I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Logic

2. Course Prefix & Number:
PHIL 1460

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 3

Lecture Hours: 3

4. Course Description:

This philosophy course is an introduction to the basic concepts, principles, and methods of argument analysis and evaluation, including deductive and inductive reasoning, validity, soundness, truth tables, Aristotelian logic, Venn diagrams, indirect deductive proofs, and principles of induction.

5. Placement Tests Required:

Accuplacer (specify test):

Reading College Level CLC or Reading College Level

Score:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

There are no prerequisites for this course.

9. Co-requisite Courses:

There are no corequisites for this course.

II. Transfer and Articulation

1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:

Lake Superior College, PHIL 1125 Logic, 3 credits
Hibbing Community College, PHIL 1250 Logic, 3 credits

III. Course Purpose

2. MN Transfer Curriculum (General Education) Courses - This course fulfills the following goal area(s) of the MN Transfer Curriculum:

• Goal 2 – Critical Thinking
• Goal 4 – Mathematical/Logical Reasoning

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Demonstrate written communication skills	Express understanding of logical ideas in writing assignments.
Demonstrate reading and listening skills	Evidence understanding of content and major ideas conveyed in assigned readings and lecture.
Apply abstract ideas to concrete situations	Accurately translate argumentative passages into symbolic notation and objectively prove validity or invalidity of reasoning.

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

• Gather factual information and apply it to a given problem in a manner that is relevant, clear, comprehensive, and conscious of possible bias in the information selected.  MnTC Goal 2
• Recognize and articulate the value assumptions which underlie and affect decisions, interpretations, analyses, and evaluations made by ourselves and others.  MnTC Goal 2
• Analyze the logical connections among the facts, goals, and implicit assumptions relevant to a problem or claim; generate and evaluate implications that follow from them.  MnTC Goal 2
• Imagine and seek out a variety of possible goals, assumptions, interpretations, or perspectives which can give alternative meanings or solutions to given situations or problems.  MnTC Goal 2
• Illustrate historical and contemporary applications of mathematics/logical systems.  MnTC Goal 4
• Clearly express mathematical/logical ideas in writing.  MnTC Goal 4
• Explain what constitutes a valid mathematical/logical argument (proof).  MnTC Goal 4
• Apply higher-order problem-solving and/or modeling strategies.  MnTC Goal 4
• Translate ordinary statements into symbolic form. 

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

1. Lecture Sessions

1. Intro: Basic Logical Concepts
• What is logic?
• Claims, the basic unit
• Arguments, premises and conclusions
• Arguments vs. explanations
• Deduction and validity
• Induction and probability
• Analyzing arguments
2. Categorical Propositions
• Categorical propositions and classes
• Symbolism and Venn diagrams
• Distribution
• Existential import
• Aristotelian square of opposition and immediate inference
• Boolean square of opposition
• Logical equivalence and immediate inference
3. Categorical syllogisms
• Standard form syllogistic argument
• Major, minor and middle terms, mood, figure
• Venn diagram technique for testing syllogisms
• Rules and fallacies
4. Arguments in ordinary language
• Reducing the number of terms in syllogistic arguments
• Translating categorical propositions
• Uniform translations
• Enthymemes
5. Symbolic logic
• Symbolese
• Basic propositional forms
• Truth tables and the analysis of compound propositions
• Tautologous, contradictory and Contingent forms
• Validity testing with truth tables
• Incomplete and reverse truth tables
6. The Method of Natural Deduction
• Natural deduction vs. truth tables
• Formal proofs
• Rules of replacement
• Conditional proof
• Indirect proof
7. Induction
• Analogy, legal and moral reasoning
• Causality and Mill’s method
• Probability
• Hypothetical/scientific reasoning