– How people learn to think logically? Is there any limits to possible logical thinking, depending on age?
In: Other
On the one hand, there’s a long tradition of formal logic that someone can study. It details exactly when and why certain premises or combinations of premises imply certain conclusions. In principle, someone can “learn to think logically” by reading a book or taking a class on those concepts.
On the other hand, people rarely “think logically” by carefully applying these formal concepts. Sometimes this is because the casual definition of thinking logically can be incredibly broad and include assumed subject matter knowledge. For example, you might chastise someone who opens an umbrella in a lightning storm for not thinking logically, but the real problem is likely a failure to understand what lightning is and how it works. Once everyone agrees on the same premises, the logic needed to draw a conclusion is not difficult.
Second, and more importantly, most people learn a sort of “instinctual logic” from interacting with others. If they make an illogical claim, they are (hopefully) corrected until they learn that reasoning of that kind is flawed. Nobody has to pull out a truth table, but they still get the idea. Learning of this kind happens in the environment and is most effective when authority figures like parents and teachers have a firm (even if instinctual) understanding of logic and frequently talk and engage with the learner.
Latest Answers