PHIL 120 – Introduction to Logic
Section 1 (22382) – MWF 10:00-10:50 am – AH 3110
COURSE SYLLABUS
(SPRING 2014)
Instructor: H. Reyes
Office: AL 427
Voice Mail: (619) 594-8839
E-mail: hreyes@mail.sdsu.edu
Office Hours: MWF – 8:00-8:50 am; 1:00-1:50pm
CATALOG COURSE DESCRIPTION: Phil 120: Introduction to Logic (3 units) –
Introduction to deductive and inductive logic; logic and language; analysis of fallacies;
[and] uses logic in science and in daily life
Prerequisite: Satisfaction of the Entry-level Mathematics requirement
COURSE OBJECTIVES: This course recognizes that thinking and/or reasoning
logically is a fundamental competence, and so takes correct reasoning itself as its primary
focus. Its goals are not only to provide students with criteria and methods for
distinguishing good reasoning from bad reasoning and to help students develop basic
reasoning skills that can be applied both within a broad range of academic disciplines and
outside academic environment; but also to help students learn from data, communicate
quantitatively, analyze evidence and assertions and employ quantitative (SD General
Catalog) reasoning, and use and comprehend quantitative language (SD General
Catalog) to prove how conclusions follow logically from given premises.
To pursue these objectives, the course will be based on a standard introductory
text on deductive and inductive logic, and students will be required to exhibit
computational skills in the completion of assignments and written exercises in response
to the materials covered in the course with the use of APLIA website.
GENERAL EDUCATION OUTCOMES: Phil 120 is a General Education course
that is aimed at aimed at providing “the following 7 essential capacities: (1) construct,
analyze, and communicate arguments; (2) apply theoretical models to the real world; (3)
contextualize phenomena; (4) negotiate differences; (5) integrate global and local
perspectives; (6) illustrate relevance of concepts across boundaries; and (7) evaluate
consequences of actions.
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LEARNING OUTCOMES (Specific to PHIL 120): At the end of the semester, the
students will be able to
 Distinguish passages that contain arguments from passages that are nonarguments
 Distinguish deductive arguments from inductive arguments
 Identify the premises and conclusion of arguments
 Identify types of informal fallacies
 Test arguments for validity using Venn diagrams, and/or truth tables and
indirect truth tables
 Distinguish necessary and sufficient conditions
 Translate sentences into propositional logic
 Apply the technique of natural deduction to proving arguments, through the
18 Rules of Inference, including the use of conditional proofs (CP) and
indirect proofs (IP)
 Apply appropriate computational skills (SD General Catalog) to analyze
arguments
 Use methods of quantitative reasoning to solve logical problems (SD General
Catalog).
DISABLED STUDENT SERVICES:
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations
for this class, it is your responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 5946473. To avoid any delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact
Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not
retroactive, and that I cannot provide accommodations based upon disability until I have
received an accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Your cooperation is
appreciated.
RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES, ATHLETICS, ETC.
By the end of the 2nd week of classes, students should provide written notification
to the instructor of planned absences for religious observances. Students must inform
instructor within the first two weeks of class of any planned absences on account of
religious observances
This also applies to student athletes and supportive groups (i.e., members of
marching bands, cheerleading squads, not fans). They must provide faculty with written
notification within the 2nd week of classes in order to be excused from scheduled class
work for scheduled class meetings.
REQUIRED TEXT:
Hurley, A Concise Introduction to Logic, 12th ed. (with APLIA access code), 2015,
Cengage Learning (ISBN: 9781285992273)
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE: Use of laptop/tablet in class is ALLOWED ONLY for
the purpose of accessing the electronic text and the APLIA website and for note taking.
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Students will lose this privilege if they use their laptop/tablet for other than those
specified activities. Students should also refrain from any activity/behavior that may be
disturbing to other students who are making the effort to be attentive. Let us show
RESPECT FOR EACH OTHER by coming to class on time, not sleeping during
class, not letting our cell phone to ring as class is going on, and by being actively
engaged in whatever is going on in class.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1. ATTENDANCE and CLASS WORK – Attend each class on time. Unnecessary
absences and tardiness have drastic negative effect in your understanding of the
materials covered in class and in your performance in the exams. Participate
actively in class work. To be able to do the class work, you will need your
textbook, so bring it to class every class meeting. NOTE: THERE IS NO
MAKEUP FOR CLASSWORK.
2. MAJOR EXAMS – These are scheduled exams based on each chapter completed
in the course. These exams are application exams (i.e., these are intended to show
your ability to apply the key concepts and principles discussed in that particular
chapter).
3. Completion of all assignments on the APLIA Website. You will need the
access code to go to the APLIA Website. A handout will be provided to access
the APLIA Website. NOTE: These assignments have DUE DATES and are
GRADED. If you missed the due date, there is NO EXTENSION of due
dates. FAILURE to complete the assignments on its due date will result in an
automatic ZERO for that assignment.
