Read Chapter 2.
Logic is the study of arguments.
The aim of logic is to develop a system of methods and principles that we can use in evaluating the arguments of others and as guides in constructing arguments of our own. In ordinary speech, this use of the word 'argument' is quite common. But, in this course, we will use the word to refer only to a reasoned attempt to justify a conclusion. An argument is a set of statements , one of which is suppose to follow from the others. The one that follows from the others is called the conclusion , and the supporting statements are called premises .