The Art of Logic

By Eugenia Cheng

How to Make Sense in a World that Doesn't

• Logic is the process of investigating, or constructing, a complex argument by asking questions. These questions then act as stepping stones that lead us to a place of clarity.
• If we want to use logic to explore truth, we must first clarify our personal beliefs.
  • In the context of logic, our beliefs are referred to asaxioms.Axioms are our North Star -- statements we do not question. These statements will help us understand our positions in arguments.
  • To identify your axioms, reflect on what you believe to be true. The author's axioms fall into three groups: kindness, knowledge, and existence. These groups give her a starting point for her ethical views, her confidence in scientific and historical research, and her choice to assume she does, indeed, exist as a living person.
  • To be useful, axioms must be true and basic -- you can't break them down further.
  • "The process of repeatedly asking 'Why?' is a way of uncovering the deep logic behind something."
• To argue logically, you need to be as precise as possible.
• Combining emotion with logic is a powerful way to change someone's point of view.
• How to be irrefutable in arguments
  • get into the habit of qualifying what you're saying with phrases like, "in my opinion," or words like, "probably" and "might."