Introduction to Logic
Philosophy 1021, Section 1—Fall 2024—TTh: 3–4:20pm—202 Williams
Professor Roland Offce: 108 Coates
Email:
[email protected] Offce hours (Zoom): Th: 4:45–5:45pm and by
Mailbox: 102 Coates appointment
Course Description
This course is an introduction to logic, formal and informal. We will begin with the most basic kind of formal
logic, propositional logic. Learning propositional logic involves learning a simple formal language. We will
learn such a language, translate statements and arguments in English into that language, and learn some
techniques for discerning logical properties of statements and arguments translatable into that language. On
the informal side we will learn how to identify and avoid some ways of reasoning that can be quite attractive,
but which are nonetheless defective. Finally, time permitting, we will briefy consider legal and scientifc
reasoning.
General Course Information
1. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is still circulating and is still a danger. As I write
this, the CDC reports Very High virus levels in LA based on wastewater testing. (This is the highest
possible level.) If you are not feeling well, whether or not you have a fever, please do not come to
class. Masking is not required in class (though it is strongly encouraged). However, only students
who are masked may sit in the frst two rows of seats. Cloth masks, even if equipped with a flter, are
not suffcient for this. (Email me if you want information on quality masks and where to get them, or
if you have any questions about my COVID-19 policies.)
2. Course format. Most of class time will be lecture, but we will normally devote some time each week
to working and discussing problems. This time will provide us an opportunity to discuss what you’re
learning and to more directly address specifc diffculties you might be having. I’ll take questions as
they come up during lecture, but I reserve the right to rein in discussion in the interest of keeping us
on schedule. Bring your textbook to every class meeting.
3. Success in this course. You are far more likely to be successful in this course if you do the following
four things:
• Attend lecture. I can’t stress the importance of this enough. A prerequisite for success in just
about anything is showing up and engaging. Here that means coming to class prepared, paying
attention, and participating. Your attendance is required; your participation is expected.
• Work lots of exercises. Learning logic is in large part learning a skill, like riding a bike or
playing an instrument. You must practice to become profcient, let alone good. Practice in logic
is working exercises. You should work every odd-numbered exercise of every section we cover
in class. Then do the even-numbered ones.
• Ask questions. If you don’t understand something in the course after making a good faith effort
to do so, ask about it. Ask me after class, ask me during offce hours, or send me an email. Ask
your neighbor in lecture who seems to be getting it. But ask someone for help. It won’t become
clear if you ignore it.
• Stay current. It is imperative that you keep up in this course. Cramming does not work. If you
do some work for this course six out of seven days a week, you’ll be doing just about enough.
No joke.
Remember: The measure of your understanding is how well and easily you can do exercises, those
in the book and those on MindTap (see below). This is what you’re shooting for: the ability to do
exercises correctly and easily.
4. Unless something changes we will hold class in person. Offce hours and other meetings outside of
class will be held on Zoom. We will observe the following etiquette during Zoom meetings:
• Use your video.
• Be appropriately clothed. Don’t wear anything you wouldn’t wear to a physical class meeting.
• Be sitting upright. No reclining or lying down.
• Be stationary. Don’t be in a car, on a scooter, etc.
• Use normal meeting etiquette. Generally, avoid activity that you wouldn’t do in a normal meet-
ing setting.
Basically, if you wouldn’t wear or do it in a normal offce meeting with me, don’t do it in a Zoom
meeting.
Initiate a Zoom meeting with me using this link: https://lsu.zoom.us/j/3435387775.
You might have to download and install Zoom the frst time you join a meeting.
5. Required course materials. The following textbook is required for the course.
Patrick Hurley/Lori Watson, A Concise Introduction to Logic
I will be using the 13th edition in class, but any edition from the 11th on will serve for the course. Ear-
lier editions can probably be found online pretty cheap. That said, the 13th edition can be purchased
with access to online resources through a program called MindTap. The resources on MindTap are
very useful, so I encourage to you to consider spending the money to get access to MindTap. (The
pagination on earlier editions might also be slightly different from the 13th edition.)
MindTap with an electronic copy of the book (13th edition) can be purchased directly from the pub-
lisher at:
https://www.cengage.com/c/a-concise-introduction-to-logic-13e-hurley/
9781305958098/.
You might need to scroll for MindTap. If you buy MindTap you do not also have to buy the book
separately unless you want a physical book.
6. Grades. Course grades will depend on four exams (three prelims and a fnal). To pass the course it
is necessary (but not suffcient) that you take at least two of the four exams; if you only take one
exam, you fail the course. (Just take all four exams, as every student should. Then you can ignore
this.)
I will assign letter grades to exams and the course using the following grading scale (in percentages):
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Grade Percentage
A+ > 99
A 93–99
A- 85–92
B+ 80–84
B 75–79
B- 70–74
C+ 65–69
C 57–64
C- 50–56
D+ 45–49
D 40–44
D- 35–39
F below 35
Weighting for course grades will be as follows:
• First Prelim: 20%
• Second Prelim: 20%
• Third Prelim: 20%
• Final Exam: 40%.
7. Exams. Exams will be held on the following dates.
• Prelim 1: September 17
• Prelim 2: October 8
• Prelim 3: November 7
• Final: December 10, 7:30–9:30 AM
Prelims are one hour long; the fnal is two hours long. The fnal will be cumulative. All exams
will be administered in class and will be closed book.
