The Syllabus
Course:
CRN:
Semester/Year:
Day and Time:
Location:
Instructor:
Office Hours:
Email:
PHI 3130 – Symbolic Logic
12181
Spring 2015
Monday/Wednesday 4:30 – 5:45
2/1018
Dr. Jon Matheson
MW 11:30-1:30
and by appointment
[email protected]
Syllabus Overview:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
Course Description and Objectives
Course Text
Online Course Considerations
Resources
Course Requirements
Course Policies
Student Responsibilities
Instructor Responsibilities
About the Blackboard Page
Course Schedule
I. Course Description and Objectives
This course will introduce students to symbolic logic. In logic we study the
principles of correct reasoning as revealed through language. In this course,
students will understand both how and why good reasoning works. Our focus will
be on the principles of deductive reasoning (in contrast to inductive reasoning). In
symbolic logic we use artificial, formal languages to study deductive inferences. In
this course students will be introduced to and come to understand two such formal
languages (sentential logic and predicate logic) in order to assess and construct
good deductive arguments and test for other logical properties.
This course satisfies a core requirement for the major in Philosophy.
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Upon completion of the course, among other things, you should be able to:
-
Know the meanings of important logical terms.
Be able to translate English sentences into the formal languages of
sentential logic and predicate logic.
Understand the formal syntax and formal semantics of sentential and
predicate logic.
Know how to use semantic methods (truth tables) to test for logical
properties.
Be able to construct proofs in formal systems for sentential and predicate
logic.
II. Course Text
Understanding Symbolic Logic 5th Edition. Virginia Klenk. Prentice Hall
ISBN: 9780132051521
Here is a link to purchase the text from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Symbolic-Logic-VirginiaKlenk/dp/0132051524
III. Online Course Component Considerations
To succeed in the online aspects of this course, you are expected to be able to
effectively and efficiently use a personal computer for word processing (using MS
Word), regular correspondence via email, be able to upload documents, as well as
extensively utilizing the course’s Blackboard page. In particular, you should be
familiar with how to insert various symbols into MS Word. The symbols you should
find in advance are the following: triple bar ‘’, horseshoe ‘’, wedge ‘’, dot ‘’, and
a backwards capital letter e ‘’. I would strongly advise making shortcut keys for
each of these symbols. For instructions on how to make shortcut keys for symbols
in WORD, see the Course Resources page on the course Blackboard page.
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IV. Resources
Students are strongly encouraged to utilize office hours to further discuss these
issues and talk about any issues or concerns that they may have. You can also email
me with any questions or concerns that they have.
Students who feel that they might benefit from peer tutoring, help with study skills,
etc. should contact the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) by phone (620-2766)
by e-mail ([email protected]).
Students with disabilities who seek reasonable accommodations in the classroom or
other aspects of performing their coursework must first register with the UNF
Disability Resource Center (DRC). DRC staff members work with students to obtain
required documentation of disability and to identify appropriate accommodations
as required by applicable disability laws including the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA). After receiving all necessary documentation, the DRC staff determines
whether a student qualifies for services with the DRC and if so, the accommodations
the student will be provided. DRC staff then prepares a letter for the student to
provide faculty advising them of approved accommodations. This is best done
immediately. For further information, contact the DRC by phone (620-2769) or by
email ([email protected]), or visit the DRC website: http://www.unf.edu/drc/
For additional resources for this course, see the ‘Course Resources’ tab on the
course’s Blackboard page.
V. Course Requirements
Your grade for this course will be based on a variety of assignments and exams.
20% QUIZZES
There will be weekly quizzes throughout the course.
Each quiz will allow for unlimited attempts up until the
due date at which time the quiz will come off line
(Fridays at 7pm). Each quiz will have a 1 hour time
limit (unless otherwise noted). After the 1 hour, your
quiz will auto-submit. The quizzes will consist of
multiple choice and true/false questions and will be
taken through Blackboard.
20% HOMEWORK
Each Unit of the text concludes with a number of
Exercise questions. Questions with an asterisks ‘*’ have
the answers in the back of the book. For each Unit you
are required to submit your answers to some of these
exercise questions. Some of the submitted exercise
questions will be graded (but you will not know which,
so all of the assigned exercises should be completed).
You are also STRONGLY advised to complete more
exercise problems than you are to submit answers for
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(particularly asterisked questions), since practice is
critical to success. Homework will be submitted in
class. You can submit your homework typed or
handwritten (but if it is handwritten it must be
eminently legible).
20% EXAM 1
An exam covering Units 1-6, Unit 7.1, and Unit 21.
Questions will parallel exercise questions from these
units as well as the quiz questions covering these units.
All exams will be taken at UNF on the specified date.
