Topical Outline with Specific Course Objectives
- Introduction to Basic Concepts of Logic
- Recognize an argument
- Determine the premises
- Determine the conclusion
- Recognize deductive arguments
- Valid
- Sound
- Unsound
- Invalid (and unsound)
- Valid
- Recognize Inductive Arguments
- Strong
- Cogent
- Uncogent
- Weak (and uncogent)
- Strong
- Recognize an argument
- Informal Fallacies
- Recognize instances of fallacies of relevance including:
- Argumentum ad baculum
- Argumentum ad hominem
- Argumentum ad populum
- Argumentum ad misericordiam
- Argumentum ad ignorantiam
- Argumentum ad verecundiam
- Accident
- Converse Accident
- False Cause
- Petitio Principii
- Complex Question
- False Dichotomy
- Recognize instances of fallacies of ambiguity, including:
- Equivocation
- Amphiboly
- Composition
- Division
- Recognize instances of fallacies of relevance including:
- Categorical Propositions
- Recognize and classify a standard-form categorical proposition as to:
- Form
- Quantifier
- Copula
- Subject term
- Predicate term
- Quantity
- Quality
- Distribution or non-distribution of terms by the proposition
- Use the traditional square of opposition to form valid inferences using the relationships of:
- Contrary
- Subcontrary
- Sub-alternation
- Contradictory
- Recognize and perform the immediate inference operations
- Conversion
- Obversion
- Contraposition
- Use the modern square of opposition
- Make inferences using the relationship of contradictory.
- Recognize the existential fallacy.
- Use 2-class Venn diagrams to:
- Visually represent the class relationship expressed in each categorical proposition.
- Validate the relationships found in the squares of opposition.
- Validate the inferences of conversion, obversion and contraposition.
- Recognize and classify a standard-form categorical proposition as to:
- Categorical Syllogisms
- Recognize a categorical syllogism and put it in standard form by:
- Recognizing the major, minor and middle terms.
- Recognizing the major and minor premises, and the conclusion.
- Classify a standard-form categorical syllogism as to:
- Mood
- Figure
- Test a given mood-figure form for validity
- Test a syllogism for validity by:
- Venn diagram method
- Method of the syllogistic rules
- Numerical or other method
- Test the validity of:
- Categorical arguments that can be reduced to logically equivalent standard-form syllogisms
- Categorical arguments that can be evaluated using diagrams representing four and five categories
- Sorites and/or enthymemes
- Recognize a categorical syllogism and put it in standard form by:
- Truth-Functional Logic
- Symbolize any combination of the five (5) types of compound statements (below) in propositional logic.
- Conjunction
- Disjunction
- Conditional
- Bi-conditional
- Negation
- Apply the definitional truth tables for each of the five (5) truth functional connectives in order to:
- Assess the truth-value of a statement based on the given values of its atomic components.
- Test the logical equivalence of two statement forms using truth tables.
- Classify statement forms as to contingent truths, logical truths or self-contradictions by means of truth tables.
- Test argument forms for validity by means of truth tables.
- Use indirect (shortcut) truth tables to test validity of argument forms.
- Test the consistency of sets of premises by the indirect truth table method.
- Symbolize any combination of the five (5) types of compound statements (below) in propositional logic.
- Formal Deductive Proof
- Recognize instances of any of the following nine rules of inference:
- Modus ponens
- Modus tollens
- Disjunctive syllogism
- Hypothetical syllogism
- Constructive dilemma
- Simplification
- Addition
- Conjunction
- Absorption
- Recognize instances of the use of the rule of replacement with any of the following ten tautologous bi-conditionals:
- DeMorgan's theorems
- Commutation
- Association
- Distribution
- Double negation
- Transposition
- Material implication
- Material equivalence
- Exportation
- Tautology
- Recognize both the specific form and any non-specific forms of an argument:
- Given the argument in verbal form.
- Given the argument in symbolic form.
- Use the method of deduction and the 19 rules of deduction to formulate:
- Direct proofs
- Indirect proofs
- Conditional proofs
- Natural deduction of tautologies
- Proofs involving inconsistent premises
- Recognize instances of any of the following nine rules of inference:
Department Policies
- Comprehensive Final