SCI308: Formal Logic
Key details
| Accredited towards | Bachelor of Arts in the Liberal Arts |
| Unit type | Elective unit |
| Credit points | 6 |
| Indicative contact hours | 3 hours per week |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Offered in | Semester 1 |
| Tuition fee | Learn more |
Overview
Logic involves taking an argument, built out of sentences, and asking such questions as: is it valid? i.e., if the premises were true, would that require the conclusion to be true? If the answer is yes, we can show this by building a proof of the conclusion, given the premises. Formal logic deals with such notions in a strict and mathematical setting. This unit deals with the basics of propositional and predicate logic, including syntax in a natural deduction setting, and some semantics and metatheory. This unit may be counted towards the Philosophy major.
Learning outcomes
On completion of this unit of study, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate the ability to produce formal proofs, identify valid and invalid arguments, use truth-tables and complete other exercises involving syntactic and semantic concepts in propositional and predicate logic
- Demonstrate a grasp of simple meta-theory in propositional and predicate logic
- Confidently and constructively engage in workshop discussion of issues arising from lectures and from engagement with set exercises
- Confidently and constructively participate in individual and group tasks in a workshop setting
Interested in other Philosophy units?