The Art of Logic in an Illogical World
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- ¥2,600
Publisher Description
How better understanding both logical and emotional reasoning can help us have "a better society as well as happier conversations and relationships" (Guardian)
In a world where fake news stories change election outcomes, has rationality become futile? In The Art of Logic in an Illogical World, Eugenia Cheng throws a lifeline to readers drowning in the illogic of contemporary life. Cheng is a mathematician, so she knows how to make an airtight argument. But even for her, logic sometimes falls prey to emotion, which is why she still fears flying and eats more cookies than she should. If a mathematician can't be logical, what are we to do? In this book, Cheng reveals the inner workings and limitations of logic, and explains why alogic -- for example, emotion -- is vital to how we think and communicate. Cheng shows us how to use logic and alogic together to navigate a world awash in bigotry, mansplaining, and manipulative memes. Insightful, useful, and funny, this essential book is for anyone who wants to think more clearly.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Mathematician Cheng (Beyond Infinity) considers how the principles of math can be used to help define one's personal ethos and bridge the gap between differing points of view. She explores real-life ethical and philosophical problems, like white privilege, "arbitrary standards" in education, and racially-motivated police brutality, through the lens of data-driven logical precepts and mathematical techniques. These include proofs, Venn diagrams, truth tables, flow charts, fractal trees, and more. Using these methods, Cheng argues, can help people avoid mistakes in logical thinking and recognize fallacies. However, she posits that there is more to having a constructive conversation than logic alone, stating that "we should look to engaging people's emotions to convince them of logical arguments." Discussing thorny issues, she says, requires a sense of "nuance," rather than the "false promise of black and white clarity," and a more intuitive and feelings-based approach. Cheng is largely successful in making mathematical principles and formulas accessible to a lay audience, though the occasional statement such as "it is the contrapositive of the converse so is equivalent to the converse" will be challenging for those unfamiliar with math jargon. Cheng's suggestion to combine the persuasive powers of logic with emotional appeal to find common ground is original and pragmatic, particularly in these divisive times.
