Logic and
Language
Language is a body of standard meanings of
words and the form of speech used as a
means of expressing the feeling, emotion,
desire, thought etc in a consistent pattern of
communication. Language requires symbols
such as words, sounds, gestures, signs that
are patterned and related in a certain way
for the purpose of communicating meanings.
Some use of Language :
01 Ask questions 07 Guess at answers
02 Tell jokes 08 Sing songs
03 Tell stories 09 Form hypotheses
04 Flirt with someone 10 Issue commands
05 Tell lies
11 Launch verbal assaults
06 Give Directions 12 Greet someone and so on
Two linguistic functions t h a t are
parti cul arl y important:
01 To convey information
02 To express or evoke feelings
Examples :
“Death penalty, which is legal in thirty-six
states, has been carried out most often in
Georgia; however, since 1977 Texas holds the
record for the greatest number of
executions.”
“Death penalty is a cruel and inhuman form of
punishment in which hapless prisoners are
dragged from their cells and summarily
slaughtered only to satiate the bloodlust of a
vengeful public.”
Terminology that conveys information is
said to have cognitive meaning.
Terminology that expresses or evokes
feelings is said to have emotive
meaning.
Examples :
“Death penalty is a cruel and inhuman form of punishment in which hapless
prisoners are dragged from their cells and summarily slaughtered only to
satiate the bloodlust of a vengeful public.”
• Statements of this sort usually have both cognitive meaning and emotive meaning.
• since logic is concerned chiefly with cognitive meaning, it is important that we be able to
distinguish and disengage the cognitive meaning of such statements from the emotive meaning.
• Part of such statements is a value claim
• a claim that something is good, bad, right, wrong, or better, worse, more important or less
important than some other thing.
• often the most important part of the cognitive meaning of emotive statements.
• Thus, for logic, it is important that we be able to disengage the value claims of emotively charged
statements from the emotive meaning and treat these claims as separate statements.
Emotive Terminologies in Arguments
• In arguments, emotive terminology allows the arguer to
make value claims about the subject matter of the
argument without providing evidence
• It gives the argument a kind of steamroller quality by
which it tends to crush potential counter arguments
before the reader or listener has a chance to think of
them.
Examples :
The Filipino value of resilience has been abused
for many years. The social media relentlessly
highlights our resiliency specially during the
devastating onslaught of natural disasters. This
should stop if we could hold our hands together
and demand accountability especially to the
carelessness of the government.
Two problems t h a t a f f e c t our
cognitive use of language:
01 Vagueness
– being unclear or uncertain.
02 Ambiguity
–can be interpreted in two or more
ways.
Two problems t h a t a f f e c t our
cognitive use of language:
• Vague terminology allows for a relatively continuous
range of interpretations,
• Ambiguous terminology allows for multiple discrete
interpretations.
• Vague expression there is a blur of meaning,
• Whereas in an ambiguous expression there is a mix-up of
otherwise clear meanings
Vague statements: Ambiguous Statements:
" I'll get back to you later." " He is looking at bats."
" Okay lang."
"Doon sa may ibabaw."
" The bank is closed."
" I might go out tonight."
" Sama-sama tayong babangon
" We'll figure it out muli."
eventually."
What is Two kinds
disputes? of disputes:
It is conflicting
argument between 01 Verbal Disputes
individuals
02 Factual Disputes
What is Verbal - It is disputes that arise over
Disputes ? the meaning of language
Example :
Jaja: Mrs. Bayoneto abuses her children. I saw
her spank one of her kids the other day after
the kid misbehaved.
Ericka: Don’t be silly. Kids need discipline, and
by disciplining her children, Mrs. Bayoneto is
showing that she loves them.
What is Verbal - It is disputes that arise over
Disputes ? the meaning of language
The problem surrounds the vagueness of the
words ‘‘abuse’’ and ‘‘discipline.’’ When does
discipline become abuse? The line separating
the two is hazy at best, but unless it is
clarified, disputes of this sort will never be
resolved.
Example :
What is Alli: I know that Emman stole a computer
Factual from the old school house. Juli told me that
Disputes?
he saw Emman do it.
It is disputes that Bridget: That’s ridiculous! Emman has never
stolen anything in his life. Juli hates Emman,
arise over a and he is trying to pin the theft on him only
disagreement to shield his criminal brother.
about facts
Here, the dispute centers on the factual issues of
whether Alli told the truth and whether Emman
stole the computer.
What is Disputes arisen because of the truth or falsity of
Factual claims are factual
disputes.
Disputes? In dealing with disputes, the first question is
whether the dispute is factual, verbal, or some
It is disputes that combination of the two.
arise over a If the dispute is verbal, then the second
question to be answered is whether the dispute
disagreement concerns ambiguity or vagueness.
about facts