Philosophy 240: Symbolic Logic

Russell Marcus, Instructor. Email me.

Hamilton College, Spring 2008

Syllabus (pdf version)

Meeting Times and Place

• Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays: 9am - 9:50am
• Benedict 105

Texts

• Patrick Hurley, A Concise Introduction to Logic, 10th edition, Wadsworth. The full text costs ~$130. I have ordered copies with just the sections we will use, and an appendix of interest to pre-law students. It will be available at the bookstore for about $50.
• Jennifer Fisher, On the Philosophy of Logic, Wadsworth. Seven classes this term will be devoted to the philosophy of logic, and this book will be our central text. It will be a good resource for your papers.
• Other readings, including class notes, will be available either on ereserve or on the course website.

Course Description and Overview

Philosophy has one main tool: logic. Formal logic is the study of arguments and inferences, made in artificial languages designed to maximize precision. This course is a standard introduction to elementary formal logic, covering propositional logic and predicate logic, including identity theory.

The two main techniques we will study are translation and derivation. We will start by establishing a formal definition of valid inference using logical operators and truth functions. We will translate sentences of English into the formal languages of propositional and predicate language, and back. We will infer new claims from given ones, using prescribed rules of inference and proof strategies.

Courses covering the topics we will study are merely an introduction to an enormous and burgeoning field. We will study quantifier logic, which is of particular interest to philosophers, in detail. We will look at some extensions, including modal logics and three-valued logics, which are of special interest to philosophers.
Additionally, we will examine some philosophical questions surrounding logic. Some of these questions concern the status of logic, and its relation to the rest of our knowledge. Some of these questions concern how best to construct logical systems.

There will be forty-two class meetings. Twenty-nine of them will be devoted to learning logical technique. In seven classes, we will pursue philosophical questions about logic. The remaining six classes, and the final, will be used for tests.

Assignments and Grading

Your responsibilities this course include the following, with their contributions to your grade calculation in parentheses:

Attendance
Homework (10%)
Seven Tests (70%, 10% each)
One three-to-six-page paper (20%)

Attendance: Classes are for your edification. It will be useful for you to come to class, but there is no direct penalty for missing class. Some students pick up on the technical material quickly. If you do skip a class, you should arrange to drop off, or have someone drop off, your homework, if you have homework due.

Homework: Homework assignments, listed on the schedule below, are due most classes. Some homework assignments are problem sets, from the Hurley text. Others are reading assignments, in preparation for classes in which we will discuss the philosophy of logic.

All students will be expected to turn in the first four problem sets, those which are due before the first exam. If you receive less than an 80% on any exam, you must hand in all problem sets which are due until the next exam. If you receive an 80% or higher on the most recent exam, you may hand in your homework, if you wish, but it will not be required. When handing in homework, make it neat and presentable. There should be no ripped or crumpled pages. Problems should be clearly delimited. Questions need not be written out fully, but solutions must be.

The homework assignments on the schedule are minimal. If you are still struggling with the material, you should do more problems.

Sample solutions to all homework problems are available either on line or in the back of the Hurley text. Acceptable solutions to most problems vary. We will begin most classes by reviewing a few homework questions. You are expected to have completed the homework and looked at the solutions provided before the beginning of class.

Use the text as a reference guide. The chapter sections include excellent examples, and solutions. Read on a need-to-know basis: when you have difficulty with specific problems, read the relevant sections of the chapter.

Tests: All tests are mandatory. Dates for the tests are given on the schedule below. No make-ups will be allowed for missed tests. If you are unable to take a test, you must request an arrangement from me in advance. The final exam will be one more test of the same type as each of the first six tests. You will also have an opportunity, at the time of the final, to take a compensatory version of up to two of the first six tests. I will average the grade on the re-take with your original grade. If you miss a test during the term, the re-take will be averaged with a 0. Practice problems for each test will be available on the course website.

Paper: Each student will write a short paper on a topic in logic, philosophy of logic, or the application of logic to philosophy. Seven class meetings will be devoted to such topics. All papers will require a small amount of research. Papers may be mainly expository, especially those covering technical topics. But, the best papers will philosophical, and will defend a thesis. I will suggest topics and readings through the term. The Fisher text will also be useful in generating ideas.

Papers are due on December 12, though they may be submitted at any time during the course. More details about the papers will be distributed in class.

The Hamilton College Honor Code will be strictly enforced.

Office Hours

My office hours for the Fall, 2008, term are 10:30am - noon, Monday through Friday.

Schedule: