Should I Take a Course in Logic?

Logic is the dream course for college advisors. They boast that it will help you boost your school on the GRE, the LSAT, MCAT or GMAT. But what is the study of Logic and is it really as helpful on these tests as people think?

Logic is the study of valid inference and includes topics such as deduction, inference, argumentation and fallacies. It is a discipline of Philosophy which requires, above all, practice.

Unlike your typical admission test prep course, Logic does not rely on simply practicing word problems over and over again. Instead, Logic dissects arguments to determine whether the argument is valid and sound. This requires in-depth study of what constitutes an argument, how valid arguments are arranged, and how to determine whether the conclusion logically follows from the supporting premises.

Logic is typically taught from two standpoints, the Aristotelian and the Boolean. Aristotle took a more metaphysical stand with regards to Logic, as such, Aristotelian Logic teaches a concept which will most definitely crop up in your undergrad Logic course, Conditional Validity. Basically, certain argument forms may be valid if the class exists in reality. For example, certain arguments might be considered invalid if discussing unicorns (which do not exist in reality) but were the same argument to be put forth discussing bears, the argument would be valid. The Boolean system sets 15 argument forms as being the only unconditionally valid forms.

So what does any of this have to do with admission tests?

Everything and nothing. The study of Logic is not a test-prep class. It is, as anyone can plainly see, something that goes much deeper than the SAT Classes of our past. The study of Logic requires seriousness and commitment as well as continuous practice to develop the skills learned in the classroom. While the serious study of Logic can boost test scores which require logical analysis, reading comprehension and deductive reasoning, the class is not geared specifically towards people taking the LSAT, MCAT, GMAT or any other admission test.

Will taking Logic boost your test scores?

I've seen it work both ways. For the student who enters the class thinking they can breeze through the subject and be rewarded with a higher test score, they usually find themselves with a dent in both their GPA and their pride. For the student who wishes to undertake the study of Logic, however, these skills are easily transferable to other aspects of your life including writing ability, public speaking and logical inference. Test scores come naturally as those develop.