Written in a conversational tone chock full of sarcasm and humor, Logic and Problems aims to make logic a living subject for students. The publication is written to change the way that students think. By incorporating examples, debates, and more real life applications of logic, Logic and Problems brings logic to life for today’s students.
Available in print and eBook formats, Logic and Problems:
- Provides a solid foundation for the dynamics of a classroom where the professor and students engage each other in dialogue.
- Emphasizes that logic matters, that it solves problems, and that it helps people solve problems.
- Introduces every major logical innovation as a response to a problem.
- Goes beyond typical logic books by providing a narrative that links mechanism to mechanism.
- Presents the usual list of fallacies and examples, while explaining the allure of fallacious reasoning, to help students see how they are prone to these mistakes.
- Is flexible! Instructors are encouraged to generate material such as picking timely topics for debates, bringing in noteworthy editorials or letters to the editor, and issues that are relevant to one’s students and community.
CHAPTER 1 Arguments and Non-Arguments
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Rational, Arational, and Irrational
CHAPTER 2 Informal Fallacies
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Straw Man
2.3 Ad Hominem
2.4 Post Hoc ergo Propter Hoc
2.5 Appeal to Ignorance
2.6 Begging the Question
2.7 Complex Question
2.8 False Dilemma
2.9 Composition and Division
CHAPTER 3 Lesser Fallacies
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Appeal to Force (ad baculum)
3.3 Appeal to Pity (ad misericordiam)
3.4 Appeal to the People (ad populum)
3.5 Appeal to Unreliable Authority
3.6 Fallacies of Meaning
CHAPTER 4 Standard Form
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Identify Premises, Subconclusions, and Conclusions
4.3 Providing Justification for Each Line in the Argument
4.4 Eliminating Unnecessary Words, Phrases, and Sentences
4.5 Rewriting Statements in Straightforward Logical Form
4.6 Eliminating Stylistic Variants of the Same Claim
4.7 Make Explicit Any Implicit Premises
CHAPTER 5 Constructing Counterexamples
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Deductive Arguments
5.3 Inductive Arguments
5.4 The Counterexample Method
5.5 Argument Forms and Counterexamples
5.6 Universal and Particular Statements
CHAPTER 6 Venn Diagrams
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Constructing Venn Diagrams to Represent Statements
6.3 Constructing Venn Diagrams to Represent Arguments
CHAPTER 7 Truth Tables
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Symbolizing Statements
7.3 Function 1: Defining Truth Conditions For Compound Statements
7.4 Function 2: Complex Statements
7.5 Function 3: Determining Validity
7.6 Abbreviated Truth Tables
CHAPTER 8 Statement Logic
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Common Argument Forms
8.3 Slippery Slope Arguments
8.4 Applying The Inferences
CHAPTER 9 Equivalence Rules
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Simple Equivalence Rules
9.3 Interesting Equivalence Rules
CHAPTER 10 Indirect Proofs
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Conditional Proof (Cp)
10.3 Reductio Ad Absurdum (Raa)
10.4 Embedded Indirect Proofs
CHAPTER 11 Predicate Logic Translations
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Syntax
11.3 Monadic Predicate Logic
11.4 Polyadic Predicate Logic
11.5 TRANSLATIONS WITH IDENTITY
CHAPTER 12 Predicate Logic Proofs
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Rules for Quantifiers
12.3 Identity Inference Rule
Appendix
John M.
Mouracade
John completed his B.A. in Philosophy at Seattle Pacific University in 1995 before heading to the University of Rochester for his M.A. (1998) and Ph.D. (2000). In graduate school, his main areas of study were Ancient Greek Philosophy and Metaphysics, though he ended up writing a dissertation on Plato’s moral psychology. Since graduate school, he has taught for one year at Calvin College ( Grand Rapids, MI) before moving to Oklahoma where he taught for four years at Oklahoma Baptist University. He is now happily situated at the University of Alaska - Anchorage.