Dr Karey Harrison 2010 "Argument – the limits of logic", Seminar, Faculty of Arts, USQ, 25 August. In this paper I argue that metaphor... » More

Dr Karey Harrison 2010 "Argument – the limits of logic", Seminar, Faculty of Arts, USQ, 25 August.

In this paper I argue that metaphor analysis is the foundation of argument, rather than formal deductive logic. This paper argues that when causal relations are important, or the relevant features of a situation do not fit container and part-whole schemas, formal logic may not be useful as a guide to reasoning about the situation.

The relevance of formal logic for natural language reasoning depends on the idea that ideas and objects can be sorted into categories based on shared objective properties and characteristics. While objectivist categorisation and formal logic systems may suit the binary code of digital computers well, it turns out that language is an analogue system which does not work the way objectivist categorisation expects it to.

In our reasoning we rely on different inferential and operational rules or heuristics according to specific contexts, contents, or schemas. Success at such inferential tasks is dependent on causal and logical analysis of the problem coinciding. Because action requires us to get our causes right, our inferential practice gives precedence to causal schemas over formal logical analysis. The truth functions of formal logic do not match the truth functions of causal inferences. To the extent that causal reasoning is an important part of argumentation, formal logic cannot provide guidelines for developing or critiquing such arguments. Because models and metaphors can incorporate causal factors, reasoning with models and metaphors can be used to construct effective arguments in relation to causal inference.

Dr Karey Harrison's PhD research was on the nature of human reasoning. She taught introductory logic and argument at a number of US universities in the late '80s. Her work on models and metaphor in human communication is based on this research.

Karey has successfully applied her work on models and metaphor in her development of an original method of teaching reasoning and argument at USQ. Her publications in ethical, scientific, economic, and political discourses is based on this research.

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