PHIL 206-01, Modern Logic, Spring 2008

Abstract

This course is an introduction to the basic principles of reasoning and argumentation as practiced in a number of contexts, including science and the law, as well as an exploration of why we are justified in relying on these principles. Much of the class will be focused on what is called formal logic. In formal logic, arguments are stripped of their content so that all that remains are the logical connections between statements. Once all the distractions are gone, one can begin to see what can be inferred merely from the logical relationships between the statements. By the end of the course, you should be able to construct proofs in the first level of formal logic (propositional logic). In addition, you will have been exposed to some elements of higher order logic.