How Did We Ever Get To This Age of Internet, Computers, and iPods: Mathematical Logic

Since I began studying in college, I never thought about getting a subject on philosophy. I thought its hard to learn and complicated. However, due to certain circumstances, and also due to my friend's consistent urging, I took it up this summer term, together with another subject. By the way, in our university, we are allowed to choose our general education subjects as well as arrange our own shedule. I am currently taking up BS Industrial Engineering.

My professor is very old already and he is known to be strict in his grading system. His age just shows how much knowledge he can impart with us students. He even said that for general education subjects, the teachers must really be old, because they are more rich in experience and they appreciate the importance of old knowledge that must be passed on to the new generation. Well, everybody has a different opinion regarding this matter.

We've been having classes for three days now, with two hours for every class. I can say that I considerably learned a lot of things already. Among those learnings are the ones written below. I hope this might give you an idea on how important philosophy, or to be specific, logic is to humankind.

Philosophy means "love of wisdom." Pythagoras was the first person to study philosophy, but only for leisure purposes. The next one was Thales of Miletus, who was considered to study philosophy as a science. Thales and his followers ventured into countries such as Persia and Eqypt, and were overwhelmed by the natives' wisdom on mathematics. Mathematics was by that time used in building up ziggurats and pyramids. Moreover, it was also used to predict the occurence of eclipses and tides. In the Ancient Greek Civilization, it became easier for them to prove that mathematics is for everyone, not only for the 'chosen ones,' as what the priests say. The final conclusion is that man can be in control of his life and not depend on gods anymore by simply reasoning out using logic.

The first ever system of philosophical study was arranged by Aristotle (C.384-322BC), in his book Organon. It is now known as Aristotelian Logic, or the Classical Logic. It is commonly studied by schools established by the Church. Why? It is because this type of logic has been used to read and study the Bible from the very beginning. To be able to understand what is written in the Bible, logic must be used.

Since the advent of Aristotelian Logic, there had been less advances on the study of philosophy as opposed to the study of mathematics, which underwent so many developments as time passed by. Then came George Boole who thought that the main reason why mathematics improved so much is becasue it uses symbols in its language. And so, mathematical logic was born. That was during the 1860's. His followers were Gottlob Frege and Augustus de Morgan. Gottlob Frege is best known for his set theory and his attempt to unify all of mathematics. Bertrand Russell is his popular critic. He criticized his attempt to unify all of mathematics into a set, since the word 'set' itself is ambiguous. Thus Frege went on studying words and sentences. His studies proved to be useful in reasoning.

It was because of mathematical logic why we are currently living this 'Information and Communication Age.' This is just a big proof of how man's life had changed since its discovery. Mathematical logic is now commonly used for programming. Its amazing how symbols made all these technological advancements around us possible.

Now, this is why I can say that it is important to study philosophy, or logic, for that matter. I am excited in learning more about mathematical logic. Take a subject on philosophy also, so you would know how it feels. It's not hard at all. Just appreciate the comforts it brought to your life. If not for mathematical logic, you won't be having a computer in front of your right now, to read this hub. Moreover, there will be no internet and no iPod earphones on your ears. Think it over, rationally.