Week 13/14: Intro to Modal Logic & Law of Noncontradiction

1. Read: SEP, "Modal Logic," especially sections 1-6:

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/logic-modal/

2. Read: SEP: "Contradiction."

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/contradiction/


Reminder: Test 2, Monday, May 2.

Week 12: Induction

1. Read: Hurley, 9.2 (Causality) and 9.5 (Hypothetical reasoning).

2. Reminder: Drafts of papers due on Friday, April 15th.

3. Reminder #2: Quiz #2 on May 2nd.

Week 11: Ought Implies Can

1. Readings: Vranas, "I Ought, Therefore, I Can."

 http://www.jstor.org/stable/40208771

And, Gerol Petruzella's response:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sH0OLTNdZ789oU-zJrKC8g8_6x_wsfxS9nah263wGkg/edit

Week 10: Predicate Logic

Read: Chapter 8, Hurley

Week 9: ND, cont. & Predicate Logic

1. 7.4 - 7.6.  (Monday and Wednesday)

2. Begin Chapter 8.  (Friday)

3. Reminder: Paper topics due by Friday.

Week 7: Exam 1, Natural Deduction, and Essay Writing

1. Reminder: Exam 1 is scheduled for this coming Wednesday (Fallacy identification and all substantive methods of determining validity/invalidity covered to date).

2. We will continue to work through chapter 7 on Monday and Friday.

3. Give some thought to potential paper topics (critical essays, approximately 5-7 pages in length, taking up some issue in logic proper or (inclusively) employing some of the methods of logical argumentation we are reviewing/learning.  Topics are otherwise unrestricted.

Deadlines:

a. I will ask to see and approve individual proposals (a paragraph or two is adequate) on or before March 25th.
b. I will ask to see and subsequently comment on a draft on or before April 15th.
c. Papers are due on the final day we meet.

Week 5 and 6: Propositional Logic

Read Chapters 6-7.

Do all exercises as necessary; bring specific concerns/troublesome problems to class.

Week 4: Categorical Syllogisms

Read and review: 5.2-5.7.

Do exercises following each section as required; Use Venn diagramming to determine validity rather than (or in addition to) the various rules and types of fallacies (5.3).

Week 3: Categorical Logic

1. Review/read 4.1-4.7 (you may skip 4.5, since we'll use Venn diagrams to show validity/invalidity in all instances).  Try exercises as necessary. Eventual goal for the week: translate exercises 4.7 into standard form, then test for validity using Venn diagrams.  (See my note on the blog re existential import.)

Goals along the way:
1. Become familiar with the four standard form categorical propositions, their quality, quantity, and the distribution of their terms.
2. Identify and diagram the converse, obverse, and contrapositive of each of the four standard form categorical propositions.
3. Translate ordinary language statements into standard form categorical propositions.
4. Test the validity of categorical inferences using Venn diagrams.

Week 2: Fallacies and Fallaciousness

From JSTOR, read:

1. Adler, "Fallacies not Fallacious, Not!"

http://libproxy.mcla.edu:2095/stable/40237963

(further, optional reading): Levi, "In Defense of Informal Logic."

http://libproxy.mcla.edu:2095/stable/40237520

2. Hurley text: (I understand that this is review for most of you): Read Chapter 3, "Informal Fallacies." To test your understanding, identify the fallacies, where they occur, in exercise 3.5.

Week 1: Reason/Argument

Reading: 1. "What is Reasoning? What is an Argument? Douglas N. Walton.

 http://libproxy.mcla.edu:2095/stable/2026735

2. "What is an Argument?" Terence Parsons.

http://libproxy.mcla.edu:2095/stable/2940886

We may begin discussing these essays, beginning with Walton's, as early as Friday, though our continuing preliminary review of the basics may preempt those discussions.