20% EXAM 2
An exam covering Units 7-9. Questions will consist of
proofs using ONLY the rules of inference, using the rules
of inference AND the replacement rules, and using the
rules of inference AND the replacement rules AND
conditional proof and indirect proof. All exams will be
taken at UNF on the specified date. There will be a faceto-face review session before the exam.
20% EXAM 3
An exam covering Units 10-15 and 17. Questions will
parallel exercise questions from these units as well as
the quiz questions covering these units. There will be
predicate logic symbolizations as well as predicate logic
proofs of each of the varying kinds. All exams will be
taken at UNF on the specified date. There will be a faceto-face review session before the exam.
Your course grades will be given according to the following scale:
B+ : 89-87 C+ : 79-77
A : 100-93 B : 86-83 C : 76-70 D : 69-60 F : 59-0
A-: 92-90 B- : 82-80
VI. Course Policies
ASSIGNMENTS:
If you see a mistake on Blackboard regarding your grade, you should inform
the instructor immediately. Requests for reconsideration may be granted in
situations where there has been a mistake on the instructor’s part (i.e. grade
entered incorrectly, correct quiz answers marked as incorrect), but these
requests must come from you via email immediately after the error is
identified. No requests for grade reconsideration will be granted more
than one week after the grade has been posted, so be sure to check your
grades on a weekly basis.
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Late assignments and quizzes will not be accepted.
Viable excuses for late work or missing an exam date are limited to (i)
nuclear war, (ii) a life-threatening emergency, and (iii) something worked
out with the instructor more than 24 hours BEFORE the due date.
STUDENT CONDUCT:
UNF has adopted a Student Conduct Code in order to promote responsible
behavior for all students and to assure a physically, emotionally, and
intellectually safe university community. This code addresses issues that
may threaten the safety and order of the university environment and
provides procedures and remedies for addressing these issues. Specific
issues addressed include, but are not limited to, sexual misconduct;
endangerment; harassment; hazing; possession/use of weapons, alcohol, and
illegal drugs; damage or destruction of property; malicious mischief;
computer misuse; and falsification/fraud. Students who are aware of and/or
feel they are victims of any activity in violation of the Student Conduct Code
should report the activity to the University Police or the appropriate campus
administrator.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
Academic integrity is a serious issue. UNF has adopted a strict policy on
academic integrity. Violations to academic integrity include, but are not
limited to cheating; fabricating and falsifying information or
citations; submitting the same work for credit in more than one course;
plagiarizing; providing another student with access to one’s own work to
submit under this person’s name or signature; destroying, stealing, or
making inaccessible library or other academic resource material; and helping
or attempting to help another person commit an act of academic dishonesty.
The Academic Integrity Policy affords University instructors authority to
assign penalties for these offenses. For example, the instructor may assign a
grade of “F” on the assignment in question or for the course. In the case of
flagrant violations of the Academic Integrity Policy, the instructor may
recommend additional specific penalties to the university administration,
including referral for academic counseling, expulsion from a program of
study, denying of degree, expulsion from the University, or revocation of a
degree already granted.
EMAIL:
It is important that you regularly and frequently check your email and the
course’s Blackboard page. You should check your email at least every 24
hours for course updates and announcements. You can have your UNF email
forwarded to another account if this will make things easier for you. You can
email me content (non-technological) related questions for the course,
however, you should first make sure that the answer is not already available
on the syllabus or on the course’s Blackboard page. You should follow
professional email standards. For more on these standards see the ‘How to
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Email a Professor’ document under Course Resources on the Blackboard
page.
VII. Student Responsibilities
REGARDING TECHNOLOGY:
 To access the course, go to http://blackboard.unf.edu and login.
 Check Blackboard and your UNF email on a daily basis. I encourage you to
have your UNF email forwarded to your mobile device and download the free
Blackboard app for access on the go. If you have questions about this, contact
the Help Desk at 620-HELP.
 Configure your personal computer to navigate correctly and efficiently on Bb
by the end of the first week of class or plan to use a UNF computer. Use a
current, standards-compliant web browser such as Firefox, Chrome, or Safari
(Internet Explorer is not advised for using Blackboard).
 If you have technical problems or a question on how to use Bb, call the Help
Desk at 620-HELP. Do not contact the professor for technical assistance. If
you cannot resolve the issue, go to a campus computer lab. It is your
responsibility to understand how to use Blackboard correctly.
REGARDING THE COURSE:
 Read and understand the entire syllabus during the first week of class. This is
your responsibility as a student enrolled in this course. If you have questions
about the syllabus, please ask me within the first week of class. If you have
questions, it is your responsibility to ask for clarification before the due date.
You should contact me with enough time for me to respond and allow for you
to complete the assignment on time (minimum 24 hours). So, you should be
familiar with assignments and quizzes long before they are due.
