INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC

PHIL 101

COURSE DESCRIPTION

As it is through good reasoning that we plan, explain, persuade, convince, solve, and prove things successfully through language, good reasoning matters. So too do arguments, for they are the main medium through which we reason. Through the study of informal logic, not only will you learn that a good argument is cogent and a bad argument is fallacious, you will learn how to tell whether any argument is cogent or fallacious. But just as English is not always the best language through which to do mathematics, English is not always the best language though which to do logic. For this reason, in addition to informal (nonsymbolic) logic, you will learn both classical symbolic logic and modern sentential symbolic logic. When our attention turns to classical logic, our focus will be on evaluating syllogisms composed of general statements. When our attention shifts to sentential logic, the emphasis will be on deducing claims from their evidence via natural deduction (proofs). The central question in this course is “Does this (a claim) follow from that (its evidence)?” By the end of this course, you will have learned a host of formal methods for settling that question and others that bear upon the construction and evaluation of arguments.

REQUIRED BOOKS: (available via Scribd.com)

Symbolic Logic by Irving Copi

Introduction to Logic by Irving Copi

A Rulebook for Arguments by Anthony Westen

The Logic Book, 6th Edition

These four will form the core of your reading for this course.

The over all syllabus for this course is from UNO’s course.  The syllabi, game plan, and other such pdfs will be at the bottom of this post for download.  The course covers the following three subjects:  1) Informal Logic, 2) Classical Logic, and 3) Sentential Logic.  While we are following UNO’s syllabus, this means that Dr. Grush’s syllabus will be out of order.  As we will cover Informal Logic first, Dr. Grush’s last part will be first.  Dr. Grush also has exams with solutions.  And a logic testing page.  You are required to do all the exercises provided by Dr. Grush.  You should also do at least half of the exercises in Copi’s Introduction to Logic and 1/4 of the exercises in The Logic Book.  However, if you firmly grasp the concept after a few exercises, then there is no need to beat a dead horse.

UNO’s Introduction to Logic Syllabus and Game Plan

UCSD Philosophy 10:  Introduction to Logic Syllabus