# Logic terminology question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/logic-terminology-question/619068>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 17, 2012, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/logic-terminology-question/619068 "2012-04-17T18:32:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![TATG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/50afbb/32.png) [@TATG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TATG)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/logic-terminology-question/619068/21 "2012-04-18T12:19:24Z")

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On what the website is saying; one can talk of the strength of an inductive argument, where induction is Humean style induction. And I think the referenced site is doings so. For example, an inductive argument that goes from “apple 1, 2, and 3 are green” to “all apples are green” is stronger than one that goes from “apple 1 and 2 are green” to the same conclusion. The use of an absolute “strong” and “weak” by the website is a little odd, however.

Note that “strong” can be used to talk about logics, and about (inductive) arguments, and the usages don’t line up in an obvious way. A strong logic is one that gets more out of less, whereas a strong argument is one that uses more to get to the same place. And “strong” as used by the website, on my reading, applies to an argument.

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**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/logic-terminology-question/619068/22 "2012-04-18T16:31:51Z")

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> [@TATG](#):
>
> Note that “strong” can be used to talk about logics, and about (inductive) arguments, and the usages don’t line up in an obvious way. A strong logic is one that gets more out of less, whereas a strong argument is one that uses more to get to the same place.

This is essentially the source of my puzzlement on the terminology.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TATG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/50afbb/32.png) [@TATG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TATG)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2012, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/logic-terminology-question/619068/23 "2012-04-18T16:55:05Z")

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> [@TATG](#):
>
> A strong logic is one that gets more out of less, whereas a strong argument is one that uses more to get to the same place.

This isn’t right, less was going too far, it need only be “a strong logic gets more out of the same”. I’m guessing this wouldn’t have confused anyone, but I couldn’t let it sit as it stood.

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