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2020/2021

Logic

Code: 100314 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2500246 Philosophy OB 2 1
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
María Pilar Dellunde Clavé
Email:
Pilar.Dellunde@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
catalan (cat)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Teachers

María Pilar Dellunde Clavé

Prerequisites

None.

Objectives and Contextualisation

How can I argue correctly? How am I as a writer? The objective of this subject is, first of all, to make an introduction to the fundamental logical notions: truth and falsehood, logical consequence, correct reasoning, satisfaction and consistency. Secondly, it is intended to provide students with the basic techniques for the logical analysis of reasoning, paying special attention to philosophical reasoning. The course, however, can be attended by people from other specialties. Throughout the course there will be a writing workshop to put into practice the acquired knowledge.

Competences

  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  • Using the symbology and procedures of the formal sciences in the analysis and building of arguments.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Ability to maintain an appropriate conversation.
  2. Autonomously searching, selecting and processing information both from structured sources (databases, bibliographies, specialized magazines) and from across the network.
  3. Effectively communicating and applying the argumentative and textual processes to formal and scientific texts.
  4. Explaining the specific notions of the History of Philosophy.
  5. Formulating arguments for and against an issue, using proper vocabulary, conceptual precision and argumentative coherence.
  6. Regularising arguments of any source and calculating its logical correctness.
  7. Relating elements and factors involved in the development of scientific processes.
  8. Solving problems autonomously.

Content

  1. Basic notions: correct argument and consistency.
  2. Propositional logic: First steps towards symbolization. Connectives.
  3. Semantics of propositional logic. Assignments of truth values. Truth tables. Tautologies, contradictions and contingent formulas.
  4. Satisfaction and logical consequence. Logical equivalence.
  5. Natural deduction for propositional logic
  6. Syntax of first order logic. 
  7. Semantics of first order logic. Structures. Truth in a structure. 

Methodology

  • Combination of theoretical and practical classes.
  • Joint resolution of exercises.
  • Simbolization of arguments in natural language.
  • Writing arguments workshop
  • Self-learning activities.
  • Introduction of different levels of difficulty in the practices.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Explanation of concepts. 20 0.8 6, 5
Solve problems in classroom 29 1.16 6, 5
Type: Supervised      
Solve doubts 26 1.04 6, 5, 8
Type: Autonomous      
Solve problems 50 2 6, 8
Study of concepts 25 1 6, 5, 8

Assessment

There are three evaluation activities: two synthesis tests, and a series of exercises within a writing workshop. The first test will evaluate the content on propositional logic, and will be worth 45% of the grade; the second test will evaluate the contents of first-order logic, and will be worth 45% of the grade. The exercises done in the writing workshop will be worth 10% of the grade.

The two logic tests will be carried out, one in November, and the other in December. The third activity will be done throughout the course. At the time of carrying out each evaluation activity, the teacher will inform the students (via Moodle) of the procedure and date of review of the qualifications.

In order to participate in the final exam, students must first be evaluated in the two synthesis tests, and have obtained a minimum of 3 points (adding the results of the two tests). "Non-evaluable" will be considered only those who have not performed any of the three evaluation activities.

In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.

In the event that tests or exams cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Synthesis Tests 90% 0 0 6, 5, 8
Writing workshop 10% 0 0 2, 4, 3, 6, 5, 1, 7, 8

Bibliography

Mandatory: P.D. Magnus, Forallx, University at Albany, State University of New York, modified by T. Button, University of Cambridge, under Creative Commons License, 2018 http://www.homepages.ucl.ac.uk/~uctytbu/forallxcam.pdf

Optional:

  1. C. Badesa, I. Jané, R. Jansana, Elementos de lógica formal, Ariel, 2007.
  2. J. Barwise and J. Etchemendy, The Language of first-order logic, 3era ed., Center for the Study of Language and Information, cop. 1992.
  3. Coursera Course: Logic, language and information. https://www.coursetalk.com/providers/coursera/courses/logic-language-and-information-1
  4. Stanford Enciclopedia of Philosophy: http://plato.stanford.edu/
  5. Gateway to Logic. http://logik.phl.univie.ac.at/~chris/gateway/formular-uk.html
  6. The Logic Café, http://thelogiccafe.net/PLI/