Logic

Before proceeding to more realistic and concrete topics, it’s time we gloss through a topic that sounds easy and commonsensical but in reality is not: logic. We begin with a simple example:

Liza is white

Women are white

Therefore Liza is a woman

Is that a logical conclusion? Some would say that it is, but that is precisely why logic is not as straightforward as many people make it out to be. Yes, you might argue that Liza is in fact a woman, but that had nothing to do with logical conclusions from the premises being given. To see why that’s the case, let us use another example.

Mexicans are good people

Americans are good people

Therefore Mexican are Americans

The structure in this example is identical to the previous one, and it shows that many things can fit the description of “good people” or “white” without necessarily being related to each other. Although many people who are experienced with logic would consider these examples as very trivial, it is by mastering these foundations that we can eventually tackle much more complicated and controversial issues. Given the main focus of “Point of Being” and the fact that there are plenty of simple examples online that readers can use to brush up on logical arguments and their structure, let’s instead focus on the verb “to be” and the difference between valid and sound arguments.

Clark Kent is Superman

Superman is Clark Kent Clark Kent and Superman are the same person

Every person has a personality Clark Kent and Superman have the same personality

Clearly, because of the first two premises (and the assumption that we understand them both as “a person”), the third line is a valid conclusion. But when we add the third premise about persons and personality, the issue becomes more complicated and the last conclusion is more ambiguous. Some might argue that Superman is a different side or “personality” of Clark Kent while others might contend that they are the same personality that simply behaves differently based on the outfit. This leads us to a problem between person and personality.

Does changing our personality make us a different person? Can two different persons be said to truly have the same personality? Is a person always “themselves” (even if they have a complex personality) or do different behaviors allow us to establish different personalities? Although these may sound like trivial and exceedingly philosophical questions, these issues are precisely at the root of various issues related to human behavior as well as the way we perceive and categorize persons into “people” and peoples.