Contradictions
Being logically consistent implies that a person has inner integrity. This is enhanced by avoidance of contradictions as inner desires are not permitted to conflict with one another. For instance, the need to be honest and brave might be contradicted by an urge to shun trouble and pain (Goldman 17). It is argued that ethical conduct is simply an issue of being logically dependable by respecting and valuing everyone. Consistency is a major factor in ethics.
Being Logically Consistent and Avoiding Contradictions
In philosophy, being logically unswerving and steering clear of contradictions is important because it acts as the hallmark of rationality. Fairness is supposed to ensure that people have a guide for ethical living, which is only possible if they are rational. If an individual told another to ‘open the door but not to open it, the person being told would be at a loss as to what is supposed to be done; the request given is contradictory hence irrational.
Similarly, if people’s ethical values and principles are not reliable, they will find themselves confused as to the standards they ought to uphold and disagreeing on the way they should live. Rationality calls for constancy in a manner in which moral principles, actions, and values should avoid contradictions (Carnielli and Coniglio 19-23). Assessment should be done to unearth inconsistencies and strengthen ethical values to ensure that they are logically constant, which is a vital approach to moral development.
People may be perfectly steady with regard to ethical standards, yet their values might be incorrect and ideals misplaced. A person might be consistent in treating his friends similar to the way he handles himself, though such a form of uniformity may hardly be the mark of ethical life. Studies affirm that although being logically constant is surely not adequate for ethics, it is at least necessary for moral principles (Carnielli and Coniglio 29-35). Ethics necessitate people to be logically unfailing in their moral values and in the manner in which they practice such standards. Apart from upholding fidelity in ethical principles, actions, and internal desires, ethics demand a balance between the way people treat themselves and others.
Argument
A crucial argument, which is a logical contradiction, is the situation where Catholic priests and preachers in other religions warn against practices such as sexual immorality, yet many of them are later reported to have been engaging in such behavior.
Explanation
The argument contradicts itself in that preaching against such a vice tells the congregation that it is evil but practicing sexual immorality is like communicating to the followers that it is enjoyable and worth doing. When such a secret is revealed, it greatly horrifies their followers and other believers. Such a revelation demonstrates a calculated logical contradiction by such priests and preachers and easily brings ruin (Hunt 45-47). Nevertheless, such disclosure makes some followers believe that fornication, despite being taught otherwise by the priests and preachers, is so fulfilling that one cannot help leaving it.
Conclusion
To avoid a self-defeating occurrence, people should work to shape their desires and create a form of inner harmony. Despite preachers and priests teaching against fornication, hidden from sight is that many of them freely practice it secretly. The argument contradicts itself as it creates situations and ideas that are opposed to each other. Declaring publicly that sexual immorality is ungodly but practicing it privately is in itself a logical contradiction.
Works Cited
Carnielli, Alexandre, and Marcelo Coniglio. Paraconsistent Logic: Consistency, Contradiction and Negation. Springer International Publishing, 2016.
Goldman, Alvin. Philosophical Applications of Cognitive Science. Routledge, 2018.
Hunt, Stephen. Christianity. Routledge, 2017.