Intro to Logic - PageOut

Introduction to Logic: First Day Syllabus
Philosophy 106; Section 4; Fall 2012; California State University, Fullerton
Instructor:
Douglas E. Hill, Ph.D.
E-mail: dohill@fullerton.edu
Location: LH-525.
Office Hours: MW 2:30-3:30 pm;
TuTh 1-2 pm;
other times by appointment.
Telephone: 657-278-6755.
Meeting Information:
Section 2: TuTh 8:30-9:45am, LH-304.
Section 3: TuTh 10-11:15am, LH-304.
Section 4: MW 1-2:15pm, MH-689.
Section 6: TuTh 11:30am-12:45pm, LH-315.
You must turn in all homework and take all
exams in the section in which you are
enrolled.
REQUIRED READING: The Power of Logic: Fourth Edition or Fifth Edition, (either edition is fine) by
Frances Howard-Snyder, Daniel Howard-Snyder, and Ryan Wasserman, 2009 or 2013, McGraw-
Hill, New York, NY. Most of your homework will be done on the textbook’s website at:
http://poweroflogic.com via our class’ website at: http://hilld.pageout.net. This book is available
from the Little Professor, the Titan Store, and online booksellers, or for rental online (with only the
chapters we will cover) at: http://tinyurl.com/DrHillLogic or http://preview.tinyurl.com/DrHillLogic.
The Skeptic's Dictionary: A Collection of Strange Beliefs, Amusing Deceptions, and
Dangerous Delusions by Robert Todd Carroll, 2003, http://skepdic.com. This book is also available in paperback, but
the version on the website is in convenient hypertext format, is updated regularly, and is free.
Other readings will also be assigned.
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES: By the end of the semester, students who pass this class will have demonstrated their
ability to:
1. Identify passages in natural language that are arguments and nonarguments,
the component parts of an argument, as well as different
types of arguments and non-arguments.
2. Identify and explain the logical requirements of a valid argument, how
these differ between inductive and deductive arguments, and be able to
classify arguments as deductive or inductive, valid or invalid, sound or
unsound, strong or weak, and cogent or uncogent.
3. Identify and explain the distinction between validity and soundness and
to learn formal logical methods for testing the validity of an argument
using categorical logic, Venn diagrams, and truth-functional logic.
4. Translate arguments into categorical and propositional forms and
evaluate them using appropriate logical methods.
5. Identify various formal and informal fallacies.
6. Show a basic competence to apply the above skills independently
when writing in-class essays and a summary of a lecture.
7. Understand and explain the difference between correlation and
causation.
8. Gain an appreciation of just what goes into good reasoning and good
writing that will be helpful in future studies.
9. Read, write, and reason at the college level.
GE Learning Outcomes: This course meets requirements of G.E. Category A.3, Critical Thinking (including for
Philosophy majors). The overall G.E. Learning Goals for Category A, Core Competencies, are:
1. Organize one’s thoughts and communicate them clearly and effectively,
using language that demonstrates sensitivity to gender and cultural
differences.
2. Find, evaluate, select, synthesize, organize, cite and present
information and arguments clearly and effectively for a variety of
purposes and audiences.
3. Recognize and evaluate the features, functions, and contexts of
language that express and influence meaning.
The G.E. Learning Goals for Category A.3, Critical Thinking, courses are:
1. Understand the role of logic and its relation to language.
2. Understand elementary inductive and deductive processes, including
formal and informal fallacies.
3. Develop the skills to distinguish propositions and statements of fact
from issues of judgment or opinion.
4. Develop skills to advocate for ideas.
4. Compare and contrast with care and accuracy the relative merits of
alternative or opposing arguments, interpretations, assumptions, and
cultural values.
5. Reflect in an open-minded manner on one’s own thinking in relation to
the ideas of others.
5. Develop skills to reach well-supported factual and judgmental
conclusions and the skills to successfully advocate for these
conclusions.
6. Evaluate, critique, and analyze the quality and sufficiency of evidence
and other forms of support for a position, include recognition of
underlying lines of argument.
