Where did I get my logic for that from? Various statistics showing that the Earth has gradually been increasing its average temperature over the last decade and several record highs. My logic was based off of facts, or at least, what I believe are facts. However, if I concluded some more facts, my sense of reasoning points somewhere else. Right now, there is in the U.S. an economic crisis, which could effect us sooner on the short run than on the long run, like global warming would, so it would make sense to make the economy a higher priority, since in order to survive on the long run one must survive the first one hundred meters. Then again, I might be under-estimating the effects of global warming, so I must look harder at the statistics. As you can see, there are many facts which will effect how my logic will work, as well as desire, the desire to have a certain opinion, which will merely poison your logic and cause on to devalue certain facts causing objection. If I had only based my opinion off of only one side of the situation, than, no matter if I would have been right or wrong, my logic would have been poorly used.

 

Logic is based off of facts, and when in debate, two different people might be basing their knowledge off of different facts, which is unorganized, and leads to not being able to understand each other. Thus, it would make sense that the best way to go about logic is to base it off of as many sound and proven facts as possible, and that in debate, the opposing opinions should lay down all of the facts that they are based on to be as organized as possible, and thus their logic more on the same level.

 

Now, there is another words which is often used interchangeably with logic. That word is wisdom. Let's look at the definition for the two words.

 

1. the science that investigates the principles governing correct or reliable inference.

2. a particular method of reasoning or argumentation: We were unable to follow his logic.

3. the system or principles of reasoning applicable to any branch of knowledge or study.

4. reason or sound judgment, as in utterances or actions: There wasn't much logic in her move.

5. convincing forcefulness; inexorable truth or persuasiveness: the irresistible logic of the facts.

1. the quality or state of being wise; knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action; sagacity, discernment, or insight.

2. scholarly knowledge or learning: the wisdom of the schools.

3. wise sayings or teachings; precepts.

4. a wise act or saying.

 

 

As you can see, there is little difference between the two, although wisdom is often associated with doing. It says that wisdom is knowing what is true or right, coupled with just judgment as to action. However, many people are wise, and yet will do what they know is wrong, so this might be questionable. One of the key words I read in the first definition was knowledge, meaning that wisdom is not effected by our knowledge of facts, but might, depending on how you look at it, represents facts itself. Now, this can't be true, according to EmperorWhenua's once-personal-statement, that wisdom is more important than knowledge. So what is wisdom and what is it's relationship with knowledge? Let's look at the definition again. It says that the knowledge is of what is true or right. What is true or right? Farther into the definition, it says, "coupled with just judgment as to action." To act (the root word of action) is to make a decision. In other words, wisdom is the knowledge empowering us to make right decisions.

 

To rephrase that in more Bonesiii-like terms, Wisdom is a perfectly sound opinion.

 

Here is the relationship between opinions and logic: logic is how we form opinions, but logic is not an opinion itself. If you are in high school, or have ever been in high school, than you know that there is a difference between showing your work and giving the answer, and it is similar with logic and wisdom. Through logic, we build wisdom.

 

So, while they are not the same thing, they are very much related, and very similar in certain aspects. Each can be associated with understanding the truth, although in different ways. They are interchangeable as adjectives, so I could say that the exercise of only wisdom instead of logic is both illogical and unwise (and contradictory), but I cannot say that logic is the same as wisdom when used as nouns, because they aren't by definition.

 

Since the subject of this entry was to define each word, here is what I have concluded:

 

-Wisdom is the knowledge empowering us to make right decisions.

-Wisdom is a perfectly sound opinion.

- [Logic is] the science that investigates the principles governing correct or reliable inference. (Dictionary.com, definition 1)

-Logic is based off of facts.

 

Your Honor,

Emperor Kraggh

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:kaukau:Well, I'm still flattered. That's just about the best compliment possible on BZP.

 

Coincidentally, when I wrote this yesterday, my uncle read this and then went to church. He came back telling me that the sermon was about the difference between intelligence and wisdom. Wait, did I say "coincidentally?" I don't believe in coincidences.

 

Your Honor,

Emperor Kraggh

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i agree with every word that didn't talk about global warming.

 

 

:kaukau:I apologize if I said anything that sounded disagreeable. I'm not entirely well rooted in the facts surrounding global warming, nor am I an economical know-it-all. However, trying to prove a point on global warming was not the point of that paragraph. It was just using it as an example of how one seemingly simple issue can have many different sides to it, any of which a person could concentrate on and forget all of the other facts, making easily a debate in which two people are not on the same terms.

 

However, I never stated my opinion on global warming or my beliefs one which actions to take. We might actually agree on this.

 

Your Honor,

Emperor Kraggh

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People do not each have an individual logic, but rather they have a point of view. Logic is an absolute, not someone's point of view.

 

For instance: If one were to live without using the laws of logic, a they would talk to someone like this: "So how old are you?"

"12."

"So do you have your license yet?"

"No." "I have my license too."

"I said no."

"Yes, I know you said yes."

"I'm going to slap you."

"So you do like potatoes?"

 

~7

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:kaukau:Lol. Actually, I considered the difference between logic and point of view. I like to use the word outlook instead. An outlook, the way I currently define it, is a way in which we prefer to see things. It's sort of like having an opinion based off of personal preferences. This turned out to be what this person was talking about, and I will quote.

 

No, I meant logic. Scott has a different view of the world than I do. He views everyone as having good intentions while I mainly see the negative in a very evil world. He follows a logic that everyone is going to do good and would not intentionally harm someone for their own gain. Meanwhile I recognize the ugly truth and rationalize decisions off of it. He'll deduce that politicians are trying honestly to help society (which some might be, but it's unlikely), and he'll draw a logical conclusion as to the outcome of a certain event because his viewpoint dictates the logic he uses, which is admittedly faulty. Did you follow that? I'm not certain how else to explain it.

 

Precise words: viewpoint. These are ways in which these two different people prefer to look at the world, influenced by their preferences and their wants. These are how they want to view the world. Of course, the actual answer to the controversy would take quite a bit of logic to figure out, and several philosophical rants to the side. I preferred not to get into the subject, although one of these night I will have that on my mind and I will be forced to deduct my own answer to the question.

 

Anyways, that was just an example of outlooks I thought you ought to see.

 

Your Honor,

Emperor Kraggh

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I see what you mean. An "outlook," as you call it, could more accurately be called a Worldview (if what you mean by an outlook is the person's way of looking at life).

 

~7

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:kaukau:Not specifically just a way we look at life. I define an outlook as a prefered view that one might have on any subject. Of course, I might have misinterpreted what you meant by "life".

 

Your Honor,

Emperor Kraggh

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Well a worldview is a basic way of looking at life (what I mean by life is, well, life :P).

 

Your definition of an outlook is more like someone's view or opinion.

 

~7

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:kaukau:Yes, well, I see that we might be going in different directions using two different words.

 

Basically, yes, I guess that an outlook is a type of opinion, one that is mainly influenced by personal preference. Perhaps not the most stable of opinions, but an opinion nevertheless. Stable opinions, of course, are based off of logic.

 

Your Honor,

Emperor Kraggh

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