Q&A: Logic and Common Sense
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Logic and Common Sense
Question
Hello Rabbi,
You make a lot of use in your lectures of logic and common sense, or teaching them, and you argue that these are sometimes lacking in certain communities.
I wanted to ask where one can acquire these abilities. Is it from studying the Talmud, or from physics and mathematics, or from philosophy?
As I understand it, the Rabbi is involved in all these fields together.
Thanks in advance
Answer
Hello.
I don’t think there is any field whose study will grant you common sense. Developing common sense depends on you. Logic is a field that can be studied, but such study is not essential in order to think correctly. Of course, philosophy can be helpful, but there too you can find quite a bit of crooked thinking.
Try books on conceptual Talmudic analysis, such as Shev Shema'tata, Sha'arei Yosher, Eglei Tal, Minchat Chinukh, etc.