PHIL 120 Syllabus
PHIL 120 Syllabus
PHIL 120 Syllabus
B. Prerequisites There are no formal requirements for this course, but it is a bit unlike other 100
level philosophy courses. There are no essays and the homework consists of problem sets. An
aptitude for mathematics or computers will help you, but that can also lead you to miss some of
the subtleties of representing, that is, symbolizing, sentences of natural language. This is an Arts
course, and there will be something different to learn for students with all backgrounds.
C. Required Text
The Logic Book, 6th edition, Bergmann, Moor and Nelson. It may be possible to follow the
course with an earlier edition, but some exercises will be selected from this version. Answers to
the unstarred exercises can be accessed from McGraw Hill at this site under “Online Learning
Center”, student edition:
http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0078038413
We will cover almost all the material from Chapters 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 and 10.
D. Course Requirements:
• Homeworks 30%, worth 6% each. Submit your answers at beginning of class.
1. Due Sept 19
2. Due October 3
3. Due October 17
4. Due Nov 14
5. Due Nov 29
• Midterm Test 30% - In class, Oct 22
• Final Exam 40% - (two hours) scheduled for December 15, 2pm
Homeworks: Questions will be assigned one week before they are due.
Midterm test will present problems like those in the homeworks.
Final Exam: Will cover the whole course, but with an emphasis on the second half.
Your final grade will be based on the overall (weighted) percentage score on the assignments.
The marks vary depending on how hard the assignments were, so the grades are relative to the
performance of others in the class. In past years percentages have ranged widely within a single
class, so while it has taken 85% and above for A- to A+, Bs have ranged from 60 to 85%, Cs
from 50 to 60% and averages above 40% have passed with a D.
Warning: It is tempting to present other people’s work as your own on the homework. To avoid
this, feel free to discuss problems with other students in a study group, and certainly with the
Teaching Assistant or the instructor, but then go home to write up your answers on your own.
There is no harm in getting a hint from someone else about how to solve a problem. If you are
following the course, these should be exercises that you know how to do, rather than puzzles that
require a tricky answer. Relying too much on help with the homework will likely lead to poor
performance on the tests. Acceptable answers can vary so much that it is impossible to come up
with identical solutions just by chance.
F. Schedule of Classes
Sept 3 Introduction Sept 5 - §1
Sept 8 - §1 Sept 10 §2.1 Sept 12- §2.2
Sept 15 - §2.3 Sept 17 §2.3 Sept 19 -§3.1 HW#1
Sept 22 - §3.2 Sept 24 §3.3 Sept 26 - §3.4
Sept 29 - §3.5, Oct 1 §3.6 Oct 3 - §5.1, HW #2
Oct 6 - §5.1 Oct 8 §5.2 Oct 10 - §5.3
Oct 13 - No Class Oct 15 §5.3 Oct 17 – §5.3 HW #3
Oct 20 - §5.3 Oct 22 Midterm Oct 24 – §7.1
Oct 27 - §7.2 Oct 29 §7.2 Oct 31 - §7.3
Nov 3 - §7.3 Nov 5 §7.4 Nov 7 - §8.1
Nov 10 – No Class Nov12 §8.2 Nov 14 - §8.3 HW #4
Nov 17 - §8.4 Nov 19 §10.1 Nov 21 - §10.1
Nov 24 - §10.2 Nov 26§10.2 Nov 28 §10.2 HW #5
Dec. 2 –§10 concl. Dec 4 Conclusion of course