Aristotelian Logic - 2222E

Philosophy 2222E

Office Hours are at St. Peter’s Seminary, Room 107B.  I have set aside Monday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and Thursday from 11 a.m. to noon as my office hours, but feel free to drop by my office at any time to discuss your insights and questions in philosophy.
 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

A study of some of the central concepts in Aristotle’s logic.  Special emphasis is placed on deductive and inductive forms of reasoning, as well as argumentation materially considered, namely, demonstration, dialectics, rhetorical argumentation and poetic argumentation.  In addition, a study of sophistical reasoning is made. Antirequisite(s): Philosophy 2022 or the former Philosophy 205E.
 

COURSE PREREQUISITES AND ANTEREQUISITES

“Unless you have either the requisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enroll in it, you will be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record.  This decision may not be appealed.  You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.”   Senate Policy

GOALS OF COURSE

This course will assist students to grow in the following knowledge, skills and attitudes.

Knowledge

          What Should Students Know:                     

• To understand the nature and role of the art of logic.
• To understand the three acts of the intellect:  definition, proposition, and argumentation.
• To understand the various kinds of fallacious reasoning.                          

Skills

          What Should Students Do:                       

• To read carefully the assigned readings.
• To follow carefully the classroom lectures.
• To show in class discussions and written work a firm grasp of the  assigned readings and classroom lectures.
• To develop a position on the assigned readings and classroom lectures.
• To present in class discussions and written work sound arguments for their position.
• To show in classroom discussions and written work a firm grasp of the art of logic.
• To be able to write in clear, concise and grammatically correct English

Attitudes

          What Students Should Value:

• To participate in discussions in a way that makes clear their positions, enables them to listen openly, and maintains respect for others while disagreeing with their ideas.

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

First Semester

Two Exams

1. Thursday, October 9
2. Thursday, November 13

One Essay (2,500 words) - due Tuesday, October 21

 

Second Semester

Two Exams

1. Thursday, January 22
2. Thursday, March 5

One Essay (2,500 words) - due Tuesday, March 10
Final Exam:  Held on a date in April to be set by the University

 

ALLOTMENT OF MARKS

• Four Exams                                                                 35%
• Two Essays                                                                 35%
• Final Exam                                                                  30%
   

REQUIRED TEXT

• Kreeft, Peter. Socratic Logic. Indiana: St. Augustine’s Press. 2010

This book may be purchased at the U.W.O. Book Store.  You may be able to purchase copies at the Used Book Store at Western.

Selected readings in philosophy may be assigned for certain course  sections in addition to the readings from Kreeft.

 

COURSE OUTLINE (2014-2015)

• INTRODUCTION:  WHAT IS LOGIC?
  Read: Kreeft, pp. 1-34 (selections will be made)

1. THE FIRST ACT OF THE MIND: UNDERSTANDING 
   Read: Kreeft, pp. 35-46
   Topics for discussion: understanding; concepts, terms, and words; the problem of universals; extension and comprehension of terms

2. TERMS
   Read: Kreeft, pp. 47-67
   Topics for discussion: classifying terms; categories; predicables; division and outlining

