Philosophy 240: Introduction to Logic

Sections 501-509, Fall 2009: MW 11:30-12:20 (Zachry 102) and Th/F by section in Bolton 019

People

Lab Sections and Section Leaders (labs meet in Bolton 019)

Lecture and Exam Schedule

If circumstances require postponing the date of any exam, this will be announced both in class and on this web site at least 7 days in advance. After each exam, a link will be activated in the schedule below to a key for that exam. Other information will also be added from time to time. Please check this syllabus at least once a week for these and other changes.

Supplemental Instruction

Jeff Cornell is the Supplemental Instruction (SI) Leader for this course. SI sections will be:

• Tuesday, 8:00 PM, Thompson 112D (NOTE CHANGED TIME AND LOCATION)
• Wednesday 6:00 PM, Harrington Education Center 110
• Sunday 8:00 PM, Harrington Education Center 110

Text (required)

Colin Allen & Michael Hand, The Logic Primer, 2nd edition (MIT Press, 2001)

Basis for Grades

Grade Calculation

Weekly quizzes will be given in lab sections without prior announcement. There may be a quiz in any given week (in other words, you should always be prepared for one).

Grading Scale

On examinations, A = 90% or better, B = 80% or better, C = 70% or better, D = 60% or better, F = less than 60%. On quizzes, 2 points = perfect or nearly perfect, 1 point = satisfactory, 0 points = unsatisfactory. The maximum total of all exams and quizzes is 110%; that's because you can earn up to 10% extra credit if you do very well on the quizzes.

Online Gradebook

There is an online gradebook for this course. You will need to register a password first.

Online Support

The Logic Machine includes several automated resources specifically designed for this course's text, including (but not limited to):

• The Quizmaster, a very patient tutor that will ask you questions and evaluate your answers.
• The Logic Daemon, the world's first online automated proof checker, which will not only check your proofs but also give you a little help if you get stuck.

None of these resources ever sleep.

Objectives

After taking this course, you should:

• Understand the logical definition of argument and the difference between a sound argument and a valid argument.
• Know the meanings of important logical terminology such as valid, invalid, sound, unsound, consistent, inconsistent, contingent, theorem, tautology.
• Be able to translate English sentences ino the formal languages of sentential logic and predicate logic.
• Be able to construct proofs in formal systems for sentential logic and predicate logic.
• Know how to use semantic methods (truth tables, countermodels) to test for valldity and related properties.

In addition to these specific objectives, this course should help you understand and analyze complex arguments and reasoning. That ability is useful preparation for many careers and for standardized tests such as the GRE, the LSAT, and the GMAT.

There are no prerequisites for the course. It satisfies a core-curriculum quantitative reasoning requirement for many students.

What This Course Is About

This class introduces students to formal techniques for evaluating arguments. These are the principles that underlie all sound reasoning as well as the design of all contemporary computer systems.

We cover a natural deduction system of sentential logic, truth-tables, a natural deduction system of first-order predicate logic, and the basic ideas of model theory. Exams are designed to test skill with the formal systems, particularly translation from English to formulas, proof techniques, and methods for showing invalidity. The skills that you will learn with these specific methods are not merely ends in themselves but also tools to help you understand what it really means to reason logically.

Attendance Policies

Class attendance is not part of the grading basis for this course. That means both that you do not lose points for not attending class and that you do not get points just for attending class. If you can learn the material without coming to class, more power to you. However, you should be aware that:

• The text book is not designed for self-study. Class lectures provide essential additional information.
• As indicated above, there may be a quiz in any discussion section. If you're not there, you won't be able to take it, and you will get a zero on it.

Makeup exams and quizzes will be provided for students who have missed them because of University-approved absences only. See Student Rules, Section 7 for the University's policy on attendance and for the definition of "University-approved absence".

How to Do Well in This Course

Learning logic is like learning a foreign language or learning mathematics: it involves learning how to do something, not just learning facts, and what you learn is cumulative. Here are three keys to success in this course:

1. Keep up. Do the readings and exercises as they are assigned in the schedule. The material in this course is not friendly to last-minute cramming. Don't let yourself get behind.
2. Practice. Lots. To succeed in this course, you have to learn how to do things, not merely learn some facts. That takes practice, repetition, doing the same thing over and over, repetition, practice, doing lots of exercises, practice, and doing things over and over. You have to practice. Repetition is essential. It gets easier if you do it many times. Do lots of exercises. One valuable source of help here is our online support for this course, which never sleeps, is always ready to help you practice, and will give you instant feedback on how you're doing.
3. If you need help, ask for it. Immediately. There are several sources of help built into this course. Your discussion sections are intended to be times when you can ask questions about what you don't understand. Your section leader has office hours available for you. There is a Supplemental Instruction leader for this course and three SI sessions per week. We have online help. However, these are only going to be useful to you if you ask.

Academic Integrity Statement

The Aggie Honor Code:

Effective September 1, 2004, Texas A&M University has an Honor Code that defines campus policy on academic integrity and academic misconduct. The Aggie Honor System is charged with the enforcement of this Code. Students should be aware that the Aggie Honor System has the power to impose punishments for academic misconduct. For information on the Aggie Honor System, see http://www.tamu.edu/aggiehonor; information of particular concern to students, including definitions of types of academic misconduct, may be found at http://www.tamu.edu/aggiehonor/student.html.

It will be my policy in this course to include the following statement on all examinations and request students to sign it:

 "On my honor, as an Aggie, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this academic work."

________________________________

Signature of student 
    

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Policy Statement

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Office of Support Services for Students with Disabilities in Cain Hall, Room B118. The phone number is 845-1637.