Logic

This course seeks to improve analytical skills through an in-depth exploration of logic.
We will cover three major areas of logic: informal logic, inductive logic, and deductive logic. We begin with informal logic, learning tools that help you use better reasoning in your everyday life. Then we will discuss inductive logic, focusing on tools that help us think scientifically about the world. Finally, we will tackle deductive logic. This will be done in two parts. The first part is propositional logic (truth-functional logic), in which we translate English to the formal language of propositional logic and determine the validity of symbolized arguments.
Our last topic will be predicate logic (also called quantificational logic), which includes all of the elements of propositional logic as well as quantifiers, variables, individual constants, and property & relational predicates. In sum, students will develop an understanding and appreciation of the role of logic in argumentation
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30% Final Exam
25% Third-term Exams (x2)
20% Homework

Exams
(Some people call these ‘midterms,’ but such a name is misleading.)
Each in-class exam will be an hour long and consist of problems of and inspired by the material. Due to nature of class, exams are always at least partially cumulative, will most evident in the final. We will prepare for each exam with review sheet and in-class Jeopardy!-style review as well as with student questions. It is advised for people to study in groups.

Homework
Every class will have assigned homework. Are daily, but merely graded on whether complete (100%), incomplete or poorly attempted (partial %), late (docked 10% per day), or absent (0%).
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Required text for class, is Understanding Logic by Virginia Klenk. Selections of Copi & Cohen’s Introduction to Logic will also provided (CC in syllabus).

I urge you to send comments, questions, and concerns via email or via there class website. By emailing me, you give me permission to post your question and my answer the class website (if I deem it appropriate).

If you or believe you have disability and would benefit from any accommodations, you may wish to contact Academic Support Accessibility at 494-2836 or access@dal.ca.
For writing assistance, contact your TAs or the Writing Centre at writingcentre@dal.ca, or 494-1963.
If you have problems outside of class impeding your ability to coursework, please contact the Counselling and Psychological Services at 494.2081 or recepcps@dal.ca.
It is something strange in neighborhood, please call the Ghostbusters at 1-212-897-1964.

(Lecture classes are highlighted in gold)

Date	Topic	Reading	Exercises
Aug 29	Introduction to Logic	CC Ch. 4	4.2: II: 6-10; 4.6:I: 2-6
Sept 3	Informal Logic – Definitions	CC Ch. 3.1-3.2	3.2:I: 4, 8, 12, 13; II: 2-4
Sept 5	Fallacies – Relevance	CC Ch. 3.3-3.4	3.3:I: 4-10; 3.4: I: 4, 5, 9
Sept 8	Fallacies – Ambiguity	CC Ch. 11	11.2: II: 1-7, 13; 11.3: 1-2
Sept 10	Inductive Logic – Analogy	CC Ch. 12	p. 411: 1-8
Sept 12	Mill’s Five Methods	CC Ch. 13	p. 452: 1-8
Sept 15	Scientific Reasoning	CC Ch. 14.1-14.2	p. 466: 1-4
Sept 17	Probability	CC Ch. 14.3	p. 478: 1-8
Sept 19	Logic in the Real World	CC Ch. 3-4, 11-14	Review Sheet
Sept 22	Logic Jeopardy!		Exam #1
Sept 24	First Exam
Sept 26	Structure of Sentential Logic
Sept 29	Well Formed Formulae
Oct 1	Computing Truth Values
Oct 4	Symbolizing English Sentences
Oct 6	Truth Tables for Testing Validity
Oct 8	More Truth Table Method
Oct 10	Eight Basic Inference Rules
Oct 13	Practice with Inference Rules
Oct 15	Replacement Rules
Oct 17	Practice with Replacement Rules
Oct 20	Conditional Proof
Oct 22	Logic Double Jeopardy!
Oct 24	Second Exam
Oct 27	Indirect Proof
Oct 29	Quantifiers
Oct 31	Categorical Propositions
Nov 3	Complex Subjects & Predicates
Nov 5	Quantifier Form
Nov 7	Proofs in Predicate Logic
Nov 10	Invalidity in Quantifier Logic
Nov 12	Understanding Invalidity
Nov 14	Symbolization in Rel. Pred. Logic
Nov 17	Proofs for Pred. Logic
Nov 19	Invalidity for Relational Pred. Logic
Nov 21	Identity and Definite Descriptions
Nov 24	More on Identity
Dec 1	Proofs Involving Identity
Dec 3	Practice with Identity Proofs
Dec 5	Logic Final Jeopardy!
Dec 10	Final Exam

Spring 2012