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PHI 103

I. TITLE: Introduction to Logic

II. CATALOG DESCRIPTION:
Studies of inductive and deductive forms of arguments and inferences.  Also, an examination of terms, propositions, truth-functions, mathematical logic, and the language of logic, probability, Mill's methods, definitions, division, and classification.

III. PURPOSE:
The main purpose of the course is to develop the students critical thinking skills so she can distinguish between good and bad reasoning when she hears or reads arguments developed by other people and when she develops her own arguments.
    Thus the introduction to logic is concerned with educating its students so they will have many of the characteristics the board of regents has defined as the "Characteristics of the Murray State Graduate": encourages independent thought through critical reasoning teaches students to employ sound methods of logical analysis and evaluation teaches students to apply sound analysis and evaluation to reach logical conclusions

IV. COURSE OBJECTIVES:
The main objective of this course will be to clarify the concept of a VALID ARGUMENT, and to develop a strategy for TESTING THE VALIDITY of arguments.  This course may also examine some informal fallacies--how to recognize, avoid and correct these common failures of reason.  As an elective under the Communication requirements of the MSU University Studies Curriculum, PHI 103 will concentrate on developing a student's ability to recognize, analyze, reconstruct, and evaluate arguments as these are found in expository prose.

V. CONTENT OUTLINE:
  1.  Basic concepts of Logic
       premise
       conclusion
       argument
       premise indicators
       conclusion indicators
  2.  Categorical propositions
  3.  Categorical syllogism (arguments)
  4.  Propositional or mathematical logic
  5.  Mill's Methods of Induction or informal fallacies

Aristotle's logic is the best introduction to the idea and practice of sound deductive reasoning used in all fields of investigation. Math logic is the logic all deductive systems -algebra, geometry, or arithmetic. Thus, this course is concerned with the logic (critical reasoning skills) of the most general deductive systems of math and their applications such as computer languages. Mill's methods of induction are the simplest statement of our everyday and scientific inductive reasoning process. This course is designed to be an elementary course that sets forth the principles of good reasoning that is used by all educated persons in any field of academic study.

VI. INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES: problem solving, lecture, computer lab and tests.

VII. FIELD, CLINICAL AND/OR LABORATORY EXPERIENCES:  an interactive computer program installed on all the computers in the open labs.

VIII. RESOURCES:  Interactive logic tutorial in the open computer labs.

IX. GRADING PROCEDURES:
 1.  Work is graded according to the standards of the Undergraduate  Bulletin:
   A = exceptional high quality work (90-100%)
   B = good (80-89%)
   C = satisfactory (70-79%)
   D = poor, unsatisfactory for the college level (60-69%)
   E = failing, not acceptable.

 2.  There will be at least three hourly exams. Your grade is an average of  hourly exams and the final.  Attendance (computer
      lab and class) will help  the professor determine borderline grades.
 3. You are responsible for keeping track of how you are doing in the  course, but I will be glad to talk to you about improving
     your level of  performance.

X. ATTENDANCE POLICY:  Regular class attendance is expected.

XI. ACADEMIC HONESTY:
Academic honesty is expected.  Your signature on each written assignment  represents a pledge that you have adhered to the College of Humanistic  Studies Policy on Academic Integrity.  No unsigned written work will be  accepted in this course.  This statement adopted by the Board of Regents,  February 14, 1975, on Academic Integrity will be vigorously enforced:

"Cheating, plagiarism (submitting another person's material as one's own,  or doing work for another person which will receive academic credit) are  all impermissible.  This includes the use of unauthorized books,  notebooks, or other sources in order to secure or give help during an  examination, the unauthorized copying of examinations assignments,  reports, or term papers, or the presentation of unacknowledged material as  if it were the student's own work.  Disciplinary action may be taken  beyond the academic discipline administered by the faculty member who  teaches the course in which the cheating took place."

Note:  Faculty reserve the right to invalidate any examination or other  evaluative measures if substantial evidence exists that the integrity of  the examination has been compromised.

1997-1999 Undergraduate Bulletin, p. 51

XII. REQUIRED TEXTS:
A CONCISE INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC, Patrick J. Hurley, 6th Edition, 1996,  Wadsworth

XIII. PREREQUISITES:
None

Last updated February 14, 2000. Designed and maintained by Kyosung Koo