Should colleges require students take a logic class?

Question

I actually believe high school students would benefit from this. However, what surprises me is the sheer amount of college students who have no idea what simple logical fallacies are or how to avoid them.


Let's say I make this statement, "All lions are mammals. Mammals are animals, therefore lions are animals." They'd believe a statement like that was the exact same as "All mammals are lions or all animals are mammals!" This wouldn't bother me as much if I was surrounded by 10 year olds. However, this was in college, with adults who would soon face the world!

This example is similar to many real life experiences I had during discussions in college. Should schools make the students learn about logic, fallacies, etc? Should adults even value logical thought?

Answer 1

Yes, logic needs to be taught in schools and colleges.

Answer 2

I believe you're right. Once upon a time, there was a woman named Barbara Minto. She was the first woman ever hired to be a strategic consultant, back in the 50s. Among her engagements was an internal project to figure out why all these top-rated MBAs couldn't write. The problem was that after 19 years of school from the most exclusive schools in the world, these folks still couldn't write. She concluded that nobody was teaching basic logic and thinking skills, so she did it. Her answer was later published in a book called The Minto Pyramid Principle.

I bring this up, because this is a basic problem, even among the elite. As a software developer, when I am aware of the logical tools I am using, I write far fewer bugs.

Good idea, why not?

Answer 3

Definitely. In fact, I believe most colleges do require students to take a "logic" class. But the class is usually under a different name ("critical thinking"), which emphasizes other important elements of thinking as well. I attended Chapman University for my freshman and sophomore years and Critical Thinking was GE requirement. I transfered to Cal Poly Pomona at the beginning of this year and am now required to take another Critical Thinking course.

Answer 4

I would like to see it offered as a requirement in high school for students in an academic type program. IN some respect logic is taught in the high schools when they take geometry and have to do all those proofs which totally rely of logical thinking and logic.

as for making it a requirement in college, i believe that when a person gets to college they are able to decide for themselves which subjects they would like to learn and study.

Answer 5

My logic professor was of the belief that logic classes should be taken rather early as it helps with math among other things. Sad part is, I really don't believe I've retained that much from the class and I just had it a year ago (and I think it is a requirement at my school).

Answer 6

Logic is a tool. In high school, my brother took Logic. I wanted to do but because of the requirements (for all kids) and my desire to take 4 years of French and 2 years of Journalism, I didn't have extra "electives" to use for Logic.

I graduated from Webster U in 1994 and we had no requirements for a Logic course (nor did we during my first 2 years at community college).

Answer 7

Political examples are often used in logic classes and critical thinking classes because they present excellent topics for analysis. They provoke students to actually think about the rationales used in political arguments and to learn to strip away the propaganda and long-held beliefs that constitute a lot of the political presentations. I would not condemn your mother’s professor on that basis. His other behavior is a matter of subjective evaluation and we don’t really know enough to judge it.

Answer 8

The school I go to requires a logic class, I'm actually taking it this summer and I'm not sure if I'm excited about it or not. I guess I'll find out in the first few days.

Answer 9

I used to say that only two classes should be required of all college students -- a writing class and a logic class.

I don't know if I really believe that both should be required -- but both ought to be encouraged.

Answer 10

Absolutely. It's amazing how many people think their arguments make sense--and those faulty arguments are often used to try to justify unjustifiable behavior. Critical Thinking is probably the best class I ever took in college.