Introduction to Logic

This course is designed to help students focus on critical thinking to develop the skills for making sound arguments and for evaluating the arguments of others in order to recognize the difference between arbitrary and well-reasoned judgments.

Course Topics are as follows:

· What is Logic?

· Deductive and Inductive Arguments

· Diagramming Arguments

· Logical Fallacies

· Fallacies of Weak Induction and Illicit Presumptions

· Fallacies of Linguistic Emphasis

· Deductive Logic I

· The Square of Opposition

· Operations and Categorical Sentences

· Problems with the Square of Opposition

· Deductive Logic II

· Semantics of Sentential Logic

· Testing the Validity of Sentential Logic

· Inductive Logic I

· Causal Reasoning

· Inductive Logic II

· Probability and Utility

· Bayesian Reasoning

· Basic Statistical Concepts and Techniques

· How to Lie with Statistics

Once the student has successfully completed this course, they will have the basic academic foundation necessary to take on more advanced topics in philosophy, humanities, mathematics, science, education, law, and more.

Not only will the course help students with further academic pursuits, but it will also help anyone in their day-to-day lives with decision making. As a member of a society with a plethora of information only a few keystrokes or button clicks away, it is more important than ever to be able to discern between good and bad information.