 Be in possession of the required textbook by the start of the class.
 Put all important course dates into your personal calendar. See Course
Schedule below.
 Prepare for online quizzes in advance by carefully reading the assigned
chapters. Finish quiz by the due date. Late quizzes will not be accepted. You
should take your quizzes early and often to ensure the highest score.
 Complete all quizzes and submit all work well before deadlines to account for
any potential computer, internet, or other technical issues. Always have a
“back-up” plan (i.e. go to the library, friend’s house, café) in the event that
you run into technical issues when work is due.
 Keep track of your grades through the online grade book under MY GRADES.
Click on your grade in the grade book to review my comments to you about
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your work. If you see an exclamation mark (!), it means your work has not
been graded OR you have a grade book error that needs to be cleared.
VIII. Instructor Responsibilities
REGARDING TECHNOLOGY:
 I will review and respond to email messages daily (Monday-Friday). You
should have an email response within 24 hours if submitted during the week.
Sending your email at a later time is “at your own risk” – I may or may not
respond before your assignment is due. Plan your time accordingly.
 I am NOT responsible for your technological problems. Technological
problems are not a viable excuse for late or missed work. You should backup your work, and have a back-up plan in case of emergency. Don’t forget
about the UNF Help Desk. They CAN help you with your technological
problems.
REGARDING THE COURSE:
 I will review and grade all student projects and discussions after the due
date, even if it was submitted early. I will not check or grade work before the
deadline. Quizzes grade themselves, so you can receive feedback early on a
quiz taken early. Recall that you can take quizzes an unlimited number of
times before the due date, so you are strongly encouraged to start taking
them well before the due date.
 Quizzes, assignments, and exams will generally be graded and posted within
a week of the due date.
 I will provide you with detailed feedback on your assignments. Check
through MY GRADES.
 I will notify students of any changes in the course at least 1 week in advance.
 I will use the ANNOUNCEMENT function on Bb and emails to regularly
communicate and provide additional resources and information as they
become available.
IX. About the Blackboard Page
You can access the course’s Blackboard (Bb) page by logging in here:
http://blackboard.unf.edu/ or through MyWings.
The upper-left corner of the course page has links to navigate the course page.
Your point of entry in the course page will be ANNOUNCEMENTS. Under this page
you can view announcements that have been made for the course. These may
include reminders or modifications to assignments.
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The COURSE RESOURCES page contains resources for the course. These resources
include links that allow you to purchase the text, view netiquette guidelines, contact
UNF’s Information Technology Services (ITS) Help Desk, contact UNF’s Disability
Resource Center, and to access the UNF library home page. There are also a number
of ‘how to’ documents:
- How to Submit an Assignment on Blackboard
- How to Create Shortcut Keys in Word
- How to Type Symbols in Blackboard
The COURSE DOCUMENTS page contains crucial documents for the course. These
documents include the syllabus, lecture slides, videos of sample exercises, and a
number of ‘cheat’ sheets that summarize critical material for several sections of the
course.
The QUIZZES page will take you directly to all of the quizzes for the course.
The DISCUSSION page will take you directly to all the Discussion Board forums.
There is a forum for course questions. The course questions forum is for classmates
to help each other out with regard to the course (both technology and content
related).
X. Course Schedule
The course is broken down into 13 content modules. Each module will consist of
reading a portion of the text, viewing sample exercises, attending lectures,
completing and submitting exercises in the text, and completing an online quiz.
Some modules will have additional assignments or surveys. The assignments and
quiz for each module must be completed by the date and time given – these are on
Fridays by 5pm of the relevant week.
There are 3 exams. Each exam will be taken face-to-face at UNF.
- Exam 1 covers the first 6 modules, and will be on 2/17.
- Exam 2 covers modules 7, 8, and 9, and will be on 3/09.
- Exam 3 covers modules 10 - 15 and 17, and will be on 4/25.
While you may work ahead, and are encouraged to do so, you MUST complete the
given assignments and quizzes by the given due dates.
The following course schedule is subject to change, but I will notify you at least one
week in advance if there are any changes.
I.
01/06
01/11
Introduction
What is Logic?
