Philosophy 2301-50: WeekEnd Syllabus
(last updated April 14, 2008)
LOGIC
Summer 2008: 1:00-5:00 Saturday, MCF 101
May 10 and 24; June 7 and 21; July 5 and 19; August 2
Stan Rummel no campus office
Phone: it's possible to leave messages with the Dean's Office at 817/531-4900, but there is no established procedure for passing the messages on to me: you need to use email for all communications
Web Page: http://department.txwes.edu/hum/srummel/
Logic/Rummel-LogicPage.htm
Email: rummel01@yahoo.com (rummel-zero-one)
Office Hours: none -- if for some reason you need to see me in person, you should email me to make an appointment for a day and time we can meet on campus
  • Text: Patrick J. Hurley, A Concise Introduction to Logic, 10th ed., Custom Edition for Texas Wesleyan University. Thomson Wadsworth, ©2008, 2006. There are two ISBN numbers listed in the book: 13:-978-0-495-49332-7 and 10: 0-495-49332-5. For this course you should acquire a book and an "Instant Access" code for using the CengageNOW website. Some transition is currently occurring between the old name "Thomson" and the new name "Cengage," but as far as I've been able to determine it doesn't seem to make a practical difference. The most straightforward way to acquire the textbook and code needed for the course is to buy a shrinkwrapped copy of the book at the Bookstore, which will automatically include a card with the code.
    		•
    1. Invitation to the Course.
    1.1.  About the Course. According to the Catalog, this course is: "An introduction to the basic principles of logic." In the course we consider some aspects of effective thinking. Our practical aim in the course is to master materials in the text through learning information covered in the text and working selected exercises in the text. This course provides one of the options for fulfilling the "Cultural Literacy" requirement in the General Education Curriculum (p. 82 of the 2006-2007 Undergraduate Catalog).
    1.2. Five Things You Can Do that will enhance your performance in the course.
    1.2.1. Send Me an Email (addressed to rummel01@yahoo.com [rummel-zero-one]) Confirming That You Have Found the Class Web Page. Email can be an important vehicle for our course, and I need to have a way to make contact with you. The web page for the course will contain useful information -- including all assignments and review-guides for the exams. Being able to use email and the web page is one of the two computer skills you must have in order to succeed in the course. I may (as time and inclination permit) post some notes that some of you could find useful. (Student opinion has varied on whether additional notes are helpful or confusing.) Checking the Class Web Page occasionally is your responsibility -- I won't send notices if I do publish additional materials to it.
    1.2.2. Read the Syllabus. The Syllabus gives you essential information about the course. It is your responsibility to know the content of the Syllabus. If you want to stay in touch with any developments in the Syllabus, you need to maintain contact with the online version (remember to hit the "refresh" button on your browser) rather than consulting an outdated printout. The frequency with which students invent their own rules for the course is a source of constant amazement -- if you have any questions or concerns that are covered in the Syllabus, I will always respond by telling you to check some specific section of the Syllabus. If you ask me to do something that I say in the Syllabus I won't do, then I won't do it. We're not making up rules as we go, and you are not an exception to the policies that apply to everyone else!
    1.2.3. Get a copy of the textbook that includes an Access Code to the CengageNOW website. Being able to use the CengageNOW website is the second computer skill that will contribute to your success in the course. The tutorials it contains will help you understand the concepts introduced in the text. All of the homework assignments are posted in CengageNOW and may be submitted through CengageNOW. Using CengageNOW for the homework gives you feedback on every question. The path to success is figuring out why the right answers are the right answers -- this will be the emphasis of our in-class activities. One of your tasks during the first two weeks of class is to determine the potential of CengageNOW for your work in the course.
    To enroll yourself in our CengageNOW course (named "Logic50Summer2008"), take the following steps:
    • Go to: http://west.ilrn.com.
    • Under "New Users," click Create an Account.
    • On the "Registering" page, click Student.
    • Follow the on-screen instructions to Select your School.
    • Next you will have three different options: choose Course Key and Content Access Code by clicking the button at the right side of the screen that says "I have both a Course Key and a content access code." The Course Key is: E-5ZJDQU8QNHJ23. The Content Access Code is on the card that goes with the textbook.
    • Enter your Account Information.
    NOTE: If you run into difficulties with the CengageNOW website, you can call (1)800/423-0563, Monday-Friday, 7:30am to 5:00pm our time. Emailing is a good option, because there is a live chat room for technical support. To enter this chat room, go to http://www.thomsonedu.com/support and follow the "Live Help Online" link at the bottom right hand of the page.
    1.2.4. Attend Class and Come to It Prepared. You have enrolled in a weekend course that meets seven times. You are required to prepare for, attend, and actively participate in six of these classes to avoid a grade deduction. See the attendance policy stated below. The schedule for the course appears in section 4 of this Syllabus. Please note the agenda for the first class, and observe that NO ASSIGNMENT IS DUE FOR THE FIRST CLASS, which revolves around an in-class review of Chapter 1, Sections 1 and 2, in the textbook. You should prepare for the first class by reviewing the relevant materials as identified in the schedule below. Please note carefully: this is a performance-based class rather than an excuse-based class. Excuses are "reasons" (or "issues," or any other euphemism of your choice) why you might not be able to accomplish certain goals of the course, such as submitting materials by the time they're due. I don't make judgments about the quality of your excuses, because they will not become a basis for your evaluation. Excuses deriving from procrastination are never acceptable. "I forgot" (which is the subject of a classic Steve Martin comedy routine) or "I didn't understand" are not legitimate, either. (If you don't understand something, you ought to be asking me questions well in advance.) Substitute exams will not be offered unless documentation of the reason for an absence is provided. This is also not an "extra-credit"-based class. For the sake of fairness, there will be no "extra-credit" (except for the remedial assignments discussed later in this Syllabus). That is, every student will be evaluated on the same basis as every other student, and the exact criteria for this evaluation are stated below.
    1.2.5. A piece of advice: Don't Procrastinate. Procrastination is your worst enemy in the course. "Procrastinating" means "putting off doing the work for this course because you have other things to do." Not procrastinating" means "making room for unpredictable occurrences by starting your work in this course well ahead of due-dates." What if you have an emergency? What if you find an assignment confusing and need to ask questions about it? If you have put off working on or submitting assignments till the "last minute," you will not be able to deal with unpredictable occurrences. If you don't submit a homework assignment in CengageNOW and you miss the relevant class, you need to email your homework to me -- see section 3.2 for acceptable emailing procedures.
    1.3. How the Course Works. Class sessions will operate in a discussion, rather than "lecture," format. This means that you are expected to prepare for each class session. 1.4. Texas Wesleyan University Policies. [This is a generic statement provided and required by the University.] Students should read the current Texas Wesleyan Catalog and Student Handbook to become familiar with University policies. This includes but is not limited to academic integrity, grade appeal, sexual harassment, student access to records, and others; policies specified in the current catalog are applicable unless otherwise stated in this syllabus. Texas Wesleyan University adheres to a disability policy which is in keeping with relevant federal law. The University will provide appropriate accommodation.  Students must notify instructors of any permanent or temporary disabilities and must provide documentation regarding those disabilities prior to the granting of an accommodation. For assistance, students should consult with the Career, Counseling and Testing Center. Note: Course syllabi are intended to provide students with basic information concerning the course; changes in the syllabus can be made and students will be informed of any substantive changes concerning examinations, the grading or attendance policies, and changes in project assignments.