4. FINAL EXAM – Just like the major exams, the final exam is an application
exam, intended to show your ability to apply the key concepts and principles
covered in chapters 5, 6 and 7.
NOTE: I encourage you to aspire for excellence in your work. I encourage and
recognize your hard work, diligence, and genuine effort to do well in class. To
reward such commendable qualities, I provide you with an opportunity to be
exempted from the final exam. A student will be exempted from the final exam if
you meet the following 2 conditions: your pre-final grade is at least 90% and you
have NO (repeat, NO) absences.
GRADING POLICY: Your final grade will be based on the following distribution of
points:
 60% - Average of ALL Major Exams
 15% - Average Score of all assignments on the APLIA Website
 5% - Class work and Attendance
 20% - Final Exam
100 – Final Grade
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Letter grade will be determined based on the following scale:
96-100 ---------- A
76-79 ---------- C+
90-95 ------------ A- 73-75 ---------- C
86-89 ------------ B+ 70-72 ---------- C83-85 ------------ B
66-69 ---------- D+
80-82 ------------ B- 60-65 ---------- D
NOTE: Anything below 60% is an “F”
COURSE SCHEDULE:
1/22 (W): Introduction: Get acquainted, discuss class syllabus, class requirements, etc.
1/24 (F): Discuss 1.1 – Arguments, Premises, Conclusions
1/27 (M): Discuss 1.2 – Recognizing Arguments
1/29 (W): Discuss 1.3 – Deduction Arguments
1/31 (F): Discuss 1.3 – Inductive Arguments
2/3 (M): Discuss 1.4 – Validity, Soundness, Strength and Cogency
2/5 (W): Discuss 1.6 – Extended Arguments
2/7 (F): QUIZ #1
2/10 (M): Discuss 3.1 – Informal Fallacies
2/12 (W): Discuss 3.2 – Fallacies of Relevance
2/14 (F): Discuss 3.3 – Fallacies of Weak Induction
2/17 (M): Discuss 3.4 – Fallacies of Presumption
2/19 (W): Discuss 3.4 – Fallacies of Ambiguity and Grammatical Analogy
2/21 (F): QUIZ #2
2/24 (M): Discuss 4.1 – Categorical Propositions
2/26 (W): Discuss 4.2 – AEIO and Venn Diagrams
2/28 (F): Discuss 4.3 – Modern Square of Opposition
3/3 (M): Discuss 4.4 – Conversion and Obversion
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3/5 (W): Discuss 4.4 – Contraposition
3/7 (F): Discuss 4.5 – Traditional Square of Opposition
3/10 (M); Discuss 4.7 – Translating Ordinary Language Statements into Categorical
Statements
3/12 (W): QUIZ #3
3/14 (F): Discuss 5.1 – Standard Form of Categorical Syllogism
3/17 (M): Discuss 5.2 – Figures and Moods; and Venn diagrams
3/19 (W): Discuss 5.3 – Five rules and Fallacies
3/21 (F): NO CLASSES - NCAA Tournament
3/24 (M): Discuss 5.4 & 5.5 – Reducing the Number of Terms; and Ordinary Language
Arguments
3/26 (W): Discuss 5.6 – Enthymemes
3/28 (F): Discuss 5.7 – Sorites
SPRING RECESS – 3/31/2014 – 04/04/2014 – NO CLASSES
4/7 (M): QUIZ #4
4/9 (W): Discuss 6.1- 6.2 – Symbols and Translations/ Truth Functions
4/11 (F): Discuss 6.3 – Truth for Propositions
4/14 (M): Discuss 6.4 - Truth Tables for Arguments
4/16 (W): Discuss 6.5 – Indirect Truth Tables
4/18 (F): QUIZ #5
4/21 (M): Discuss 7.1 – Rules of Implication I
4/23 (W): Discuss 7.2 – Rules of Implication II
4/25 (F): QUIZ #6
4/28 (M): Discuss 7.3 – Rules of Replacement I
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4/30 (W): Discuss 7.4 – Rules of Replacement II
5/2 (F): Discuss 7.5 – Condit1onal Proof
5/5 (M): Discuss 7.6 – Indirect Proof
5/7 (W): Last day of regular class: Distribute pre-final grades; Review for final
exam. Final Exam will cover the materials of chapter 5, chapter 6 and chapter 7.
FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE: Friday, May 9 (10:30am – 12:30 pm)
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How to access your Aplia course
PHIL 120 - INTRO TO LOGIC-Spring 2014
Instructor: Herminia Reyes
Start Date: 01/13/2014
Course Key: 3SPL-6YNP-CZPH
Registration
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