Los Angeles Valley College, Spring 2006 K.L. Ross, DrKelley@AOL.com Philosophy 9, Symbolic Logic I Office: Campus Center 224 Tu 6:45-9:55 PM (3322), CC 205 Phone: (818) 947-2467 http://www.friesian.org/valley/ SYLLABUS TEXTS: Elementary Logic, by Benson Mates CONTENTS: This course is intended to familiarize students with the basics of formal deductive logic, specifically as this is now found in Benson Mates' system of symbolic logic. You will not be responsible for everything in the textbook. The book is written in logician's jargon and is difficult to understand. I will make clear what is important as we go along and will have handouts on important material -- the handouts can also be found at the class website, http://www.friesian.org/valley/. The following divisions do not represent equal periods of time; the bulk of the course may consist of part II. I. Truth Functional Connectives & Truth Tables: chapter 6. Quiz I II. SC Derivations: chapter 6. Quiz II III. Quantified Translations: chapter 5. Quiz III IV. Aristotelian Syllogisms and Derivations with Quantifiers: chapter 7. Quiz IV &, if time allows, Quiz V Final: 6:45 PM, Tuesday, May 30th, CC 205 ATTENDANCE: This class only has one textbook. It will be supplemented by some material not found in the book, but the most difficult thing about the class will be the need to practice doing truth tables, translations, and proofs. In some ways these things will look simple, but they really can be very, very difficult. If you like algebra or computer programing, you will love this stuff; but if you have a problem with mathematical or algorithmic reasoning, this will be a difficult class. For most people it will be essential for you to do the homework and to be in class to have sufficient experience with the material. Believe me, you will not do well unless you are present for the class or arrange to work over material with students who are present. Tape recorders may be used during class. Attendance is no longer taken for each class meeting. No student will be excluded for non-attendance after the first three weeks. Do not report absences to me. It is your own responsibility to drop the class if you wish to do so (final drop date: May 5th). Anyone on the roster at the end of the semester who has not been present for the tests will receive an F. It is your responsibility to obtain from other students any material or assignments you miss when absent. Holidays this semester are Lincoln's Birthday & Presidents' Day, February 17 & 20; Cesar Chavez Day, March 31; Spring Break, April 10-14; and Memorial Day, May 29. The last day of classes is Friday, May 26th. Note well: Anyone who persistently disrupts my class by talking, arriving late, repeatedly leaving & returning, or through any other distracting or inconsiderate behavior may be instructed to leave the class. If you do not want to be here, don't come in the first place. OFFICE HOURS: My office hours are MW 7:30-8:00 & 11:10-11:45 AM, TuWTh 6:30-6:45 PM, and by appointment in CC 224. The phone number is (818) 947-2467. This is a direct line, and no one else will answer the phone. You should call during office hours. If you call at other times, you can leave messages on voicemail. You do not need to report absences, or your reasons for them, by voicemail. Do not leave messages for me to call you, without the times you can be reached at your number. I will not return calls if all you want is to be brought up to date for classes you have missed. Just return to class. Any inquiries by e-mail can be answered within a couple of days: DrKelley@AOL.com. Identify the class in the subject line of the e-mail. TESTS: There will be several quizzes and a final. The quizzes will be given at intervals (every few weeks) as units of the class are completed. Extra credit questions will be given in the weeks following some of the quizzes, both to make up missed quizzes and to improve poor grades. If you miss the final and cannot take it at another time I have scheduled, you cannot make it up during the current semester and will be credited with an F unless you request an Incomplete--which you may do simply by leaving a message for me before I turn in the grades. The tests will consist of problems (truth tables, translations, and proofs). Missed quizzes will count as F's unless made up. Point values are assigned to grades as follows: F=0, D=3, C=6, B=9, A=12. Minuses subtract one point, and pluses add one. A C+ is thus worth 7. The final will count half of your grade and will be comprehensive. The course grade thus will be = {[Quiz I + Quiz II + Quiz III + Quiz IV + 4x(Final)]/8}. The lowest quiz grade (or an F for a missed quiz) will be dropped if the grade is improved by the substitution of the grade of the other quiz or of the final with the penalty of one letter grade (subtracting 3 points). For instance, an A+ (13) on the final means that a quiz grade lower than a B+ (10) is replaced with a B+. If the course grade is as much as 10 (B+), without rounding, an A will be awarded. If a 7 (C+), a B; a 4 (D+), a C; and a 1 (F+), a D. Quizzes will have a point value of 10, with 10/9=A, 8/7=B, 6/5=C, 4/3=D, & 2/1/0=F. Extra credit questions will have a point value of 5. To determine whether an extra credit question improves a quiz grade, the quiz point value is credited only up to a value of 5, and then the extra credit point value is added. Thus if the quiz was 6=C and the extra credit score was 3, the 6 is reduced to a 5, and the result is 5+3=8=B. Or, if the quiz was 4=D and the extra credit score was 5, the result is 4+5=9=A. The same procedure is repeated for further extra credit questions. I reserve the right to exclude or fail anyone who turns in work that they have not done themselves or who cheats in any other way. On the other hand, all tests in this class will be open book and open note. The only thing you may not do is consult with your neighbors.