PHIL 155.002 – Truth and Proof: Introduction to Mathematical Logic

Instructor: Ben Schwartz. This course meets MWF 9:20 – 10:10 a.m. via remote synchronous (RS) instruction.

In many aspects of life, we often face the task of analyzing arguments.  An essential part of this process is determining whether one set of claims (a set of premises) implies some other claim (a conclusion). With this goal in mind, we will learn and use a formal (symbolic) language to represent and evaluate deductive patterns of reasoning.

In this course, we will study propositional and first-order predicate logic. We will examine both the syntax (grammar) and semantics (meaning) of each logical system. Topics will include translations between English and the logical formalisms, truth tables, models, and formal proofs.

The course content is largely mathematical in nature, and the student’s grade will be mainly determined via tests and HW problem sets. A primary aim of this course is that the student will acquire some proficiency in formally representing and evaluating deductive arguments.