Read:
COURSE INTRODUCTION
Unit 1
8
01/13
01/15
01/18
01/20
01/22
01/25
01/27
01/29
02/01
02/03
02/05
02/08
02/10
02/12
02/15
02/16
02/17
02/22
02/24
Exercises:
1 (b), (d), and (h)
The Structure of Sentential Logic
Read:
Unit 2
Exercises:
1(b), (d), and (h); 2 (b), (d), (h), (j) and (p)
QUIZ 1 DUE
MLK Day (No Class)
Well-Formed Formulas of Sentential Logic
Read:
Unit 21
Exercises:
1, 3, 8, 12, 16, 20
QUIZ 2 DUE
Truth Tables
Read:
Unit 3
Exercises:
1 (b), (d), (f), and (j); 2 (b), (d), and (f); 3(b), (d),
and (f)
Symbolization: Conjunctions, Disjunctions, and Negations
Read:
Unit 4 (p. 51-59)
Exercises:
1 (b), (d), (f), and (h)
QUIZ 3 DUE
Symbolizations: Conditionals and Biconditionals
Read:
Unit 4 (p. 59-69)
Exercises:
3 (b), (d), (f), and (h); 4 (b), (d), and (f); 5 (b),
(d), and (f); 6 (b), (d), and (f)
Truth Table Tests for Validity
Read:
Unit 7 (p. 115-118 – section7.1) AND Unit 5 (p.
74-83)
Exercises:
1 (b), (d), (f), and (l)
QUIZ 4 DUE
Short Truth Tables
Read:
Unit 5 (p. 83-91)
Exercises:
3 (a), (d), (e); 4 (b), (d), and (f) [using short truth
table method]
Tautologies, Contradictions, & Contingencies
Read:
Unit 6 (p. 95-100)
Exercises:
1 (f), (h), (j), and (l); 2 (b), (d), and (f)
QUIZ 5 DUE
Consistency, Equivalence, & Implication
Read:
Unit 6 (100-107)
Exercises:
4 (b) and (d) [also test for logical equivalence]; 6
(b) and (d)
QUIZ 6 DUE
EXAM #1
Basic Inference Rules
Read:
Unit 7 (p. 118-128)
Exercises:
6 (b) and (d); 7 (a)
Proofs with the Basic Inference Rules
Read:
Unit 7 (p.128-138)
Exercises:
8 (a), (c), (e), and (f); 9 (a), (c), and (d)
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02/26
02/29
03/02
03/04
03/07
03/08
03/09
03/14
03/16
03/21
03/23
03/25
03/28
03/30
04/01
04/04
04/06
04/08
04/11
04/13
QUIZ 7 DUE
Replacement Rules (part 1)
Read:
Unit 8 (p. 147-153)
Exercises:
4 (a), (b), and (d)
Replacement Rules (part 2)
Read:
Unit 8 (p. 153-167)
Exercises:
5 (a), (c), (d), and (j); 6 (a), (c), and (e); 7 (a), (b),
and (e)
QUIZ 8 DUE
Conditional Proof & Indirect Proof
Read:
Unit 9 (p. 175-180)
Exercises:
4 (b), (d), and (e); 5 (b), (d), (e), and (g); 6 (b)
and (e); 7 (b) and (c)
QUIZ 9 DUE
EXAM #2
NO CLASS
NO CLASS
Singular Sentences in Predicate Logic
Read:
Unit 10
Exercises:
1 (b), (d), and (f); 2 (b), (d), and (f)
Quantifiers
Read:
Unit 11
Exercises:
1 (b), (d), and (f); 3 (b), (d), (f), and (h); 4 (b),
(d), (f), and (h)
QUIZ 10 DUE
Categorical Propositions
Read:
Unit 12 (skip: p. 230-233 [Venn Diagrams])
Exercises:
4 (b), (d), and (f); 5 (b), (d), and (f); 6 (b), (d),
and (f); 7 (b), (d), and (f)
Complex Subjects and Predicates
Read:
Unit 13
Exercises:
2 (b), (d), and (f); 3 (b); 4 (b), (d), and (f); 5 (b),
(d), and (f); 6 (b) and (d); 7 (b), (d), and (f)
QUIZ 11 DUE
Quantifiers & Truth Functional Compounds
Read:
Unit 14
Exercises:
2 (b), (d), (f), and (h); 3 (b), (d), and (f); 4 (b),
(d), and (f); 5 (b); 6 (b), (d), and (f)
Four Quantifier Rules
Read:
Unit 15 (p. 273-286)
Exercises:
2 (a), (c), (d), (g) and (i)
QUIZ 12 DUE
Proofs & Quantifiers
Read:
Unit 15 (p. 287-295)
Exercises:
4 (a), (c), (d), and (g); 5 (b)
Symbolizing Relational Predicates
Read:
Unit 17 (p. 313-326)
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04/15
04/18
04/20
04/25
Exercises:
1 (b) and (d); 2 (b), (d), and (f); 3 (b), (d), and (f)
QUIZ 13 DUE
Complex Subjects and Predicates
Read:
Unit 17 (p. 327-335)
Exercises:
4 (b), (d), and (f); 6 (b), (d), and (f); 7 (b), (d),
and (f); 9 (b) and (d)
QUIZ 14 DUE
EXAM #3 (1pm)
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