Simple definitions of logic

Arranged in approximate chronological order.

 The tool for distinguishing between the true and the false (Averroes).
 The science of reasoning, teaching the way of investigating unknown truth in connection
with a thesis (Robert Kilwardby).
 The art whose function is to direct the reason lest it err in the manner of inferring or
knowing (John Poinsot).
 The art of conducting reason well in knowing things (Antoine Arnauld).
 The right use of reason in the inquiry after truth (Isaac Watts).
 The Science, as well as the Art, of reasoning (Richard Whately).
 The science of the operations of the understanding which are subservient to the
estimation of evidence (John Stuart Mill).
 The science of the laws of discursive thought (James McCosh).
 The science of the most general laws of truth (Gottlob Frege).
 The science which directs the operations of the mind in the attainment of truth (George
Hayward Joyce).
 The branch of philosophy concerned with analysing the patterns of reasoning by which a
conclusion is drawn from a set of premisses (Collins English Dictionary)
 The formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning
(Penguin Encyclopedia).
 Logic is the art of non-contradictory identification. Ayn Rand
 "Logic is the science and art which directs the act of the reason, by which a man in the exercise
of his reason is enabled to proceed without error, confusion, or unnecessary difficulty." St.
Thomas Aquinas. http://open-site.org/Society/Philosophy/Logic
 "the science of the pure idea." Hegel
 "the art of using reason well in the acquisition of the knowledge of things, both for one's own
instruction and that of others." ("L'Art de penser", published 1662)
 Logic, then, is the science of the operations of the understanding
which are subservient to the estimation of evidence: both the process
itself of advancing from known truths to unknown, and all other
intellectual operations in so far as auxiliary to this. Stuart Mill
 Logic, n.: The art of thinking and reasoning in strict accordance with the limitations and incapacities of the
human misunderstanding. Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914)
The mechanism of consciousness whereby something is recognized, i.e. experience reflecting
back on to itself on INDENTIFY. A thing is itself and not what it is not. A = A KellyJones
Youtube

Logic is fundamentally the systematization of orderly thinking towards an optimal end.

[Mine]

Logic is a conceptual framework and principles of orderly to facilitate reason to do its job
effectively.

 Theoretical definitions of logic

 Quine (1940, pp. 2-3) defines logic in terms of a logical vocabulary, which in turn is
identified by an argument that the many particular vocabularies —Quine mentions
geological vocabulary— are used in their particular discourses together with a common,
topic-independent kernel of terms[1]. These terms, then, constitute the logical vocabulary,
and the logical truths are those truths common to all particular topics.

 Hofweber (2004) lists several definitions of logic, and goes on to claim that all
definitions of logic are of one of four sorts.
 These are that logic is the study of:
 (i) artificial formal structures,
 (ii) sound inference (e.g., Poinsot),
 (iii) tautologies (e.g., Watts), or
 (iv) general features of thought (e.g., Frege).
 He argues then that these definitions are related to each other, but do not exhaust each
other, and that an examination of formal ontology shows that these mismatches between
rival definitions is due to tricky issues in ontology.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definitions_of_logic

Piece had various following definitions for logic;

logic per se as a division of philosophy, as a normative science after esthetics and ethics, as more
basic than metaphysics
logic is "the art of devising methods of research"
"logic is rooted in the social principle"
as in "mathematics of logic"
logic is formal semiotic (wiki)

Logic (from the Greek λογική logikē)[1] is the study of reasoning.[2]

Logic is used in most intellectual activities, but is studied primarily in the disciplines of
philosophy, mathematics, and computer science.
Logic examines general forms which arguments may take, which forms are valid, and which are
fallacies.
It is one kind of critical thinking.
In philosophy, the study of logic falls in the area of epistemology, which asks: "How do we
know what we know?"[citation needed]
In mathematics, it is the study of valid inferences within some formal language.[3]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logic

Reasoning is the cognitive process of looking for reasons, beliefs, conclusions, actions or
feelings.[1]

Different forms of such reflection on reasoning occur in different fields.

In philosophy, the study of reasoning typically focuses on what makes reasoning efficient or
inefficient, appropriate or inappropriate, good or bad.
Philosophers do this by either examining the form or structure of the reasoning within
arguments, or by considering the broader methods used to reach particular goals of reasoning.

Psychologists and cognitive scientists, in contrast, tend to study how people reason, which
cognitive and neural processes are engaged, how cultural factors affect the inferences people
draw.
The properties of logic which may be used to reason are studied in mathematical logic. The field
of automated reasoning studies how reasoning may be modelled computationally.
Lawyers also study reasoning.

Simple definitions of logic

Arranged in approximate chronological order.

The tool for distinguishing between the true and the false (Averroes).

The science of reasoning, teaching the way of investigating unknown truth in connection with a thesis
(Robert Kilwardby).

The art whose function is to direct the reason lest it err in the manner of inferring or knowing (John
Poinsot).

The art of conducting reason well in knowing things (Antoine Arnauld).

The right use of reason in the inquiry after truth (Isaac Watts).
The Science, as well as the Art, of reasoning (Richard Whately).

The science of the operations of the understanding which are subservient to the estimation of evidence
(John Stuart Mill).

The science of the laws of discursive thought (James McCosh).

The science of the most general laws of truth (Gottlob Frege).

The science which directs the operations of the mind in the attainment of truth (George Hayward Joyce).

The branch of philosophy concerned with analysing the patterns of reasoning by which a conclusion is
drawn from a set of premisses (Collins English Dictionary)

The formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning (Penguin
Encyclopedia).