David Foster Wallace Quotes

Euclid taught me that without assumptions there is no proof. Therefore, in any argument, examine the assumptions.

Logic must look after itself. In a certain sense, we cannot make mistakes in logic.

Logic can become enormously difficult, and it would undoubtedly be well to produce more assurance in its use.

Argument is not always truth.

If it doesn't make sense, it's usually not true.

I hope you become comfortable with the use of logic without being deceived into concluding that logic will inevitably lead you to the correct conclusion.

Logic is the art of making truth prevail.

Logic is the art of convincing us some truth.

Logic: The art of thinking and reasoning in strict accordance with the limitations and incapacities of the human misunderstanding.

Philosophy has to be enquiring; it can take nothing on faith, and its methods are based not on the blind acceptance of authority, but on establishing truths by reason and argument.

Logic teaches rules for presentation, not thinking.

Reasoning draws a conclusion, but does not make the conclusion certain, unless the mind discovers it by the path of experience.

The knowledge of the theory of logic has no tendency whatever to make men good reasoners.

Bad reasoning as well as good reasoning is possible; and this fact is the foundation of the practical side of logic.

Logic and fact keep interfering with the easy flow of conversation.

Logic is like the sword - those who appeal to it, shall perish by it.

The truth is always the strongest argument.

In my opinion, it helps enormously to know why something is true, rather than being told it is true, for why should you believe me? Never believe anything on the authority of a single person but seek confirmation — and reason is the best confirmation

Happily I had very early learned the fallacy of building much on logic and verbal argument. Single sets of truths I knew to be as little conclusive in theology as in physics; and, in one as in the other, no theory to be worth anything, however plausibly backed up with Scripture texts or facts, which was not gathered bona fide from the analysis of all the attainable phenomena, and verified wherever possible by experiment.

Validity is the touchstone of inference, and truth of judgment: the fact that vichyssoise is cold ratifies the judgment that vichyssoise is, indeed, cold, and the judgment that vichyssoise is cold expresses the fact that vichyssoise is cold.

Rationality is the recognition of the fact that nothing can alter the truth and nothing can take precedence over that act of perceiving it.

A: Socrates is a man. B: All men are mortal. C: All men are Socrates.

A crude mind could easily think: something is valid, therefore it is true.

Bein logical gave me a reason to doubt

There is a mighty big difference between good sound reasons and reasons that sound good.