Course Description
This course will develop an understanding of extensions and modifications of classical first-order logic. Among the non-classical systems we will consider are systems of modal logic, intuitionistic logic, many-valued logic, relevance logic, and fuzzy logic. We will consider both the technical details of these systems and their philosophical motivation.
Text
Graham Priest, An Introduction to Non-Classical Logic: From If to Is, Second Edition (Cambridge University Press, 2008)
Office Hours
TR 8:30-10:30
MW 4:00 - 5:00
I am usually in my office during office hours, but occasionally a meeting or another commitment prevents this. If you just drop by during office hours, you will probably find me in; if you want to see me at another time, or if you want to be certain I'll be in, we can set up an appointment.
Requirements
Exams. There will be a mid-term (25%), scheduled for Wednesday, March 4, and a final exam, scheduled for Friday, May 8, at 2:00 PM (25%).
Paper/project. Due Wednesday, April 22. Pick a nonclassical logic (not necessarily one covered in class; if you're feeling really ambitious, you can invent your own). Explain it, apply it to an issue, and defend or criticize it. For more information about the project, see http://www.trinity.edu/cbrown/nonclassical/project.html; for a list of possible topics, see http://www.trinity.edu/cbrown/nonclassical/projectTopics.html. Each student will be expected to give a presentation to the class on their final project. (35%)
Participation and shorter assignments. We will have regular homework assignments when working through the Priest book. When we are working on philosophical applications, I will assign short (one-page) papers on the material. (15%)
Schedule
We will spend the first part of the class working through Part I of the text, on nonclassical propositional logics. The rest of the class will be devoted to a more in-depth study of selected nonclassical logics, to be determined by class interest. This more intensive study will involve extending the logic to a full first-order logic with identity, and considering applications of the logic to philosophical problems. On the schedule below, I and the first part of II are fairly rigid; after that the schedule will be highly dependent on student interest.
I. Survey of Nonclassical Propositional Logics
A. Review of Classical Propositional Logic
Priest, chapter 1
B. Modal Logic
Priest, Chapters 2-4
C. Conditional Logics
Priest, Chapter 5
D. Intuitionist Logic
Priest, Chapter 6
E. Many-Valued Logics
Priest, Chapter 7
F. Relevant Logics
Priest, Chapters 8-10
G. Fuzzy Logic
Priest, Chapter 11
II. Selected Extensions to First-Order Logic and Applications to Philosophical Problems
A. Review of Classical First-Order Logic
Priest, Chapter 12
B. Modal Logic
1. First-Order Modal Logic
Priest, Chapters 14-18
2. Applications (these are possible examples; we probably will not cover all of the material listed in this section)
a. To metaphysics
Nathan Salmon, "The Logic of What Might Have Been"
David Lewis, "Anselm and Actuality" (on the ontological argument)
lots of other possibilitiesb. To ethics
Goble, ed., Blackwell Guide to Philosophical Logic, chapter 8 (deontic logic)
c. To epistemology
Goble, chapter 9 (epistemic logic)
recent article(s) by Stalnaker, Hendricks & Symons, and/or van Benthemd. To the understanding of fiction
Proudfoot, "Possible Worlds Semantics and Fiction"
e. To the free will issue
van Inwagen, "When is the Will Free?" in O'Connor, ed., Agents, Causes, & Events
C. Other Topics, determined by class interest
Possible applications to consider:
conditional logic: chapter 5 and/or 6 of Timothy Williamson book on epistemology of metaphysics
intuitionist logic: applications to philosophy of mathematics and to metaphysics more generally; articles by Dummett
relevant logics: application to philosophy of language; David Lewis, Logic for Equivocators
fuzzy logic: Williamson on vagueness
Academic Integrity
All students are covered by a policy that prohibits dishonesty in academic
work. Students who entered Trinity prior to the fall of 2004 are governed by the
Academic Integrity Policy (AIP), while students who entered in the fall of 2004
or later are governed by the Academic Honor Code.
What counts as a violation of academic integrity is the same regardless of which
policy you are governed by. The difference lies in the procedures for
determining whether a violation has occurred and if so what the penalty will be.
Under the Integrity Policy, the faculty member determines whether a violation
has occurred as well as the punishment for the violation (if any) within certain
guidelines. Under the Code, a faculty member will (or a student may) report an
alleged violation to the Academic Honor Council. It is the task of the Council
to investigate, adjudicate, and assign a punishment within certain guidelines if
a violation has been verified.
Students who are under the Honor Code are required to pledge all written work
that is submitted for a grade by writing, on the submitted work: “On my honor, I
have neither given nor received any unauthorized assistance on this work,”
followed by their signature. The pledge may be abbreviated “pledged” with a
signature. For more details see the
Honor Code web site.
Last update: January
14, 2009.
Curtis Brown |
Symbolic Logic | Philosophy Department
| Trinity University
cbrown@trinity.edu