Symbolic Logic

Philosophy 120
Instructor: Tomoya Sato
Email: tosato@ucsd.edu
Homepage: http://acsweb.ucsd.edu/~tosato
Ofce: H&SS 8089
Ofce Hours: Monday 2:00-4:00.
Course Description
Logic is the study of formal validity. Logic is concerned with questions such as: What ar-
guments are formally valid? How can the formal validity of an argument be determined?
What makes some arguments formally valid and some formally invalid?
This course offers an introduction to symbolic logic and covers three topics: (1) how to
translate arguments in natural language into arguments in symbolic language; (2) how to
determine the formal validity of an argument in terms of truth (the semantic method);
(3) how to determine the formal validity of an argument by means of formal proof (the
proof-theoretic method).
We will spend the rst one-third of the course reviewing sentential logic. Then, we will
move on to the study of symbolic logic.
Time & Room
M & W 11:00-1:50 in YORK 3050A.
Required Text
Terence Parsons, An Introduction to Symbolic Logic.
(http://www.humnet.ucla.edu/humnet/phil/faculty/tparsons/Logic%20Text/)
Prerequisite
Phil10 or permission of instructor. Students are expected to be familiar with the basic
notions of sentential logic such as truth tables of sentential operators and inference rules
like modus ponens, modus tollens, and disjunctive syllogism.
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Grades
The grade for the course will be determined by three components:
1. Homework (40%, 400 pts): There will be four homework assignments. Each assign-
ment, worth 100 points, is due at the beginning of the Monday lecture of each weak.
For each day the assignment is late, 20 points will be deducted from the point total.
2. Midterm Exam (20%, 200 pts): There will be a midterm exam on August 18. The
midterm exam will test all material covered up to the day it is held.
3. Final Exam (40%, 400 pts): There will be a nal exam on September 5. The nal exam
covers the entire course.
The grading scale is as follows: 900-1000 points will be As (A-, A, or A+); 800-899 will
be Bs (B-, B, or B+); 700-799 will be Cs (C-, C, or C+); 600-699 will be D; 0-599 will be
F. (However, depending on the class average and grades distribution, the cut-offs may be
curved.)
Schedule
August 4 Class 1 : Introduction.
Introduction, Chapter 1 Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
August 6 Class 2 : Derivations in Sentential Logic.
Chapter 1 Sections 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.
August 11 Class 3 : Derivations and Truth Tables.
Chapter 2 Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11.
August 13 Class 4 : Language of Symbolic Logic
Chapter 3 Sections 1, 2, 4, 5.
August 18 Class 5 : Derivations in Symbolic Logic I
Chapter 3 Sections 6, 9 and Midterm.
August 20 Class 6 : Derivations in Symbolic Logic II
Chapter 3 Sections 8.
August 25 Class 7 : Invalidities I
Chapter 3 Sections 10.
August 27 Class 8 : Derivations in Symbolic Logic III
Chapter 4 Sections 1, 2, 3.
September 1 University Holiday.
September 3 Class 9 : Invalidities II and Course Wrap-Up
Chapter 4 Section 9.
September 5 Final Exam : 11:30-2:30.
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Important Notes
Make-up exams : Make-up exams will only be given in special circumstances (e.g., se-
rious illness, family emergency, or participation in a university activity). The student
who wants to take a make-up exam must inform the course instructor ahead of time
of when the exam takes place. In order to qualify for a make-up exam, appropriate
evidence of the special circumstances must be produced by the student.
Requirements for taking the exams : No notes or books or other materials are allowed
during the exams. One bluebook and one or more writing implements will be
needed.
Information for OSD students : If you are a student approved by OSD for special
accommodations, you need to coordinate with the course instructor beforehand.
Attendance : Attendance at lectures is not required. It is quite possible to learn
the material by studying on ones own, and some students do so. However, most
students benet from lectures, and you should not take the decision to skip them
lightly. Among other things, attending lecture gives you an opportunity to ask ques-
tions and to hear other students questions, which is a huge aid to learning.
Academic Integrity
Students are expected to do their own work, as outlined in the UCSD policy on aca-
demic integrity published in the UCSD general catalog. Students are responsible for
knowing and adhering to the policy on academic integrity, which can be found at
http://students.ucsd.edu/academics/academic-integrity/policy.html
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