phil 120& ol: symbolic logic (5 credits, items 6954 and...
TRANSCRIPT
PHIL 120& OL: Symbolic Logic (5 Credits, Items 6954 and 6956)
Everett Community College, Winter Quarter 2020
ProfessorInstructor: Mike VanQuickenborne; ‘Mike’ will be fine
Contact Info: Preferred pronouns: He / Him / His Office Hours: Email for an appointment Office: Gray Wolf Hall 311 Email: [email protected]*
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Office Phone: (425) DUTYFUL* Canvas issues: [email protected] Prerequisite: MATH 086 with a grade of C or higher OR eligibility for MATH 096 via a math assessment OR instructor permission OR MATH 096, MATH 092, MATH 098 or MATH 099 with a grade of C or higher.
Distribution Information: This course counts for the Quantitative Skills requirement, the Natural Science (Non-Lab) requirement, and the Transfer Elective requirement.
Required Text: Hurley, A Concise Introduction to Logic, 13th ed., with an access code for MindTap
Key to sections in the textbook (subsection numbers remain the same): Our text Video references Our text Video references Chapter 1 = Chapter 1 Chapter 6 = Chapter 5 Chapter 4 = Chapter 3+ Chapter 7 = Chapter 6 (+Note 4.7 = 3.6) Chapter 8 = Chapter 7
Required Websites: logiconline.weebly.com (where you will find most course materials) https://everettcc.instructure.com (where you find your grades and read announcements) https://everettcc.instructure.com/courses/855657 (where you will find an intro to Canvas)
The Course: Welcome to Logic. The course is a study of the methods and principles used to distinguish correct from incorrect reasoning. After establishing a few basic concepts, the course will proceed to investigate three types of symbolic logic: Categorical, Propositional, and Predicate.
*Email is my preferred method of communication. I will respond via email within 24 hours on days when the college is in session. Responding via phone is not a routine occurrence.
Course Goals: Broadly stated, I expect that at the conclusion of this course you will be able to: • analyze the structure of arguments • demonstrate through identification and analysis an understanding of key concepts such as: validity, soundness, deduction vs. induction, premises, and conclusions • demonstrate why arguments are valid or invalid using three forms of symbolic logic: Categorical, Propositional, and Predicate logic
Requirements: Your grade will be based solely on your performance on four exams and two quizzes. The quizzes will be closed-book-and-notes and for the four exams you will be able to use a note sheet, as long as you follow the guidelines described on the Logic Exam Guidelines handout which is posted at the bottom of the “Before the First Exam” tab on our website. When I have finished grading your quizzes and exams I will post the score to Canvas, and you will have an opportunity to look at (but not keep) your exams on the next day we meet. To prepare you for the exams a practice exam (which you will not turn in) will posted to the course website before you take the exam. The practice exams will have the same types of problems that you will encounter on the actual exams and it will have an answer key to check your results. Assignment Possible Points Exam 1: 146 points Quiz 1: 5 points Exam 2: 90 points Quiz 2: 18 points Exam 3: 125 points Exam 4: 116 points TOTAL: 500 points
A course grade is...an inadequate report of an inaccurate judgement by a biased and variable judge of the extent to which a student has attained an undefined level of mastery of an unknown proportion of an indefinable material. –Paul Dressel
Overall Course Grading Scale: A: 463-500 C: 363-382 Basic Translation: A-: 448-462 C-: 348-362 (An “A” indicates “excellent” coursework) B+: 433-447 D+: 333-347 (A “B” indicates “good” coursework) B: 413-432 D: 313-332 (A “C” indicates “average” coursework) B-: 398-412 F: 0-312 (A “D” indicates “minimally passing” coursework) C+: 383-397 (An “F” indicates “failing” coursework)
Your grade is based solely on the quantity and quality of your work done on time, not your intentions, personality, or even how hard you worked on a particular exam. I will not curve the course in any way, nor is it possible to successfully audit the course in this online format.
(NOTE CAREFULLY!) Missed Quizzes or Exams: If you miss class the day of a quiz or exam, you cannot make it up, except in cases of an emergency. Note that an unexpected request to work during class is not an emergency. You have to make a choice between making school or work the higher priority. Your chances for succeeding in this class will increase if you make school the higher priority. If you feel ill or there is an emergency I will require two things: 1) you, or someone who is acting on your behalf, must contact my office (via email or voicemail) on the same day that you have missed class, and 2) when you return to class you must provide written documentation supporting your claim. If you fail to meet either of these conditions, I will not allow you to take a make up, or give you credit for your assignment. DO NOT COME TO CAMPUS IF YOU ARE FEELING ILL.
