PHIL 1110 - Introduction to Logic

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2017

Logic is fundamental to the way humans communicate. Our public debates and private reasoning are shaped by logical principles, even though most of us would struggle to spell them out. Logic I will teach you the basics of formal logic, which provides symbolic methods for representing and assessing the logical form of arguments. No previous experience with symbolic methods or mathematics is assumed. There are no prerequisites, but many students find that Argument and Critical Thinking is a useful preliminary.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code PHIL 1110
    Course Introduction to Logic
    Coordinating Unit Philosophy
    Term Semester 2
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 3 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y
    Prerequisites 12 units of Level I Arts including 3 units of Philosophy
    Assessment Test 1: 20%, Test 2: 30%, Exam 50%
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Jonathan Opie

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    This course introduces the tools of modern symbolic logic. On successful completion of this course students will be able to:
    1. Represent the structure of statements and arguments using a formal logical framework;
    2. Assess formalised arguments for validity using truth tables and deductive methods;
    3. Apply these formal methods to clarify and assess real-world arguments;
    4. Display knowledge of and facility with symbolic logic under assessment conditions, including under time-limits;
    5. Present and defend oral opinions on logical and interpretative questions arising from engagement with real world arguments.


    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    1, 2
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    1-3
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    1-3
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    3
    Intercultural and ethical competency
    • adept at operating in other cultures
    • comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
    • able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
    • demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
    na
    Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
    • a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
    • open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
    • able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
    na
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources

    In a change from previous years, this year the course will be using a local adaptation of an open source and open access textbook. The base text is

    PD Magnus with contributions by Tim Button (2014) Forallx: Cambridge.

    The lecturers for this course will be creating a local Adelaide version of this text, which will be made freely available online to students before the course begins. If sufficiently many students are interested, it may be possible to make a printed version of the text available for a nominal cost.

    Recommended Resources

    The following texts may also be useful places to start thinking about logic before the course begins, but are not compulsory:

    Priest, G (2001) Logic: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press.
    Restall, G (2006) Logic: An Introduction (Series: Fundamentals of Philosophy), Routledge.

    Many other free online and/or open access logic texts are also available, including one by one of your lecturers: here is a useful list. However, a word of caution: Many cover more advanced material than we will be looking at in Logic I, and looking at too many alternative texts is unnecessary to succeed in this course, and may be confusing.

    Online Learning
    Lecture notes and the online quizzes will be made available on MyUni each week, as will a recording of the lecture. Practice tests will be posted during the semester. Supplementary exercises may also be provided. The course textbook is freely accessible online. 
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes

    Lectures. There are two lectures each week, which can be attended in person or viewed on MyUni.

    Tutorials. Tutorials are designed to help you understand the lecture material, but may touch on other topics as student interest dicates. Practice in basic logical skills is essential to do well in this course, and tutorials are your main opportunity to get feedback and advice on how well you are mastering the techniques and knowledge involved. Tutorials will be structured largely around discussion of the weekly quizzes, so you should ensure you have completed these and brought your answers along to the tutorial.

    ​
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    2 x 1-hour lectures (or equivalent) per week 24 hours per semester
    1 x 1-hour tutorials (or equivalent) per week 12 hours per semester
    4 hours assignment/exam preparation per week 48 hours per semester
    3 hours tutorial preparation per week 36 hours per semester
    3 hours reading per week 36 hours per semester
    TOTAL WORKLOAD 156 hours per semester
    Learning Activities Summary

    As the exact ordering of material in the text is , this summary of course learning activities is preliminary and subject to change.

    WeekTopics and activities
    1 Arguments, Formal and Informal logic
    2 Sentential logic and what it means; translations from English
    3 Evaluating logical arguments: validity, soundness, and semantics
    4 Tests for Validity, First in class test
    5 Adding to our logical language: Predicate logic
    6 Semantics for predicate logic and the evaluation of arguments
    7 Introduction to logical proofs (‘deductions’)
    8 Sentential Deduction, Second in class test
    9 Predicate Deduction
    10 Predicate Deduction, continued; identity
    11 Applications
    12 Where Next in logic?; final in class test
    ​
    Specific Course Requirements

    Tutorial participation is essential for developing the skills you need to succeed in this course. To encourage it, this course requires attendance at a minimum of seven out of ten tutorials. If you miss your tutorial, you may be able to make it up by attending another tutorial in that same week – contact your tutor.

    You will incur a penalty of 3% per tutorial for any further absences, up to a maximum of 9%, unless you provide a medical certificate or counsellor’s note justifying the absence. The penalty is deducted from your overall course mark.

    Unjustified tutorial absencesPenalty
    3 or fewer 0
    4 3
    5 6
    6 or more 9
    ​
    Small Group Discovery Experience
    Small group discovery occurs during our weekly tutorials. Here you will discuss exercises attempted before the tutorial, and compare your responses with those of the other class members.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    ASSESSMENT TASKTASK TYPEWEIGHTINGCOURSE LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
    Weekly online quizzes and tutorial discussion Formative 40% 1–5
    In class test 1 Summative 20% 1–4
    In class test 2 Summative 20% 1–4
    In class test 3 Summative 20% 1–4
    Assessment Detail

    Assessment in this course is based on two components: weekly online quizzes, and in class tests.

    Weekly quizzes. There will be 10 weekly quizzes in this course. They will be online, and generally multiple choice or similar. Each will be up for one week, and must be submitted before the first tutorial that will run in a given week. (Answers will be discussed in tutorials.) Each quiz is worth 5% of the final grade, but the two lowest-scoring quizzes will not be counted, so only your eight best results will collectively contribute 40% of your final grade.

    In class tests. There are three in-class tests, which will take place during normal lecture period. The tests will be open-book: you can bring your notes and textbooks with you. Tests are roughly equally spaced through the semester. Each test will have as its main focus material from the preceding four weeks, but as logic and this course are cumultative, the later tests will also presuppose familiarity with material from earlier in the course too. Please be on time!

    This course has no final exam.

    Submission

    No information currently available.

    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

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    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

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  • Policies & Guidelines
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