This course is designed to achieve all of these learning goals. This course meets each of these G.E. Learning Goals
through the selection of the text, the topics considered, the skills taught, and the course assignments. The course specific
learning outcomes have been designed to explicitly satisfy each of these G.E. Learning Goals. Students who successfully
complete this course will be able to identify specific ways in which each of these goals was met.
Philosophy 106 Page 1 of 5 Fall 2012, CSUF

GRADING: This class will use plus/minus grading. Grades will be
determined using the following scale:
A+ 98-100% B+ 88-89% C+ 78-79% D+ 68-69%
A 92-97% B 82-87% C 72-77% D 62-67%
A- 90-91% B- 80--81% C- 70-71% D- 60-61%
F 0-59%
Your grade will be computed as a weighted average of the course
components as follows:
Assignments (homework + quizzes + E.C.) 25%
Midterm 1 25%
Midterm 2 25%
Final exam 25%
A grade of “C” (2.0) or better is required to meet the General
Education requirement for Category A.3. A grade of “C-” (1.7) or
below will not satisfy this General Education requirement. Thus to
receive a “C” in this course, your weighted average must be at least
72% and you must complete ALL REQUIREMENTS including
acceptable lecture write-up and presentation of a logic problem.
EXAMS: There will be two midterms and a cumulative final exam.
The midterms are scheduled for October 10 th and November 7 th ; the
exact date will be announced in class. The final exam will be:
Section Final exam time
2 (TuTh 8:30am) Thursday, December 20, 9:30-11:20 a.m.
3 (TuTh 10 am) Tuesday, December 18, 9:30-11:20 a.m.
4 (MW 1 pm) Monday, December 17, 2:30-4:20 p.m.
6 (TuTh 11:30am) Thursday, December 20, 12-1:50 p.m.
The final will be cumulative. Please be on-time to each exam;
latecomers will not be seated once any student has completed the
exam, and no extra time will be given to latecomers. In the event of
an excused absence, the final will serve as a make-up for the
missed midterm. But an absence from the midterm will be excused
only for extreme and documented reasons, and no other make-up
midterm will be offered. You may not use any outside materials on
the exams, including notes or the textbooks. You must bring your
current CSUF photo ID to the exams, along with scantron 1712, pen,
and pencils.
WRITING: Some of your homework and quizzes will involve writing.
In particular, you can, for extra credit, attend and write up an
approved lecture (such as a philosophy colloquium) and upload a
two-page summary to www.turnitin.com (via TITANium) within a
week of the lecture. One video lecture will be shown in class (TuTh
sections) or made available online (MW section). You may also
write-up another approved talk for extra credit. Writing up a talk
(such as the assigned talk or an extra credit talk) is a requirement
to pass the class.
HOMEWORK: The homework problems will be assigned in class.
Most of the homework problems will have to be done online (on a
computer using the book’s website via http://hilld.pageout.net) and
submitted online AHEAD OF CLASS TIME. (Instructions and
details will be given in class.) Other homework that cannot be
graded online will be due at the beginning of class. Please be aware
that software problems are to be expected, so plan for some
difficulties, especially the first time that homework is due.
Your instructor will make every effort to assist you with the software
on the website, but late online homework will only be accepted in
rare circumstances at the discretion of the instructor. Any such
extensions must be negotiated in-class on behalf of the entire
class. Late arriving students may submit homework for half-credit if
that homework has not yet been graded. Once an assignment has
been graded, it will no longer be accepted. Each student may submit
ONE assignment that was to be turned in at the beginning of class
via email as long as it arrives in the instructor’s email box prior to
the start of class when that assignment was due. (Please note that
this does not apply to online problems, only to homework that was to
be turned in on paper.)
Therefore, you are advised not to put off your homework until the last
minute. (Because most homework will be done online, it is easy to
turn it in, even if you must miss a class. If you must miss a class,
please arrange for a classmate to get the homework assignment to
you.) Please include your name (as you wish to be addressed), date,
email, and section number or time on everything that you turn in for
this class. Please keep all returned homework, and make sure that it
has been recorded properly on Titanium. Students will present some
of the homework problems on the board. Every student must
successfully present at least one homework problem in class.
