Ella S.
Well-Known Member
In the modern sense, "logic" is usually reserved as a reference to formal and informal disciplines of logic within the formal sciences.
However, I have noticed that in ancient Greece, the term "logikos" (meaning "logical") derived from "logos" had a somewhat different meaning. Curiosity, for instance, was considered logical. Purpose, too, was considered logical which is a major difference from the modern notions of the Is-Ought Problem.
In this sense, "logic" is similar to "reason" in both senses of the term, such as "I had a reason for my actions" and "That is a reasonable argument."
It helps our understanding of this broader, more encompassing sense of "logic" by comparing it to the things in which it is not. Among these are eros, thymos, epithymia, ethos and pathos.
A specific run-down of each of these terms in nuanced detail would give considerable length to this thread but I will make particular note of epithymia and pathos.
Epithymia refers to lust and craving, which is not the same as desire in general. It is sometimes equated with eros, although the two are also sometimes considered separate concepts.
Pathos is often translated as "passion" or "suffering" and often refers to strong emotional reactions to that which is external to the self. It plays a large role in Stoicism as the Stoics strived for apatheia or dispassion in accordance with logos. However, joy, caution, and wishfulness were not considered to be passionate in Stoicism, only pleasure, fear, and craving. Epithymia was considered by the Stoics to be a form of pathos.
More specifically, this broader sense of "logic" is what Star Trek constantly references when it comes to characters like Spock and Data. This is why Spock, despite supposedly eschewing emotion, can still say that some things are "fascinating" and determine whether certain actions are ethically "logical."
However, I have noticed that in ancient Greece, the term "logikos" (meaning "logical") derived from "logos" had a somewhat different meaning. Curiosity, for instance, was considered logical. Purpose, too, was considered logical which is a major difference from the modern notions of the Is-Ought Problem.
In this sense, "logic" is similar to "reason" in both senses of the term, such as "I had a reason for my actions" and "That is a reasonable argument."
It helps our understanding of this broader, more encompassing sense of "logic" by comparing it to the things in which it is not. Among these are eros, thymos, epithymia, ethos and pathos.
A specific run-down of each of these terms in nuanced detail would give considerable length to this thread but I will make particular note of epithymia and pathos.
Epithymia refers to lust and craving, which is not the same as desire in general. It is sometimes equated with eros, although the two are also sometimes considered separate concepts.
Pathos is often translated as "passion" or "suffering" and often refers to strong emotional reactions to that which is external to the self. It plays a large role in Stoicism as the Stoics strived for apatheia or dispassion in accordance with logos. However, joy, caution, and wishfulness were not considered to be passionate in Stoicism, only pleasure, fear, and craving. Epithymia was considered by the Stoics to be a form of pathos.
More specifically, this broader sense of "logic" is what Star Trek constantly references when it comes to characters like Spock and Data. This is why Spock, despite supposedly eschewing emotion, can still say that some things are "fascinating" and determine whether certain actions are ethically "logical."
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