When will you see me? I will meet with you in GWH 386/388 on the following days: • January 6 from 5:30-6:30 for Orientation • January 27 from 5:30-7:00 for Exam 1 • February 10 from 5:30-7:05 for Quiz 1 and Exam 2 • March 2 from 5:30-7:20 for Exam 3 and Quiz 2 • WEDNESDAY March 18 from 5:30-7:20 for Exam 4 (It will only cover Chapter 8 in our text)
I will be available to talk to you immediately following our Orientation, and will plan to be in our classroom 15-30 minutes before each of the exams for questions and to give you the opportunity to see your previous exam. Of course we can also meet in my office, just contact me to arrange a time.
How do you contact me? I encourage you to email me at [email protected] rather than through Canvas, or through the class website where a link is provided to do so, or just by clicking here: [email protected]. I will respond to your email within 24 hours on days when the college is in session. You may also call my office phone, (425) DUTYFUL, and if I’m not in my office, your voicemail will be forwarded to my email. Having said that, I am more likely to respond to you quickly if you email me.
How can I help you via email? I have a program on my iPad that allows me to write on my screen and record my voice. So, if you have a question about a specific problem in Aplia or the text, or somewhere else, you can send me a screenshot, take a picture of the problem on your phone, or just write it out in your email, and I can talk you through how to solve the problem and send you a video of my explanation.
How will I get feedback on my exams and quizzes? I will be providing you with text or audio feedback on your exams. I am also glad to sit down with you in my office to discuss your exams, or answer questions about your exam at the following exam meeting. When it comes to the two quizzes, a simple score should suffice to give you a sense of how well you memorized the material, and you can get your quizzes back at the following exam date, or in my office.
Plagiarism & Penalties: From the NY Times, July 5, 2010 “To Stop Cheats, Colleges Learn Their Trickery”: “In surveys of 14,000 undergraduates over the last four years, an average of 61 percent admitted to cheating on assignments and exams.” Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 10th ed., defines “plagiarism” as “to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own.” Plagiarism is completely unacceptable and any student who cheats on an assignment will receive a score of zero for that assignment and all future assignments in the course. I will also report the incident to the Behavioral Intervention Team which may take further disciplinary action.
Mental Health Statement: An article entitled “Mental Health Needs Seen Growing at Colleges,” published in the NY Times on Dec. 19, 2010 and written by Trip Gabriel, stated that: “Forty-six percent of college students said they felt “things were hopeless” at least once in the previous 12 months, and nearly a third had been so depressed that it was difficult to function, according to a 2009 survey by the American College Health Association.” If you find yourself feeling that things are hopeless, please know that things are never hopeless and I am glad to talk to you. We also have professional counselors employed at the college who are there to serve all students. They can be contacted by phone: 425.388.9263 or email: [email protected].
Statement of Disability Accommodation: If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please talk to me today, or make an appointment to see me soon.
Reasonable Accommodations for Faith/Conscience: Everett Community College students are entitled to two days of excused absences per academic year (summer quarter through the end of spring quarter) for reasons of faith or conscience or for organized activities conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or religious organization. Everett Community College will grant reasonable accommodation so that grades are not impacted for students who are absent for reasons of faith or conscience, or for an organized activity conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or religious organization. Such absences must be requested in writing within the first two weeks of the class or the first week for a late start class and may not incur additional fees for students. This policy and the associated procedure is posted on the Student Rights & Responsibilities website. (https://www.everettcc.edu/students/sa/policies-handbook) Students who have concerns about approval or a grade impact may utilize the student grievance procedure for concerns not directly related to grades, or to the grade appeal process in cases impacting a final grade.
For Further Reading (both are available in the EvCC library): • Labyrinths of Reason by William Poundstone is an engaging and well-written book of puzzles
and explanations of the logic and philosophical theories behind those puzzles. • Logicomix by Apostolos Doxiadis and Christos Papadimitriou is a graphic novel about the
history of logic and mathematics.
The Gallery: