Logic

This course is an introduction both to logic and to critical thinking, assuming no previous work in logic or philosophy. The critical thinking portion of the course covers the distinction between logic and rhetoric, the distinction between deductive and inductive arguments, the analysis of ambiguities and the nature of common fallacies in reasoning. In the logic portion of the course, the basic topics include the symbolization and evaluation of deductive arguments using truth tables and the construction of proofs to assess validity. We will also look at extensions of classical logic (such as modal logics, epistemic and deontic logics, multi-valued logics), as well as discuss some fundamental issues pertaining to the nature of reasoning and logic more generally. The objectives of the course, then, are both to become familiar and competent with basic techniques of formal logic and to acquire skill in using these and related formal techniques to assess reasoning in a wide variety of applications.