Re: regarding syllogism and culture

From: Gary Shank (shank@duq.edu)
Date: Tue May 08 2001 - 06:10:51 PDT


>Eric wrote (in part):
> But from reading the Kpelle study, the Vai study and Scribner
>article "Modes of thinking and ways of speaking culture and logic
>reconsidered" it appears that many people solve logical questions based on
>their everyday experiences (Vygotsky's spontaneous thought processes) and not
>based on what they learned in a formal school setting (Vygotsky's scientific
>thought processes).
>
> Eric-- There is a massive literature showing that people reason on the
>basis of their everyday experiences and that syllogistc reasoning in an
>Aristotelian sense is a very specific phenomenon used in specific
>circumstances.
>American college students often reason incorrectly about absractly presented
>syllogisms while immediately solving versions to which they can ascribe human.
>personal/sense.
>
> There are various interpretations of these phenomena. You might find
>interesting Peter Tulviste's work on the cultural-historical development of
>verbal thinking.
>mikec

the stuff that don cunningham and i have been doing over the years on
abductive reasoning might also be relevant as well

gary shank



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