Logic. Many years ago, I took a course in logic at the University of Maryland, and I am glad that I did. It is a subject that I highly recommend. Most people today don’t realize how important logic once was as a subject of study. Back in the 18th Century, logic was a required subject at most major European and American universities. You couldn’t get a college degree if you hadn’t studied logic. Unfortunately, not only is logic no longer a required subject anywhere, most universities, including big ones, no longer offer even a single course in the subject. I don’t know why that is. It is certainly not because the ability to think logically is no longer important, and it is certainly not because illogic is no longer a problem in academia, business, or politics – especially politics. I sometimes listen to Congressmen and presidential candidates on TV saying incredibly illogical things, and it depresses me to think that these people run the country.
Tag Archives: logic
World’s Worst Applicant
Logic, logic. I think the subject of logic is on my mind right now because of a phone call I got a few days ago. A college student called me on the phone because he heard a rumor that I had a one-bedroom apartment coming up for rent. I told the guy that the rumor was not true and that I did not have any one-bedrooms coming up. He said he didn’t believe me. I don’t know why he thought I was lying, but I was telling him the truth. I was feeling uncomfortable about the way this guy was talking, and I wanted to end the conversation. Unfortunately, he wanted to keep talking. Finally I said to him: “Look, there is no point in going on with this conversation. I don’t have any one-bedroom apartments coming up for rent. There is nothing else I can say.” He became angry and said: “When there is nothing else to say, I will be the one to say it, not you!” Then he hung up the phone. I am sure that this guy didn’t see anything wrong with his logic, but I was certainly not going to call him back and explain it to him.