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A Common Sense Introduction to Logic: Introduction

A Common Sense Introduction to Logic
Introduction
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table of contents
  1. Introduction
  2. 1.1 Informal Logic & Logical Concepts
  3. 1.2 Validity, Soundness, Strength, Cogency
  4. 1.3 Logical Fallacies
  5. 1.4 Moral Fallacies
  6. 2.1 Symbolic Logic & Truth Tables
  7. 2.2 Truth Tables and Truth Functions
  8. 2.3 Truth Tables and Validity
  9. 3.1 Natural Deduction
  10. 3.2 Rules for Natural Deduction: Rules of Implication
  11. 3.3 Rules for Natural Deduction: Rules of Replacement
  12. 3.4 Advanced Proof Techniques

A Common Sense Introduction to Logic

Introduction

This text was written for an introductory logic course at Baruch College, City University of New York. One goal of this text is to explain the core concepts behind propositional symbolic logic in terms that are as informal and conversational as possible. Given that logic is a predominantly formal field of inquiry, this might seem like a strange approach. However, formalism can be daunting to many students. Formal methods are meant to impart clarity and precision into a given discourse - but for many students, if they are presented with formal explanations right off the bat, it can often have the opposite effect. This is rather an abuse of formalism, and an obstacle to clarity and understanding.

We do not believe that it is necessary to sacrifice rigor or accuracy in order to present this material in accessible terms. However, unlike many texts in symbolic logic, formal definitions and theorems are not the primary focus of this text. Of course, given that this this text covers symbolic logic, we cannot do away with formalism. But it's crucial that the formalism be genuinely understood, and not merely memorized by rote.

Hence, we believe that an intuitive understanding of logic and logical concepts is as important for students as, e.g., their ability to memorize natural deduction inference rules.

This text was funded by a grant to produce Open Educational Resources to the students of Baruch College. It is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 USA.

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