QUIZZES: Surprise quizzes on the assigned readings may be
given anytime during class, and will count toward your homework
score. These quizzes will be closed-book but open notes; i.e., you
may use your own hand-written notes but no printed material. No
make-up quizzes will be offered.
EXTRA CREDIT: You may attend an approved academic talk, write up
a summary of the argument you heard and upload it to
www.turnitin.com (via TITANium) within a week of the talk for
extra credit (toward your homework score). Any CSUF Philosophy
Colloquium will apply, and your instructor will look for and announce
other qualified talks.
Extra credit will be given for proof of voting in the November election.
In addition, extra credit (and writing credit) will be awarded for
uploading a write-up of the convention acceptance speeches of
BOTH Obama and Romney; each write-up needs to be uploaded
within a week from each speech. To get credit, you must write-up
BOTH speeches.
A few of the homework assignments will include extra credit
problems. Your assignment grade will be computed from the sum of
your homework, quizzes, and any extra credit and will account for
25% of your grade.
The instructor also reserves the right to award some extra credit for
consistently outstanding classroom participation. There will be no
other extra credit assignments.
ATTENDANCE: Students must be conscientious about attending
classes on a regular basis. Students are allowed three absences
without prior explanation (however, full attendance will be rewarded
with 2.5% added to your final average). After the third absence,
every absence will constitute a 2.5% loss in the final average
(approximately half a grade reduction) in your final grade. Do
not squander your three absences – there are always unexpected
Philosophy 106 Page 2 of 5 Fall 2012, CSUF

things that would prevent you from coming to class on a given day. If
you use up your free absences, you will have to take the penalty
when you do miss one more class. Students must be in class when
the attendance sheet is passed around in order to get attendance
credit. Students are also encouraged to attend the Professor’s office
hours.
PLAGIARISM AND ACADEMIC HONESTY: Plagiarism, cheating, etc. will
result in a course grade of ‘F’. In addition, you will be reported to the
Dean of Students office. This includes, but is not limited to, the
following:
Using another student’s paper as the basis for your own work (e.g.,
having your friend’s paper in front of you as you type out your own);
Allowing another student to use your paper;
Using notes during an exam;
Cutting and pasting from a website or book;
Communicating with other students during an exam or quiz, copying off
another student, or making your exam or quiz available for copying;
Paraphrasing the work of another individual without citation; and
Misrepresenting another’s work as your own. This includes passing off a
quotation as your words, or editing a quotation without properly
acknowledging this (with editing marks).
Reading a presentation that you did not otherwise contribute to.
However, at the instructor’s discretion, the first offense of very small
scale plagiarism (which can be as little as leaving out quotation
marks) may result only in an “F” on the assignment, and a discussion
with the instructor on how this can be avoided in this and all future
college classes. So please be familiar with University Policy
Statement 300.021 on Academic Dishonesty. You are encouraged
to discuss the material with your classmates, but you must do all your
own work. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated.
INTERNET: This syllabus can be found online at Titanium which you
can access via www.fullerton.edu. Announcements will be made on
our discussion forum there, and your scores will be recorded there.
However, Titanium will not be used to compute your grades, so any
totals or averages there are estimates only. You will do most of
your homework via hilld.pageout.net. Therefore, you will have to
register at that website. This also provides an email list to all
sections of this class, so you should regularly check your CSUF e-
mail, as well as whatever email you used to register at
hilld.pageout.net.
EMAIL: Please use the discussion board or email to reach the
instructor outside of class. Any email sent to the instructor must
meet minimal professional requirements:
1) Please include your name, class, section, and address the
professor by name.
2) Please use a meaningful subject line.
3) Please use proper spelling and grammar.
4) Please describe how you have tried unsuccessfully to get an
answer to your question. (Questions that could easily be
answered by consulting this syllabus; doing a Google search;
reading recent e-mails, discussion board posts, or in-class
announcements, will be ignored.)
