In 1983 some friends and I put together a satirical newsletter called “Rag Mag” while doing our Master’s studies. While the magazine was often tongue in cheek, here is one of the articles (written by one of us editors) that still rings true today.
It is amazing what people view as truth today. A large segment say truth is that which is logical. Not the least in this group is the Western Christian. How often do we begin with “it’s only logical . . . “ when we want to prove a point? As though logic were the same as truth.
Logic is an imposed system used for argumentation. You put forward various premises. Arguments coming from these premises are evaluated in the system. Harmony with the system is a sign of a good argument. Of course, today many presume that a good argument is the sing of truth.
But witness with me two important points.
Firstly, logic cannot determine truth. The original premises must be true in order for truthful extension to flow from the logical system. I listened to one man argue logically that man was basically good. Unless I faulted his premise, I was unable to logically fault his conclusions.
The system could not change wrong to right. It merely took the input and related whether the arguments from the premises could h”hold water”. One would do well to address the “what is truth?” before becoming embroiled in “logical controversy”.
Secondly, so called “logical contradictions” are often a witness to logic’s inadequacy. Tor the logical system (logic) to work everything must harmonize. By this I mean that premises cannot contradict each other. When a contradiction between two statements occurs, one must be rejected. The rejected statement is now outside logic. The general presumption therefore is that the rejected statement is false. Not necessarily so. The statement may be true but at the moment it is a “problematic premise” for which the system is unable to find a suitable category. The Incarnation, Infinite God encase in finite man, is a prime example. To be outside logic is not necessarily to be outside truth.
Can we reform logic so that it will determine truth? No, bur it can be a tool of truth. Should we reform logic’s law of non-contradiction? No, for then we effectively destroy the cornerstones of logic. Instead, let us accept that logic is limited.