The Teaching of Logic in Peter Geach
Keywords: Teaching of Logic, Peter Geach, Learning, Logic,
Abstract :
This article examines the possibility of teaching logic and its relation to the innate structure of human thought. The central question of the study is how logic can be taught if logical rules constitute the condition for the possibility of thinking itself. The discussion begins with an analysis of Wittgenstein’s view concerning the impossibility of thinking illogically and then investigates the necessity of logical education in light of error, fallacy, and contradiction in human reasoning. The article subsequently focuses on Peter Geach’s distinction between “practical logic” and “theoretical logic.” According to Geach, human beings naturally possess a form of practical logic; however, this capacity is insufficient for identifying hidden contradictions and avoiding complex errors. Therefore, theoretical logic becomes necessary as a means of correcting and completing practical logic. The article also argues that learning itself has a logical and self-corrective structure and that the teaching of logic is an essential component of rational education. Moreover, it explains that logical education can strengthen critical reasoning, the evaluation of the validity of propositions, and the identification of hidden assumptions in processes of understanding and judgment, thereby contributing significantly to rational dialogue and scientific inquiry. Ultimately, the article concludes that teaching logic is not merely the transmission of formal rules but the cultivation of critical capacity, intellectual coherence, and rational responsibility toward thought and language
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