THE 6 TYPES OF LOGIC AND THEIR MEANING - PHILOSOPHY - 2025

There are several types of logic and all focus their object of study on understanding reasoning and identifying when they are correct or incorrect. The study of logic has evolved from the times of the Greek philosopher Aristotle to the present day.

Ethics has been adjusting with the intention of being more specific and, at the same time, more adapted to the daily life of the human being, which allows a more tangible application in different areas.

Aristotle, recognized as the father of logic.

Logic seeks the systematic study of arguments and propositions, and the different types of logic allow it to be possible to study both the merely formal structure of these statements, as well as what has to do with the content, and the power of said content.

Although logic is based on the study of statements, it does not focus clearly on natural language (language as we know it), but its usefulness has reached different areas and with different structures, such as mathematics and computing.

The most relevant types of logic

Formal logic

Formal logic, also known as classical logic or Aristotelian logic, is the study of propositions, arguments, statements, or sentences from a structural point of view. It is a method of structuring thought and determining the correct or incorrect forms of a specific approach.

Formal logic does not focus on the veracity or falsity of the content of a particular argument, but rather concentrates on the validity or not of the construction of its form.

That is to say, the object of study of formal logic is not empirical, for the logician it is not relevant to determine if the argument presented is real and proven; Rather, his study is clearly focused on the structure of said argument.

Within formal logic there are two very important classifications: deductive logic and inductive logic.

Deductive logic refers to those specific statements that are generated from general notions. Through this type of logic, inferences can be made from concepts or theories that already exist.

For example, within deductive logic it could be said that, if humans have legs and Clara is a human being, then Clara has legs.

In the case of inductive logic, the construction of the arguments happens in the opposite way; that is, general concepts are created from specific arguments.

For example, within inductive logic it could be said that, if one cat likes fish, and another likes it too, and another also, then all cats like fish.

Informal logic

Informal logic is the branch of study that focuses on language and the message that emanates from semantic constructions and arguments.

This logic is different from formal logic, in that formal logic studies the structures of sentences and propositions; and informal logic focuses on the substance of the message conveyed.

Its object of study is the way of arguing to obtain the desired result. Informal logic gives validity to logical arguments that are more coherent among others that have a weaker argumentative structure.

Non-classical logic

Non-classical logic, or modern logic, originates in the nineteenth century and arises in opposition to the statements of classical logic. It establishes other forms of analysis that can cover more aspects than those that can be covered through the classic approach to logic.

This is how mathematical and symbolic elements are included, new statements or theorems that came to make up for the deficiencies of a formal logic system.

Within non-classical logic there are different subtypes of logic, such as modal, mathematical, trivalent, among others.

All these types of logic differ to some extent from formal logic, or incorporate new elements that are complementary, and allow the logical study of a particular statement to be more exact and adapted to utility in everyday life.

Symbolic logic

Symbolic logic is also called first-order logic, or mathematical logic, and is characterized by using symbols that constitute a new language through which arguments are "translated".

The intention of symbolic logic is to convert abstract thoughts into more formal structures. In fact, it does not use natural language (idiom), but uses a technical language that turns sentences into elements susceptible to the application of more exact rules than can be applied in natural language.

So, symbolic logic allows the treatment of propositions through the laws of calculus, in order to avoid confusion or inaccuracies.

It seeks to incorporate mathematical elements in the analysis of the structures of formal logic. In the mathematical realm, logic is used to prove theorems.

In short, symbolic or mathematical logic seeks to express human thought through mathematical language.

This mathematical application of logic allows arguments and constructions to be more exact.

Modal logic

Modal logic focuses on the study of arguments, but adds elements related to the possibility that the statement in question is true or false.

Modal logic tries to be more in tune with human thought, therefore it encompasses the use of constructions such as "could", "possibly", "sometimes", "perhaps", "probably", "is probable", "maybe ", among other.

In modal logic, it is about considering a scenario in which there is a possibility, and it tends to consider all the possibilities that may exist, from the logical point of view.

Computational logic

Computational logic is a type of logic derived from symbolic or mathematical logic, only it is applied in the area of ​​computing.

Computer programs use the programming language for their development and, through logic, it is possible to work on those language systems, assign specific tasks, and execute verification actions.

References

1. "Logic" in Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved on August 4, 2017 from Encyclopedia Britannica: britannica.com
2. "Formal logic" in Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved on August 4, 2017 from Encyclopedia Britannica: britannica.com
3. Hernández, F. "Computational Logic" at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Retrieved on August 4, 2017 from the National Autonomous University of Mexico: unam.mx
4. Muñoz, C. "Non-Classic Logic" at the Complutense University of Madrid. Retrieved on August 4, 2017 from the Complutense University of Madrid: ucm.es
5. Julia, J. "What is symbolic logic?" in eHow in Spanish. Retrieved on August 4, 2017 from eHow in Spanish: ehowenespanol.com
6. Oller, C. "Formal logic and argumentation" (2006) at the National University of La Plata. Retrieved on August 4, 2017 from the National University of La Plata: rfytp.fahce.unlp.edu.ar
7. "Deductive and inductive inferences" in Junta de Extremadura. Retrieved on August 4, 2017 in Junta de Extremadura: educarex.es.