[MBTI General] NF seeking book recommendation RE: logic, decision making, or critical thinking...

[Owl]

First, I'd recommend avoiding "Critical Reasoning" texts like the plague. They teach baby logic, and I don't know of one that's worth the paper it's printed on. If you want to reason like an adult, then read a book the subject of which is the way adults reason.

Free from Project Gutenberg: Symbolic Logic by Lewis Carroll


Or, learn a programming language.

Lewis Carrol is awesome! I've not read much of his work on logic, but the wee bit I have has been great--if a wee bit convoluted, but that's part of what makes him great.

I'd recommend Irving Copi's intro to logic. His informal logic is also supposed to be very good, but I'm not familiar with it.

I'd also recommend Benson Mate's Elementary Logic.

Ted Sider's Logic for Philosophy is excellent. That's where I'd start, but if you don't have any formal training in logic, it ought to be read in tandem with an introductory text to logic to supplement the parts you don't understand.

 

[Mycroft]

Re op: the name is kind of silly, but How to Win Every Argument is actually a lighthearted and surprisingly comprehensive introduction to common logical fallacies.

 

[say yes]

I'm looking to strengthen the rational side of my personality, so I'd love any book recommendations that y'all may have. I've read a bit about cognitive biases, so am more interested in an overview of logic, decision making, or critical thinking. Given that this subject area isn't my strength, though, I'm open to any and all suggestions.

Thanks in advance!

If you really believe yourself to be a philosopher, I'd recommend Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations. It is very pedagogically written by an INFJ (or if not pure INFJ, at least much INFJ-tempered) person who was a great logician. Don't look at his earlier work Tractatus though, there he attempts to be as unpedagogical as possible, and people only praise it for they think it's weirdness is cool.

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

All things must be examined, debated, investigated, without exception and without regard for anyone's feelings.

I like this sig.

What about doing as the sig commands on the topic of the importance of considering people's feelings when debating and investigating topics? Seems like a potential mental swirly.