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Avoiding Common Errors in Logic and Reasoning
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Copyright Year | 2005 |
| Abstract | The goal of scholarly writers is to present original ideas and convince readers that these ideas are valid by setting forth well-reasoned and organized arguments. In order to persuade a reader successfully, a writer must clearly present her thesis—the main idea that she wants to explore or defend—, explain her premises—the reasons why she believes the main statement is true—, and provide relevant evidence to demonstrate that each of her premises is, indeed, reasonable. When you break down the parts of a paper into thesis, premises, and evidence, constructing an argument sounds deceptively easy. In practice, as you know, it can sometimes be difficult to judge whether you have communicated a logical defense of your ideas. Once you have been working on an essay for a while, you can get so caught up in the details that it becomes impossible to see the argument as a whole or recognize gaps or errors in your reasoning. One strategy you can use to gain perspective on a paper is to show it to a friend and ask her to identify where the structure of your argument or your ideas are unclear. Or you can write an outline that records the main points of your paper in full sentences and thus reveals the structure of your thoughts. (For detailed advice on using outlines, see the Writing Center’s handout, “Outlines.”) You can also use this list of errors in logic and reasoning to guard against some common mistakes. |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://www.haverford.edu/sites/default/files/Office/Writing-Center/logicreason.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
