PHIL20020 Logic

Academic Year 2020/2021

Logic is the study of arguments and formal logic is the study of formal features of arguments. We will look at the formal elements that distinguish good arguments from bad arguments.

Consider the argument:
If statues are constituted of lumps of clay, then two objects can be in the same place at the same time.
Statues aren’t constituted by lumps of clay.
Therefore, two objects cannot be in the same place at the same time.

It’s a bad argument. Its reasoning is flawed. But what is going wrong in this argument? The argument has a bad form. Moreover, any argument of the same form is equally bad.

In this course, you will see why arguments such as the one above are formally flawed, and you will learn a language that will help you uncover the logical form of arguments.
You will first see how to translate ordinary English sentences into the language of propositional logic. With the help of truth tables, we will determine whether a complex argument is formally good or bad.
Once you have familiarized yourself with the language of propositional logic, we will extend the language by a few symbols and rules. This extended language is called the language of quantificational logic. We will translate ordinary English sentences into the language of quantificational logic. This way, it will be easier to spot formally flawed arguments.

Deductive arguments are very common in philosophy where a priori reasoning plays a significant role. As philosophers, we often want our conclusions to strictly follow from our premises. We don’t want our conclusions to be just very likely to be true - we want them to be necessarily true. But no conclusion can strictly follow from its premises unless the argument has a good form (or can be easily turned into an argument that has a good form). This is why the study of formal logic is strongly recommended to philosophy students.

Logical symbols are also frequently used in articles and books in analytic philosophy, especially in the theoretical subdisciplines, such as metaphysics, philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, or epistemology. You might read ~∃x (x=a) in an article on the ontology of numbers or the semantics of fictional names. This course will show you how to read and interpret such symbols.

This module is skills-focused. What that means is that learning mainly happens through practice.
Although formal logic is mathematical in its appearance, it is more like a very simple artificial language to learn, with a handful of symbols and even fewer syntactic rules. No special aptitude for math is necessary for this course. But as with any new language, a willingness to practise is essential to learn it.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

Your learning outcomes will depend on the learning path you choose.

In this module, I will use the so-called "specifications grading". This approach relies on satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading of assignments. Your final letter grade depends on the assignment bundle you chose to complete satisfactorily.

Assignment bundles are tied to learning outcomes. Assignment bundles for higher grades align with higher learning outcomes or more problem-solving within a learning outcome. It is up to you to determine what grade you want to earn and work towards.

The advantage of specs grading over traditional grading is that a) you know exactly what learning objectives you have achieved at the end of the module and b) you can choose your path through this module depending on the learning outcomes you'd like to meet and the grade you want to earn.

Specs grading is inspired by adult-based learning theory that holds that adults learn best in a challenging learning environment that allows for mistakes and offers choices.
You can choose your learning path and grade by choosing between the different assignment bundles.
I will provide you with specifications of what counts as "satisfactory" for each type of assignment at the beginning of the course.

You will receive 5 tokens you can use to either submit an assignment one week late or to re-submit an assignment that has received an "unsatisfactory". You can use a maximum of 2 tokens on a single assignment. Tokens cannot be used for the quizzes, but you have two attempts at each quiz.

For a D grade, you will need to earn a "satisfactory" for each of these assignments:
- 8 short quizzes (MCQs)
- Three forum posts reflecting on your learning

Learning outcomes for the D-path:
If you complete the module with a D, you should be able to
- Identify valid and invalid arguments
- Recognise correct translations of sentences and arguments from ordinary language into the language of propositional logic or quantificational logic - and vice versa
- Reflect on your learning


For a C grade, you will need to earn a "satisfactory" for each of the following assignments:
- 8 short quizzes (MCQs)
- Three forum posts reflecting on your learning
- Constructing and interpreting 2x2 easy truth tables
- 2x2 easy translations from ordinary language into the language of propositional logic and quantificational logic (2 propositional, 2 quantificational)

Learning outcomes for the C-path:
If you complete the module with a C, you should be able to
- Identify valid and invalid arguments
- Recognise correct translations of sentences and arguments from ordinary language into the language of propositional logic or quantificational logic - and vice versa
- Construct and interpret easy truth tables to determine the validity or invalidity of deductive arguments and logical properties (e.g. consistency or contradiction) of complex sentences
- Translate easy sentences and arguments from ordinary language into the language of propositional logic or quantificational logic
- Reflect on your learning


For a B grade, you will need to earn a "satisfactory" for each of the following assignments:
- 8 short quizzes (MCQs)
- Three forum posts reflecting on your learning
- Constructing and interpreting 2x2 easy truth tables (2 validity, 2 logical property of sentence/s) and 2x2 advanced truth tables (2 validity, 2 logical property of sentence/s)
- 2x2 easy translations from ordinary language into the language of propositional logic and quantificational logic (2 propositional, 2 quantificational), and 2x2 advanced translations from ordinary language into the language of propositional logic and quantificational logic (2 propositional, 2 quantificational)