5) Please allow two to three days for a reply.
ADVICE: It is crucial that you keep up with the homework and
reading in this class. If you are having difficulty, please speak to
the instructor as soon as possible. Please do not wait until just before
an exam or before a project is due to get help. It is my job to teach
you, and your feedback can help me do this better.
CLASS TIME: Your instructor will make every effort to start and end
class on time. Please do not start gathering your books and
papers until class is over. On the rare occasion when you need to
leave early, please arrive early, sit by the door, and then leave
quickly and quietly. Class participation includes reading the
assignments in advance, active discussion in class, raising relevant
questions, answering questions, and paying close attention in class.
Everyone (each student as well as the instructor) is responsible
for making this class interesting, engaging, and thoughtprovoking.
COMPUTER USE: Computers must be turned off and put away during
all quizzes and exams. You are encouraged to use your
computer to do the problem or view the article that we are
discussing in class, or to take notes. However, if you use your
computer for emailing, web-surfing, or any use not relevant to what
we are doing in-class at that moment, you will not be able to bring it
to class again.
CELL PHONES: During class, please silence your cell phones, or
simply turn them off. Cell phones must be turned off during exams.
If you have an emergency, please step outside the classroom to take
your call or to text.
DISABILITY STATEMENT: The University requires students with
disabilities to register with the Office of Disabled Student Services
(DSS), located in UH-101 and at 657-278-3112, in order to receive
prescribed accommodations appropriate to their disability. Students
who need support services should identify themselves to the
instructor about any disability or special needs that may require
specific arrangements/ accommodations related to attending class
sessions, completing course assignments, writing papers or quizzes,
tests, or examinations. You may do so during office hours or in
another private setting to protect your confidentiality.
Please read the campus emergency procedures at:
www.fullerton.edu/emergencypreparedness/ep_students.html and
ask yourself this question: how will you get of this room and where
will you go when there is an emergency?
SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY STATEMENT: It is the policy of California
State University, Fullerton and the California State University to
maintain a working and learning environment free from sexual
harassment of its students, employees and those who apply for
student or employee status. Sexual harassment is illegal under Title
VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Higher Education
Amendments of 1972, and the California Education Code 89535.
Executive Order 345 Prohibition of Sexual Harassment also prohibits
sexual harassment within the California State University System. The
University will not tolerate sexual harassment and will take action to
eliminate such behavior.
CENSUS DATE: This semester's census date is Monday, September
24. No one may add this class after that date, and withdrawals after
census date will be permitted only for extreme and documented
personal hardships.
Philosophy 106 Page 3 of 5 Fall 2012, CSUF

CHANGES: This syllabus is subject to change. Any changes will
be both announced in class and posted on our discussion board, and
you will be responsible for them.
CALENDAR: The calendar below uses the following abbreviations for
our texts: POL = The Power of Logic, and SD = The Skeptic’s
Dictionary. The dates are estimates; the assignments and their
actual dates will be announced in class. Except as indicated, all
of the POL assignments must be done online (via hilld.pageout.net) if
possible. If and only if the assigned section is one that is not
available online, then the problems must be written out and handed
in. The readings that are available online are hyperlinked (in the
electronic copy of this syllabus) for your convenience.
Phil 106 • Fall 2012 • MW Course Calendar
August 27
Introduction, POL §1.1: Statements & Arguments;
Validity and Soundness.
Due: Register for class, buy books.
September 3
Happy Labor Day!
No class.
September 10
POL §1.4: Strength & Cogency.
Due: POL §1.3, A-B: odd numbered problems.
Read SD: appeal to authority.
September 17
POL §2.2: Putting arguments in standard form.
Due: POL §2.1, A: odds.
August 29
POL §1.2: Validity and “famous forms”.
Due: Read Syllabus, Register for Pageout, do POL
§1.1:A-D odd numbered problems.
September 5
POL §1.3: Counterexamples and Invalidity.
