Section 01 — Logic & Reasoning (LBS 101)

Section 01 — Logic & Reasoning

Course: LBS 101 – The Mental Gym

Learning Session

Explore These Materials: 1. Read (45 min) — Aristotle, Organon (Categories & Prior Analytics, short excerpts); Lewis Carroll, “What the Tortoise Said to Achilles”.
2. Watch (60 min) — Intro to Logic: Validity vs. Soundness (short lecture); Argument Mapping basics (workshop clip).
3. Listen (30 min) — Philosophy Bites: What Is a Good Argument? (episode).
4. Reflect While Engaging — Note examples of valid-but-unsound vs sound arguments; list 5 common fallacies you notice in daily life.

Key Quote Box

Write one quote from today’s materials that you want to keep:
“_____________”

Practice

  1. Syllogism Lab — Write 3 syllogisms: one valid & sound, one valid but unsound, one invalid; explain each.
  2. Fallacy Hunt — Collect 5 real‑world statements (ads, posts, conversations) and identify the fallacy and why it persuades.
  3. Argument Map — Map a short editorial’s main claim, reasons, evidence, and counterarguments.
  4. Reflection — What habits help me reason better? Where am I most prone to bias?

Hard Problem (Optional)

Analyze the Liar Paradox (“This statement is false.”) or Russell’s Barber Paradox. What does it reveal about the limits of formal systems vs. natural language?