PHIL 120(A1) - Symbolic Logic - Fall Term 2014

MWF 1:00 - 1:50 pm, CAB 2-39

The official syllabus for this course is available online through the
Department of Philosophy website, www.philosophy.ualberta.ca

Instructor: Bernard Linsky

E-mail: bernard.linsky@ualberta.ca
Office: 3-51 Assiniboia Hall
Office Hours: Wednesdays 14:30-15:30, Thursdays 14:30-15:00 and by appointment
There is a Teaching Assistant who will have office hours for groups of students. Lecture notes will be
posted on e-Class after each lecture.

A Course Overview and Aims

This is an introduction to symbolic logic that covers what is commonly known as “elementary
logic”. This is the logic of propositions and quantifiers, including three parts for each:
symbolizing sentences in a symbolic language syntax, giving proofs of valid arguments using
derivations, and using truth tables and interpretations to show that other arguments are not valid,
semantics. The course is cumulative. Everything learned early on is used later in the course, so it
is important to keep up with the lectures and exercises. The homework and tests will consist of
problems, which will require you to symbolize sentences, produce derivations in the system that
we will learn, and produce interpretations, with an understanding of the theory of how these
concrete tasks accomplish what they do. There will also be some "short answer" questions that
test your grasp of basic concepts of logic. The questions on the exams will be similar to the
exercises in the book and those assigned on the homework.

B. Prerequisites There are no formal requirements for this course, but it is a bit unlike other 100
level philosophy courses. There are no essays and the homework consists of problem sets. An
aptitude for mathematics or computers will help you, but that can also lead you to miss some of
the subtleties of representing, that is, symbolizing, sentences of natural language. This is an Arts
course, and there will be something different to learn for students with all backgrounds.

C. Required Text
The Logic Book, 6th edition, Bergmann, Moor and Nelson. It may be possible to follow the
course with an earlier edition, but some exercises will be selected from this version. Answers to
the unstarred exercises can be accessed from McGraw Hill at this site under “Online Learning
Center”, student edition:
http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0078038413

We will cover almost all the material from Chapters 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 and 10.

D. Course Requirements:
• Homeworks 30%, worth 6% each. Submit your answers at beginning of class.
1. Due Sept 19
2. Due October 3
3. Due October 17
4. Due Nov 14
5. Due Nov 29
• Midterm Test 30% - In class, Oct 22
• Final Exam 40% - (two hours) scheduled for December 15, 2pm
Homeworks: Questions will be assigned one week before they are due.
Midterm test will present problems like those in the homeworks.
Final Exam: Will cover the whole course, but with an emphasis on the second half.
Your final grade will be based on the overall (weighted) percentage score on the assignments.
The marks vary depending on how hard the assignments were, so the grades are relative to the
performance of others in the class. In past years percentages have ranged widely within a single
class, so while it has taken 85% and above for A- to A+, Bs have ranged from 60 to 85%, Cs
from 50 to 60% and averages above 40% have passed with a D.

E. Academic integrity and plagiarism

The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and
honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards and to uphold the policies of
the university in this respect. Students are urged to familiarize themselves with the Code of
Student Behaviour (http://tinyurl.com/CodeofStudentBehaviour) and avoid any behaviour which
could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or
participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension
or expulsion from the university. For a summary please see
http://www.governance.ualberta.ca/en/StudentAppeals/DontCheatsheet.aspx
The Code of Student Behaviour defines plagiarism as follows:
No Student shall submit the words, ideas, images or data of another person as the
Student’s own in any academic writing, essay, thesis, project, assignment, presentation or
poster in a course or program of study.

Warning: It is tempting to present other people’s work as your own on the homework. To avoid
this, feel free to discuss problems with other students in a study group, and certainly with the
Teaching Assistant or the instructor, but then go home to write up your answers on your own.
There is no harm in getting a hint from someone else about how to solve a problem. If you are
following the course, these should be exercises that you know how to do, rather than puzzles that
require a tricky answer. Relying too much on help with the homework will likely lead to poor
performance on the tests. Acceptable answers can vary so much that it is impossible to come up
with identical solutions just by chance.

F. Schedule of Classes
Sept 3 Introduction Sept 5 - §1
Sept 8 - §1 Sept 10 §2.1 Sept 12- §2.2
Sept 15 - §2.3 Sept 17 §2.3 Sept 19 -§3.1 HW#1
Sept 22 - §3.2 Sept 24 §3.3 Sept 26 - §3.4
Sept 29 - §3.5, Oct 1 §3.6 Oct 3 - §5.1, HW #2
Oct 6 - §5.1 Oct 8 §5.2 Oct 10 - §5.3
Oct 13 - No Class Oct 15 §5.3 Oct 17 – §5.3 HW #3
Oct 20 - §5.3 Oct 22 Midterm Oct 24 – §7.1
Oct 27 - §7.2 Oct 29 §7.2 Oct 31 - §7.3
Nov 3 - §7.3 Nov 5 §7.4 Nov 7 - §8.1
Nov 10 – No Class Nov12 §8.2 Nov 14 - §8.3 HW #4
Nov 17 - §8.4 Nov 19 §10.1 Nov 21 - §10.1
Nov 24 - §10.2 Nov 26§10.2 Nov 28 §10.2 HW #5
Dec. 2 –§10 concl. Dec 4 Conclusion of course

Final Exam: Dec. 15, 2pm