PHIL 210: Symbolic Logic
Citrus College Course Outline of Record
| Heading | Value |
|---|---|
| Effective Term: | Fall 2021 |
| Credits: | 3 |
| Total Contact Hours: | 54 |
| Lecture Hours : | 54 |
| Lab Hours: | 0 |
| Hours Arranged: | 0 |
| Outside of Class Hours: | 108 |
| Strongly Recommended: | ENGL 101. |
| District General Education: | A2. Communication & Analytical Thinking |
| Transferable to CSU: | Yes |
| Transferable to UC: | Yes - Approved |
| Grading Method: | Standard Letter |
Catalog Course Description
A course concentrating on formal logic, including both sentential and predicate logic, methods of symbolization and proof. Differs from PHIL 110 in omitting informal logic and going further in the study of formal logic. Previous completion of PHIL 110 not required. 54 lecture hours.
Course Objectives
- Understand the formal nature of reasoning, and to symbolize an argument and prove its validity or invalidity using an appropriate formal method.
- Construct a truth table for an argument in sentential logic and understand what it shows about the validity or invalidity of an argument.
- Construct a formal proof for an argument in either sentential or predicate logic.
- Construct a truth tree for an argument in either sentential or predicate logic.
Major Course Content
- Elements of an Argument
- Deduction
- Induction
- Truth & Validity
- Soundness
- Consistency
- Symbolizing in Sentential Logic
- Truth Tables
- Proofs
- Conditional and Indirect Proofs
- Sentential Logic Truth Trees
- Predicate Logic Symbolization
- Logic Semantics
- Predicate Logic Proofs
- Relational Predicate Logic
- Four Quantifier Rules
- Predicate Logic Truth Trees
- Identity and Philosophical Problems of Symbolic Logic
- Syllogistic Logic
Suggested Reading Other Than Required Textbook
Jeffery, Richard. Formal Logic: Its Scope and Limits. McGraw -Hill, inc. New York. 1991.
Examples of Required Writing Assignments
Logic is a form of philosophic and linguistic mathematics. Formal logic is essentially a calculation based activity that is concerned with the formulation and discernment of logical proofs to evaluate the truth value of arguments. It does this by assessing arguments, reducing them to atomic variables and logical operators, and applying the rules of inference to discern the truth or falsity of the assertion. Some assignments would include the writing of the lines of proof into colloquial verbiage in translation.
Examples of Outside Assignments
Adhere thirty 3 x 5 index cards together to form a book. Write the 19 Rules of Inference on them to be used for memorization.
Instruction Type(s)
Lecture, Online Education Lecture