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Principles of Sound Reasoning

Course content:

The nature and structure of human reasoning using both formal and informal principles; the meaning and use of language; elementary symbolic logic; elementary predicate logic

Goals: Recognizing, evaluating, and constructing arguments

Format: Lectures, homework assignments, in-class assignments, in-class participation, graded assignments (tests).

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

1. Recognition of arguments (C&C, ch. 1)
2. Aristotelian logic (C&C, chp. 7, 8)
3. Truth tables (C&C, ch. 10)
4. Formal proofs (C&C, ch. 11, 12)
5. Informal fallacies (C&C, ch. 6)
6. Arguments in neutral language (C&C, ch. 4, 5)
7. Conceptual Blockbusting assignment, (3 papers)

Required books:

Introduction to Logic, 10th edition, I.M. Copi and C. Cohen
Conceptual Blockbusting, 3rd edition, James L. Adams

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