So logic is just an evolutionary bi-product?

[Dawud]

To some, logic is not garunteed to be 'true' in any other sense than it makes sense to animals such as ourselves.

Can logic be more? Somehow an objective thing that is greater than us humans?? Or is it just some chemical/physiological process that tells us things are right?

Can logic really be objectively true? Can we know that we are not just hard wired by the fluke of natural selection to think that logic is somehow true?

[Tonus]

logic

"You keep using that word..."

[paulpablo]

To some, logic is not garunteed to be 'true' in any other sense than it makes sense to animals such as ourselves.

Can logic be more? Somehow an objective thing that is greater than us humans?? Or is it just some chemical/physiological process that tells us things are right?

Can logic really be objectively true? Can we know that we are not just hard wired by the fluke of natural selection to think that logic is somehow true?

Humans are a species of animal, logic is a thought process, so when you ask can logic be an objective thing greater than humans I don't know what you mean.

It's like asking, can reasoning ever be greater than cats? Is calculation greater than dogs? What about common sense is that greater than giraffes?

Illogical and logical thinking both have benefits in passing on genetics so I see no problem with viewing logical thought processes and illogical thought processes as a bi product of evolution.

[Neo-Scholastic]

Already discussed recently:

http://atheistforums.org/thread-17808.html

[downbeatplumb]

Can logic really be objectively true? Can we know that we are not just hard wired by the fluke of natural selection to think that logic is somehow true?

Natural selection does not work by flukes and what seems logical is not always true.

[Lord Privy Seal]

To some, logic is not garunteed to be 'true' in any other sense than it makes sense to animals such as ourselves.

Can logic be more? Somehow an objective thing that is greater than us humans?? Or is it just some chemical/physiological process that tells us things are right?

Can logic really be objectively true? Can we know that we are not just hard wired by the fluke of natural selection to think that logic is somehow true?

Logic isn't the sort of thing that can be "true" or not, much less "greater than us humans." Logic is a set of methods--methods of reasoning. The question to ask is, "Does logic work?" Logic approximates certain aspects of reality (e.g. natural regularity) well enough that we can use it to detect errors in our structure of thought, such as logical fallacies and biases. Logic has certain limitations. For example, a logical syllogism is, at best, only as good as the inputs (premises) that are fed into it. GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out) applies. Nor is logic the only "method of rationality." Bayesian reasoning, systematic experimentation/observation (science) are examples of other tools we can use to locate and correct errors in our understanding of reality.

One thing that logic demonstrably cannot do is boss reality around. If it could, the logic of Anselm's Ontological Argument could be used to conjure all manner of things into being ("the Greatest Conceivable Unicorn"), and the planets and Sun would orbit the Earth in perfect circles. IMO, it's the attempt to use logical syllogisms as summoning incantations (such as constructing syllogisms to try and "prove" that gods exist in the absence of observational evidence) that so often leads to pointless philosophical tail-chasing and wankery.