Due: POL §1.2: A: all problems, B-D odd-numbered
problems.
September 12
POL §2.1: Arguments & Non-arguments.
Due: POL §1.4, A-B: all, C-D: odd problems.
September 19
POL §2.3: Diagramming arguments.
Due: POL §2.2: A, C: odds, (online only).
September 24: Census Date
Enthymemes in “famous forms” (Download and bring
§2.4 Supplement on Titanium).
Due: §2.3: A-C: * problems.
October 1
POL §4.2: Informal Fallacies of Ambiguity.
Due: POL §4.1, A-B: odds, read SD: false dilemma,
begging the question.
October 8
Catch-up, review, begin chapter 5.
Due: POL §4.3, A-B: evens.
Read: SD: Sokal hoax.
October 15
POL §5.1-5.2: Categorical Statements.
October 22
POL §6.2-6.3: Venn Diagrams.
Due: POL §5.3: TBA. §6.1, A-C: odds.
September 26
POL §4.1: Informal Fallacies of Irrelevance.
Due: Titanium §2.4: A-C: all.
Read SD: argument to ignorance.
October 3
POL §4.3: Informal Fallacies of Assumption.
Due: POL §4.2 A-B: odds. (The §4.2B problems are
the same as the §3.3 A problems, and are to be
handed in.)
Read: tinyurl.com/jtcso, SD: confirmation bias, post
hoc fallacy
October 10
Midterm on POL Chapters 1-2 and 4.
Please bring Scantron 1712, ID, pencils, & a pen.
October 17
POL §5.3 (Time permitting), §6.1: Categorical
Syllogisms.
Due: POL §5.1, A-B: odds. §5.2, A-D: odds.
October 24
§6.4: Square of Opposition.
Due: POL §6.2, A-B: odds. §6.3, A-B: odds.
October 29
POL §6.7: Syllogism Rules.
Due: POL §6.4, A-B: odds.
November 5: Election eve
Catch-up, review, begin POL §7.1.
Due: §6.5, A-B: odd problems.
November 12: Veteran’s Day (observed)
No class.
Watch online video lecture.
October 31
§6.5: Categorical Enthymemes.
Due: §6.7, A-B: odds.
November 7
Midterm on POL Chapters 5-6. Please bring
Scantron 1712, ID, pencils, & a pen.
November 14
POL §7.1: Symbolizing Arguments and POL §7.2:
Truth tables.
Due Nov. 15, 11:59pm: Uploaded video write-up.
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November 19
Fall Break. No class.
November 26
POL §7.3: Evaluating arguments with truth tables.
POL §7.4: Abbreviated truth tables.
Due: POL §7.1: A-E: odds, §7.2: A-C: odds.
December 3
Titanium §7.7: Enthymemes & Truth tables.
Due: POL §7.5: A-D: odds. Titanium §7.6: A-B: All.
December 10
POL §10.3: Mill’s methods, Scientific Reasoning (time
permitting)
Due: POL §10.1, A-B: all. Read POL §10.3.
Monday, December 17
Final Exam: (§4: 2:30-4:20pm).
Please bring Scantron 1712,
CSUF ID, pen, and pencils.
November 21
Thanksgiving Eve. No class.
Tuesday, December 18
Final Exam: (§3: 9:30-11:20am).
Please bring Scantron 1712, CSUF
ID, pen, and pencils.
November 28
POL §7.5: Tautology, Contradiction, & Logical
Equivalence; Titanium §7.6: Consistency.
Due: POL §7.3: A-C: odds, §7.4: A-D: odds.
December 5
POL §10.1-10.2: Inductive Argument forms.
Due: Titanium §7.7, A-D: All.
December 12
Catch-up, Review, Evaluations.
Due: POL §10.2, A: all, POL §10.3, A: all, B-C: TBA.
Thursday, December 20
Final Exam: (§2: 9:30-11:20am,
§6: 12-1:50pm). Please bring
Scantron 1712, CSUF ID, pen, and
pencils.
Philosophy 106 Page 5 of 5 Fall 2012, CSUF