You’ve heard of these conspiracies. You know, the ones involving clandestine plots of the United States government. It appears that a lot of Americans believe high-level members of the … more

It’s even a part of the 10 Commandments—the most significant ethical code in the history of the world (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16). This week, I want to honor my dad by explaining how … more

To revise a famous line from The Godfather: "Keep your friends close, but the laws of logic closer!"

In this final article in the series I will address a couple of informal fallacies that can … more

In this series we have discussed the importance of the philosophical enterprise, which esteemed scholar Ed Miller defines as "thinking clearly, rationally, and critically about life's most important … more

A student once said to me, "Hey prof, your logic class rocks!"

So to intentionally equivocate, it's not just geology courses that are known for "rocks."

In my twenty years of teaching college … more

When I was growing up my mother used to say that I liked to argue. In subtle ways my parents encouraged me to be an independent thinker, ready to back up my strong opinions. An argument develops when … more

It's much easier to knock down a straw man than a real man of muscle and bone.

When one person distorts the argument of another and then proceeds to critique that misrepresentation (whether in … more

A skeptic once sent me an email informing me that Christians could never genuinely value and utilize logic and critical thinking because their faith prohibits them from basing their beliefs on … more

The study of logic doesn't teach you to think—people do that intuitively and naturally. Rather instruction in logic teaches you to order your thinking.

Logic is typically defined as "the … more

Ever heard the expression "the joke's on you"?

I once attended a debate between two biblical scholars where one scholar held liberal views of Scripture and Christianity, while the other was an … more

I once gave an early morning lecture in my logic class after having taken some high-powered cold medicine the night before. Maybe the students didn't notice, but my mind was definitely operating in … more

Logic is to the philosopher what mathematics is to the physicist.

When I'm confronted with a controversial topic my training in logic compels me to think the subject through carefully and to arrive … more

A student in one of my logic classes once announced, "Professor Samples, I would like to give you a few reasons why logic is invalid."

I responded, "Think about what you just said. It sounds like you … more

Growing up in the 1960s, one of my favorite characters on Star Trek was Mr. Spock. Half Vulcan and half human, First Officer Spock pursued the logical path to problem-solving tenaciously throughout … more

Does the Bible indicate where knowledge comes from? Since evolutionary processes can’t guarantee true beliefs (see Kenneth Samples’ article, p. 3) naturalism as a worldview faces … more