Judgment in logic

Main thing

Judgment in logic is the mental process of affirming or denying propositions about concepts. It's essential for logical reasoning and making decisions. If the concepts are correct but the judgment is flawed, it's hard to reach the right conclusion. This is because judgments are the means by which we determine the truth or falsehood of statements based on the relationship between concepts.

Example: If someone correctly understands what birds and flying are (concepts) but incorrectly judges that "All birds can fly," they will struggle to correctly conclude about flightless birds like penguins.

Terms

• Proposition - A statement that expresses a judgment. Example: "All pines are trees."

• Concept - An idea or category involved in a judgment. Example: "Fish" in the judgment "All carps are fish."

• Affirmation - A judgment stating that a proposition is true. Example: "Some people are athletes."

• Denial - A judgment stating that a proposition is false. Example: "No whale is a fish."

An analogy

Judgment in logic is like a judge in a courtroom. The judge examines evidence and testimony to affirm or deny claims, just as judgments in logic affirm or deny the truth of propositions based on concepts.Example: A judge ruling that a contract is valid affirms the agreement between parties, similar to affirming a true statement in logic.

A main misconception

A common misconception is that judgments are subjective opinions. In reality, judgments are objective assessments based on logical relationships between concepts.Example: Someone might say "I feel like it's going to rain," but a judgment would require evidence, like dark clouds in the sky, not just a feeling.

The history

1. Ancient Greece - Philosophers like Aristotle began to formalize the concept of judgment in logic.

2. Enlightenment - Kant's work emphasized the role of judgment in understanding and reasoning.

3. 19th Century - Logic expanded with the development of symbolic logic, refining the concept of judgment.

4. 20th Century - Advances in logic, influenced by figures like George Boole, further clarified the nature of judgment.

Three cases how to use it right now

1. Decision Making - A person deciding to carry an umbrella based on the judgment that "Dark clouds in the sky mean it will rain" uses their understanding of weather patterns (concepts) to make a judgment about the likelihood of rain (proposition).

2. Voting - A voter chooses a candidate based on the judgment that "This candidate's policies will benefit the economy," relying on their understanding of economics (concepts) and the candidate's proposals (propositions).

3. Health Choices - An individual decides to eat healthier based on the judgment that "Eating vegetables is good for health," applying their knowledge of nutrition (concepts) to their dietary choices (propositions).

Interesting facts

• The concept of judgment in logic is not limited to true or false; it also includes judgments of necessity, possibility, and contingency.

• Judgments form the basis of logical inferences, where one judgment leads to another.

• In computer science, judgment in logic is fundamental for programming conditional statements.

• The accuracy of a judgment can be affected by cognitive biases and logical fallacies.

• The study of judgments in logic has implications for fields as diverse as philosophy, mathematics, and artificial intelligence.