8. Make-up policy. Make-up exams will be given at my discretion and only for documented, University-
approved reasons (see PS-22). Make-up exams will not be given more than one week past the regular
exam period. Students seeking a make-up exam should contact me as soon as possible after the regular
exam period to maximize the likelihood of getting a make up. Note that make-up exams for the fnal
exam are exceedingly rare.
9. Communication. The best way to communicate with me is by email. I typically answer email
messages within 24 hours; I frequently answer them more quickly than that. I will periodically send
important messages to the class during the term. These messages will go to your LSU email address.
So it is important that you check your LSU email account regularly or forward your LSU email
to an account that you check regularly.
10. Electronic devices. Electronic devices may be used in class only to access the textbook while doing
assigned exercises. Otherwise, there is to be no use of electronics whatesoever during class. A
growing body of academic research strongly indicates that use of electronics in class not only hurts
the performance of students using the devices, but it also hurts the performance of students sitting
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around them. This policy does not apply to cases of accommodation for a disability. Please notify me
in advance if you have such an accommodation.
11. Classroom recording. Audio or video recording of classroom proceedings is permitted only with my
explicit permission, which will be given only for reasons of ODS approved accommodation. If you
have a relevant accommodation, please speak with me.
12. Distribution of materials. Materials I provide for the purpose of aiding learning in this course are
not to be shared with or posted on any electronic forum or service. Those materials are my intellectual
property and, as such, I have sole legal authority over their distribution.
General Education Information
This course satisfes the goal of the University’s General Education Requirement in Analytical Reasoning.
• An LSU graduate will be able to employ scientifc and mathematical methods and technology in the
resolution of laboratory and real world problems.
Integrative Learning Core Information
Integrative learning allows students to make simple connections among ideas and experiences and across
disciplines and perspectives. The LSU Integrative Learning Core (ILC) curriculum is designed to develop
student abilities to transfer their learning to new situations, and demonstrate a sense of self as a learner.
A fundamental goal of the ILC is to foster students’ practical and intellectual capacities associated with
integrative learning in preparation for high competence and functionality in their post-baccalaureate careers.
This course fulflls the Board of Regents Area of Analytical Reasoning and provides students experience
with the ILC profciency of Quantitative and Formal Reasoning.
According to the Quantitative and Formal Reasoning profciency, “[i]ndividuals with strong Formal
Reasoning skills possess the ability to reason in and about formal systems and structures (mathematical,
logical, linguistic, and computational) using formal mathematical and logical methods. They understand
and appreciate the universal applicability of these formal methods.” Approximately 65% of the course con-
tent, covering acquisition of a formal language and facility with formal techniques for assessing individual
statements and collections of statements in this language for various logical properties, will help students
develop this ability and appreciation. Assessing mastery of this content is focused on truth tables and is
assessed in Prelim 2, accounting for 20% of the total course grade.
Catalog Description
*1021 Introduction to Logic (3) No special background presupposed. Formal and informal reasoning;
introduction to propositional logic; formal and informal fallacies; scientifc reasoning.
Important Additional Information
1. If you have a disability that may affect your performance in this course and for which you may require
accommodation, please see a staff member in the Offce of Disability Services (112 Johnston Hall) so
that such accommodation can be considered. Students who receive an accommodation letter should
meet with me as soon as possible to discuss provision of accommodation.
2. I respect and uphold LSU’s policies and regulations pertaining to: observation of religious holidays;
assistance available to physically disabled and visually and/or hearing impaired students; plagiarism;
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sexual harassment; and racial or ethnic discrimination. You are advised to become familiar with the
respective University policies and regulations and are encouraged to bring any questions or concerns
to my attention.
3. You should familiarize yourself with Section 5.1 of the LSU “Code of Student Conduct.” This is
the section covering academic misconduct, otherwise known as cheating. Academic misconduct is a
serious matter. I will not tolerate it, so please don’t try it.
4. The University requires instructional continuity through campus-wide closures. For a closure in which
internet is available to most faculty and students, we will have class on Zoom (link above). For a
closure in which internet is not available to most faculty or students, we will not meet for class and
you should read and work exercises for the section we would have discussed in class individually.
Communication during a closure will come via email (assuming it’s functional).
5. Use of Generative AI (ChatGPT, Claude, Llama, etc.) is prohibited in this course. If you use it outside
of class, I won’t know. But since all graded coursework is completed in class without aids, using it
outside class will only harm your performance on graded assignments. So for your beneft, just don’t
use it for this course.
Tentative Course Schedule
Week of 8/26: read Chapter 1 (we won’t cover all of this in lecture, but it will help you to read it); 6.1
Week of 9/2: 6.2
Week of 9/9: 6.2 and 6.3
Week of 9/16: 6.3 and 6.4
Week of 9/23: 6.4 and 6.6
Week of 9/30: 6.6 and 7.1
Week of 10/7: 7.1 and 7.2
Week of 10/14: 7.2 and 7.3, Fall Break—no class Thursday
Week of 10/21: 7.3 and 7.4
Week of 10/28: 3.1 and 3.2
Week of 11/4: 3.2 and 3.3
Week of 11/11: 3.3 and 3.4
Week of 11/18: 3.4 and 3.5
Week of 11/25: 9.1, 9.2, Thanksgiving—no class Thursday
Week of 12/2: 9.2, 13 and (time permitting) 14
