PHIL& 120 Symbolic Logic

5 credits

A comprehensive introduction to symbolic logic, including its historical development, the structure of logical forms, deductive tools and techniques, the role of logic in language, mathematics, and philosophy, and applications in decision-making, computer programming, and silicon circuitry.

This course meets the Quantitative Reasoning general education distribution requirement. This course can also satisfy the Humanities general education distribution requirement (though it cannot be counted towards both within the same credential).

Prerequisites: MATH 98 or MATH 99 (or placement into any college-level, transferable MATH/MATH& course) and ENGL 93 (or placement into ENGL 99 or higher)

Course Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

Identify logical elements in natural and artificial languages
Determine tautological, contradictory, and contingent logical forms
Apply logical techniques to arrive at valid conclusions
Manipulate a symbolic language to arrive at deductive conclusions
Apply logical rules of inference, replacement, and quantification
Apply the mathematical skills of problem solving, pattern recognition, substitution, following structural rules, quantitative modeling, and formal logic to solve problems requiring reasoning, critical thinking, and rational problem solving

College-Wide Learning Outcomes
This course teaches to the college-wide learning outcome of Critical Thinking, the ability to evaluate information, draw inferences, arrive at conclusions, and create solutions based on objective analysis of the evidence.

This course teaches to the college-wide learning outcome of Communication, the ability to engage effectively in verbal, non-verbal, written, and/or symbolic expression.

Total Hours: 50 Theory (Lecture) Hours: 50