Learning objectives
The course aims to provide the skills required in order to analyze the logical structure of natural language statements; translate statements between natural and formal languages; assess validity by means of semantic and syntactic methods; provide counterexamples to invalid arguments; understand a number of key metalogical notions (coherence, expressive adequacy, soundness, completeness).
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites.
Course unit content
The course provides an introduction to classical propositional and predicate logic blending the rigor of a mathematical presentation with a discussion of the conceptual and philosophical motivation.
Full programme
Logic and its nature. Some metatheoretic notions.
Informal vs formal logic.
Syntax and semantics of propositional calculus.
Natural deduction for propositional logic.
Syntax and semantics of predicate calculus.
Formalization.
Natural deduction for predicate calculus.
Identity.
Bibliography
Smith, P. (2020). An introduction to formal logic, 2nd edition. Cambridge University Press.
Freely available at the following url:
https://www.logicmatters.net/resources/pdfs/IFL2_LM.pdf
More bibliographic references will be provided throughout the course.
Teaching methods
Frontal lectures.
Assessment methods and criteria
Throughout the course students will be required to do selected exercises from the textbook. There will be an end-of-term written examination aimed to assess the students’ proficiency relative to the aforementioned objectives.
Other information
Students who do not attend the course are required to do all readings and all exercises from the textbook.