Learning outcomes for the B-path:
If you complete the module with a B, you should be able to
- Identify valid and invalid arguments
- Recognise correct translations of sentences and arguments from ordinary language into the language of propositional logic or quantificational logic - and vice versa
- Construct and interpret truth tables to determine the validity or invalidity of deductive arguments and logical properties (e.g. consistency or contradiction) of complex sentences
- Translate sentences and arguments from ordinary language into the language of propositional logic or quantificational logic
Reflect on your learning


For an A grade, you will need to earn a "satisfactory" in each of these assignments:
- 8 short quizzes (MCQs)
- Three forum posts reflecting on your learning
- Constructing and interpreting 2x2 easy truth tables (2 validity, 2 logical property of sentence/s) and 2x2 advanced truth tables (2 validity, 2 logical property of sentence/s)
- 2x2 easy translations from ordinary language into the language of propositional logic and quantificational logic (2 propositional, 2 quantificational), and 2x2 advanced translations from ordinary language into the language of propositional logic and quantificational logic (2 propositional, 2 quantificational)
- Creating a self-assessment test (10 questions) with solutions for your classmates; collaboration possible

Learning outcomes for the A-path:
If you complete the module with an A, you should be able to
- Identify valid and invalid arguments
- Recognise correct translations of sentences and arguments from ordinary language into the language of propositional logic or quantificational logic - and vice versa
- Construct and interpret truth tables to determine the validity or invalidity of deductive arguments and logical properties (e.g. consistency or contradiction) of complex sentences
- Translate sentences and arguments from ordinary language into the language of propositional logic or quantificational logic
- Explain basic logical terms and methods
- Reflect on your learning

There are several deadlines throughout the trimester for the quizzes and other assignments.

Indicative Module Content:

- logical concepts such as validity and soundness
- propositional logic
- the truth table method
- quantificational logic

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

20

Tutorial

7

Autonomous Student Learning

98

Total

125

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Online Course? What to expect

The main difference between an online course and traditional face-to-face courses is that there will not be any scheduled face-to-face lectures in an online course.

This module is taught not only online but also mostly asynchronously. It means that there aren't any scheduled times when students need to be online, with the exception of the tutorials which will take place either face-to-face on campus or live in the virtual classroom.

Whether you prefer to study at 6 am or at 11 pm, whether the best time for you to learn is Mondays through Wednesdays or on weekends - it is up to you to decide. As this is an online course, you also don't have to be at any particular place to study. You can learn at home or in a café, in the library or a local park.

All you will need is access to a computer with a stable internet connection and, possibly, earphones. Almost all of the course activities will happen through Brightspace so if you are already familiar with Brightspace you are good to go.

And just because the module is taught online does not mean that you cannot learn with others. You can organize a learning group or meet with a learning buddy. You can meet your classmates face-to-face or virtually. It is up to you to find the people with whom you want to study once the course has started. The module also has several discussion boards on Brightspace, where you collaborate with your classmates. Participation in some of these discussions is graded.

This online module does not just mirror a face-to-face course. "Going online" allows us to mix up the different ways in which we learn. There won't be any hours-long lectures in this module. Instead, there will be shorter video lectures, reading material, exercises, discussion boards, and a text-based visual browser game.

While I will not lecture synchronously, I will be virtually engaged in the discussion boards, I will be available via email or text, and I'll hold synchronous weekly office hours.

NOTE: While students do not need to attend face-to-face lectures or virtual meetings on any particular day or at any specific time, there are several deadlines for completing course assignments. Therefore, regular engagement in the course is necessary to pass the module.

Many students struggle with procrastination at some point during their degree. And for some students, it's an ongoing issue. Online courses may seem particularly challenging to you if you are prone to put off readings or assignments until the very last minute. To support your efforts to keep up with the course I will be offering a synchronous workshop on how to approach procrastination.
The workshop will run parallel to the module on Zoom and is entirely voluntary, though a commitment to participating in the sessions is required. Due to the sensitivity of the information that will be shared in these sessions the workshop will not be recorded.

Should you have any questions about the module please contact me at tatjana.vonsolodkoff@ucd.ie 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Requirements:

None

Learning Exclusions:

None

Learning Recommendations:


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Incompatibles:
MATH30290 - Mathematical Logic


 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Continuous Assessment: Please see the section "Learning Outcomes" Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded Yes

100


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring Yes - 2 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Online automated feedback

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.