3. MATERIAL FALLACIES
   Read: Kreeft, pp. 68-122
   Fallacies of language; fallacies of diversion; fallacies of oversimplification; fallacies of argumentation; inductive fallacies; procedural fallacies; metaphysical fallacies
4. DEFINTION
   Read:  Kreeft, pp. 123-137
   Topics for discussion:  nature of definition; rules of definition; kinds of definition; limits of definition
5. THE SECOND ACT OF THE MIND:  JUDGMENT
   Read: Kreeft, pp. 138-165
   Topics for discussion:  judgments; propositions; sentences; meaning of truth; kinds of categorical propositions; logical form; Euler’s circles; tricky propositions; distribution of terms.
6. CHANGING PROPOSITIONS
   Read: Kreeft, pp. 166-172
   Topics for discussion: immediate inference; conversion; obversion; contraposition
7. CONTRADICTION
   Read: Kreeft, pp. 173-185
   Topics for discussion: contradiction; Square of Opposition; existential import; tricky propositions on the Square; some practical uses of the Square
8. THE THIRD ACT OF THE INTELLECT
   Read:  Kreeft, pp. 186-199
   Topics for discussion:  the meaning of reason; foundations of the syllogism; detecting arguments; arguments vs. explanations; truth and validity
9. DIFFERENT KINDS OF ARGUMENTS
   Read:  Kreeft, pp. 200-214
   Topics for discussion:  three meanings of because; the four causes; classification of argument; simple argument maps; deductive and inductive reasoning; combining induction and deduction: Socratic method
10. SYLOGISMS
    Read:  Kreeft, pp. 215-236
    Topics for discussion:  structure and strategy of the syllogism; the skeptic’s objection to the syllogism; the empiricist’s objection to the syllogism; demonstrative syllogisms; constructing syllogisms
11. CHECKING SYLLOGISMS FOR VALIDITY
    Read:  Kreeft, pp. 237-263
    Topics for discussion: checking by Euler’s Circles; checking by Aristotle’s six rules; Barbara Celarent (mood and figure) Venn Diagram
12. MORE DIFFICULT SYLLOGISMS
    Read:  Kreeft, pp. 264-288
    Topics for discussion:  enthymemes (abbreviated syllogisms); sorities (chain syllogisms); epicheiremmas (multiple syllogisms); complex argument maps
13. COMPOUND SYLLOGISMS
    Read:  Kreeft, pp. 289-312
    Topics for discussion:  hypothetical syllogisms; reduction ad absurdum; the practical syllogism; disjunctive syllogisms; conjunctive syllogisms; dilemmas
14.  INDUCTION
    Read:  Kreeft, pp. 313-341
    Topics for discussion:  induction; generalization; causal arguments; scientific hypotheses; statistical probability; arguments by analogy; a fortiori and a minore arguments.

IF WE HAVE TIME, WE WILL DISCUSS VARIOUS TOPICS IN CHAPTERS FIFTEEN AND SIXTEEN OF KREEFT’S SOCRATIC LOGIC

 

ESSAYS

Careful consideration will be given to your ability to write in a coherent and sustained manner.  Make sure each essay is clearly written, employs proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and provides support for any assertions made.  Clarity, consistency, and persuasiveness are the criteria used in my evaluation of your essays.  ON THE FIRST DAY OF CLASSES, A PRESENTATION WILL BE GIVEN ON HOW TO WRITE AN ESSAY. ESSAY TOPICS WILL BE GIVEN ON THE FIRST DAY OF CLASSES.

Essays should be handed to Dr. Fox on the due date at the beginning of class.  For a serious reason, a student may approach Dr. Fox before the due date, and may be granted an extension at the discretion of Dr. Fox.  If Dr. Fox decides that documentation is required for either medical or non-medical academic accommodation, then such documentation must be submitted by the student directly to the appropriate Faculty Dean’s Office.  It will be the Dean’s Office that will determine if accommodation is warranted. 

Never submit your essays by campus mail. Never submit your essays by e-mail.  You should make a photocopy of your essays.  Essays that are late without permission will be penalized 10% each calendar day.  PLEASE NOTE:  ESSAYS ARE RECORDED AS HAVING BEEN RECEIVED ON THE DAY THEY REACH DR. FOX’S HANDS.

 

EXAMS

Exams are based on assigned readings, classroom lectures and classroom discussions.  It is, therefore, indispensable to attend all classes.

A student who misses an exam for a serious reason may approach Dr. Fox, and may be granted a make-up exam or a re-weighting of the term grade at Dr. Fox’s discretion.  If Dr. Fox decides that documentation is required for either medical or non-medical academic accommodation, then such documentation must be submitted by the student directly to the appropriate Faculty Dean’s Office.  It will be the Dean’s Office that will determine if accommodation is warranted. 

No electronic devices will be allowed during examinations, unless approved in advance by the student Services at the University of King’s.

 

POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR MEDICAL ILLNESS

            Please see:  https://studentservices.uwo.ca/secure/index.cfm

 

STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES

“Scholastic offences are taken seriously and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following Web site:  http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf

“Students must write their essays and assignments in their own words.  Whenever students take an idea, or a passage from another author, they must acknowledge their debt both by using quotation marks where appropriate and by proper referencing such as footnotes or citations.  Plagiarism is a major academic offence.”  Please refer to Scholastic Discipline under the Senate Policy on Academic rights and Responsibilities  at http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/.

“All required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to the commercial plagiarism detection software under license to the University for the detection of plagiarism.  All papers submitted will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system.  Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between The University of Western Ontario and Turnitin.com "