Advanced Symbolic Logic (PHIL 456.001)

This is an advanced course in logic in which we will cover Gödel’s 1st and 2nd Incompleteness Theorems, and some related results (including Tarski’s Indefinability of Truth theorem). Gödel’s theorems are landmarks of twentieth century logic, perhaps the most celebrated theorems of the last hundred years. Along the way, we’ll study enumerability, diagonalization, recursive functions, models, the Lowenheim-Skolem Theorem and the Compactness Theorem, the arithmetization of syntax, Gödel numbers, the representability of recursive functions, indefinability, undecidability, incompleteness, and the unprovability of consistency. We will also study the philosophical significance of Gödel’s theorems.

Pre-requisite: PHIL 455 or 356 & the permission of the instructor. Contact kellyfinn@unc.edu if you meet the requirements and would like to enroll in this class.

Keith Simmons’s webpage