"God created man with the ability to reason. He did this so that we could communicate with each other and so we could obey Him. Reason allows us to form rational statements, and understand the statements of others. It allows us, for example, to take universal statements such as 'God has commanded all men everywhere to repent,' and apply them, first to ourselves, and then to our neighbor. Without the ability to reason, we would be unable to talk, preach, read, or follow God's commands.
Logic is the science and art of reason. As a science, logic identifies the rules by which we reason. As an art it teaches how to follow those rules. About sixteen centuries ago, Augustine said this about the science of logic:
'And yet the validity of logical sequences is not a thing devised by men, but is observed and noted by them that they may be able to learn and teach it; for it exists eternally in the reason of things, and has its origin with God. For as the man who narrates the order of events does not himself create that order; and as he who describes the situations of places, or the natures of animals, or roots, or minerals, does not describe arrangements of man; and as he who points out the stars and heir movements does not point out anything that he himself or any other man has ordained; in the same way, he who says, 'When the consequent is false, the antecedent must also be false," says what is most true; but he does not himself make it so, he only points out that it is so.' (Augustine of Hippo, On Christian Doctrine, Book II, Chapter 32) "
This my readers is what I'm trying to teach myself. Or, in more clear words, this is the textbook I'm using to refine what logic I already have. I recommend it. I hope you enjoyed the excerpt, and I hope it moves you to read it yourself.
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