Logic, Probability Theory, and their Application to Legal Reasoning

Both the use of logic and probability theory are heavily applied in many, if not all, areas and industries due to what they can offer. Logic is well known for enabling one to comprehend many things which include intentions, behavior, beliefs, intelligence, knowledge and languages, and to create algorithms designed to solve simple and complex problems. Probability theory is specifically designed to address uncertainty, which uncertainty exists everywhere. Through pairing probability theory with other disciplines is one able to address uncertainty in other fields. Combined, logic and probability theory enable one to address complex problems in law. This paper will first describe logic and probability theory, then address their application to legal reasoning. Accordingly, I argue that logic and probability theory can be used to validate thoughts and arguments made by lawyers and judges, allowing for better understanding of the validity, coherency, truthfulness of their arguments, and the correctness of the statements and decisions made by them.