Nature of Logic

Essay by wee-haaUniversity, Bachelor's June 2006

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Human thinking is a complicated matter to say the least. Most of one's original thoughts and ideas are based merely on perception rather than logic. How does logic relate to human perception? This paper will try to give an answer to that question. In this paper, the author will examine his thinking process and give an example of a situation in which his perception was not reality.

Perception

Is perception reality? Perception and reality is not the same thing. Perception can be boiled down to a person's process of receiving and translating experiences. This process can make of a large part of how an individual thinks in general. Using perception, a person can deduce the outcome of a situation without all of the facts. This deduction, however, may not always be correct. Depending on the person as well as the amount of information available, the perceptions of two people will usually be different in some shape, form, or fashion.

Therefore, perception is not always reality.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking can be summed up as the process in which people use logic to evaluate situations. Feeling, opinions, and assumptions can create a false image of the truth. However, by using the critical thinking process and evaluating facts, the truth or reality can be discovered. Critical thinkers still have perceptions. The difference lies in the fact that critical thinkers have evidence to support their perceptions. People begin to have perceptions at an early age. It is part of the growing and learning process. We base our perceptions on the things that we see and hear on a daily basis. An example of this would be the perception that a person is rude because he or she is from New York City. This perception is not necessarily true, but is based on what...