Introduction to Logic

Introduction to Logic offers one of the most clear, interesting and accessible introductions to what has long been considered one of the most challenging subjects in philosophy. Harry Gensler engages students with the basics of logic through practical examples and important arguments both in the history of philosophy and from contemporary philosophy. Using simple and manageable methods for testing arguments, students are led step-by-step to master the complexities of logic.
The companion LogiCola instructional program and various teaching aids (including a teacher's manual) are available from the book's website: www.routledge.com/textbooks/gensler_logic

Customer Reviews:

Exceptional guide to logic for philosophy students

By Nathan Andersen "film lover, philosophy profe... - May 18, 2005

I agree with the other reviewers of this text that it is the best I've encountered (I have taught several different sections of logic over nearly ten years, using 6 or 7 different texts, and have reviewed countless others). The writing is admirably clear and precise, and reads well. Nothing extraneous here, but there is enough to elucidate ideas and strategies. There are two key features that distinguish this text from others, and render it extremely valuable.

(1) the examples and logic problems are INTERESTING, mostly because they are invariably drawn from philosophical arguments; this gives me an opportunity to tie the teaching of logic to discussion of philosophy and makes the relevance of logic to philosophy very clear; I often find students who are interested in philosophy because they have read existentialism or even Plato, and who appreciate the play of ideas they find in these texts; what they do not understand is that the poetry of ideas must be tied to logic,... read more

The best introductory logic book I have seen in 31 years!

By A Customer - January 3, 2003

I have taught logic for 31 years in colleges and universities. This book, along with its logicola software prgram downloaded for free from the net, has allowed my students to learn more logic in a semester than any of the other standard books that I have ever used. I used an earlier edition of this book in 1989 and was sorry to see it go out of print. When it came back, I quickly ordered it. My students love it and the logicola program. If you want to know logic and cannot take a course, but have the will, get this book, download the logicola program, and get to work. You will not be sorry!!! Just a tremendous value and an excellent text book that covers enough material for two or even three courses in logic!!! Best wishes!

Elegant, Concise, Clear as Crystal

By James Colby - December 7, 2004

This is the best introductory book on symbolic logic I have seen. It covers not only propositional and predicate logic, but also modal, deontic, and inductive (probabilistic) logic, and it does so with remarkable clarity and economy. Professor Gensler's proof method differs slightly from those in most textbooks, but I find it more intuitive and therefore more useful. His examples are drawn from everyday life and from arguments of the great philosophers. His exercises are well designed, too. And at one-third the cost of most other (and much inferior) textbooks, this book is a great bargain.

I am not sure what the previous reviewer was referring to in his complaint about the lack of an index. This edition contains an index to proper names, while the excellent glossary of logic terms also functions as an index by listing the section numbers where each term is defined and discussed.

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