Logical Indicators

CERTAIN WORDS IN ENGLISH INDICATE LOGICAL STRUCTURE.

The words in the 4 translation groups, which we will soon learn about, and the words “some” “most” and “few” (which we will learn about in later lessons) are special. They are logical indicators. They are also called logical operators.

As logical indicators, these words perform a very specific function in the English language. They lay down the structure of the sentence as opposed to the content.

For example, let’s consider “if.”

I can say, “if you are a man, you are mortal.”

Or I can say “if you eat cheeseburgers, you will be able to fly."

Of course, these sentences are distinct. They express very different ideas. The first sentence is about the inevitable mortality of all men and the second is about cheeseburgers. But, these different ideas are not informed by the word “if.” Rather, they are informed by the other words in the sentences, like “mortal” and “cheeseburgers.”

So, what does “if” do? It lays down the structure of the logical relationship. In other words, what “if” does is to establish that whatever these ideas may be in this particular sentence (in the first example, being a man and being mortal, in the second, eating cheeseburgers and being able to fly) they exist in a conditional relationship with each other where the idea following the “if” is the sufficient condition and the other idea is the necessary condition.

Once you realize this, you see that it doesn’t matter what ideas go into this structure. "If X, Y" says that X is sufficient for Y and Y is necessary for X. You can define X and Y to be whatever you want. X is being a man and Y is being mortal. So we’ve recreated the first sentence.

X is eating a cheeseburger and Y is being able to fly. So, eating a cheeseburger is sufficient for being able to fly. That sentence would, of course, be false. Awesome, but false. Yet, that doesn’t change the fact that it expresses a conditional relationship between the two ideas. Of course, the reason that it’s false is because that conditional relationship does not hold in our world. Who knows, maybe there is a world where eating cheeseburgers guarantees your ability to take flight. That world would be almost as crazy as one in which being a Jedi allows you to use the Force, whatever that is.

LET’S REVIEW
Some words in English express logical relationships. We call them logical indicators or logical operators. These words are special and you should train to become sensitive to them.