Discussion Questions

I. Which Students Are Ready to Study Formal Logic?
(1) How does a student’s academic maturity determine her preparedness to approach The Discovery of Deduction (DD)?
(2) Why might some very smart, advanced students not be developmentally prepared to tackle DD?
(3) Why aren’t excellent grades the only and best indicator of a student’s preparedness to approach DD?

II. The Classical Approach to Understanding the Branches of Logic
(1) What are the common misconceptions associated with the labels “formal” and “informal” logic?
(2) What are you modeling for your students as you explore the root meanings of these terms for their course relevance?
(3) Theory, imitation, and practice—the classical model

III. How to Review Informal Logic with Students Studying DD
(1) Where can you find some examples of informal logical fallacies?
(2) Are you able to demonstrate how to evaluate an inductive argument to demonstrate to your class?

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IV. Formal Logic: Discovering Deduction
(1) Using the metaphorical example of constructing a house as a reference, explain why form is equally as necessary as content when constructing a sound argument.
(2) What are the differences between true statements, a valid argument, and a sound argument?