    2. Course Requirements.

    2.1. Examinations. Seventy-five per cent of the course grade will depend on three Examinations during the semester, each covering one unit of the course and worth twenty-five per cent of the overall grade. Examinations will include definitions and short-answers, and problems. The definitions and short-answers will be specified on a review made available online before the Examination. The exercises in the textbook provide models for problems that may be used.

    Examinations are to be taken without using books, notes, dictionaries, or any other form of outside assistance. If you are caught cheating on an Examination or if you take a copy of an Examination from the classroom, you will receive a grade of 0 for that Examination.  There will be no remediation for this grade. The first two Examinations will be reviewed in class as soon as possible after they are given. The third Examination will be available for review after the start of the next semester. I retain all examinations and any materials you submit with them.

    2.1.1. Remedial Possibility with Regular Examinations. If you make less than a 60 (C) on either of the first two Regular Examinations, you may do a Remedial Assignment to bring your grade up to a 60. The offer of remedial points does not extend upwards beyond 60, and remedial points may not be used to raise the final course grade above a C. This offer is one of the ways in which I thank you for taking the Regular Examinations as scheduled. The offer does not include Examinations taken at any time than the regularly scheduled time; and it cannot include the third examination (because there is nothing left to study). To receive the benefit of the offer, you must assume the initiative by preparing concise study-notes on all of the definitions and short-answers found in the "Review" for the "next" examination -- that is, remedial points for the first examination must come from the Review for the second examination; and remedial points for the second examination must come from the Review for the third examination. You will receive the number of points required to raise your grade to a 60, if you

    Beware! If any of these conditions is not met, no credit will be given (regardless of whether or not the assignment is done)..

    2.1.2. Alternative Examinations. Regular Examinations will only be offered at the scheduled times, and missing an Examination is a matter of serious concern. If you have a documented reason (for example, a doctor's notice if illness is the excuse) for missing one of the first two Examinations, you may take an Alternative Examination. Alternatives for the third Examination will require exceptional circumstances that must be documented.

    2.2. HomeWork Assignments. There will be five homework assignments, accompanying the second through sixth class sessions. Twenty-five per cent of the grade in the course will depend on the average of the scores on these assignments. The assignments are drawn from the exercises in the text.

    2.2.1. Submitting HomeWork Assignments. You have three options:

    2.2.2. Since in-class activities center around reviewing the homework, and since homework is due at the beginning of the class, you need to have a copy of your homework available to you during each class session. No credit is given for handwritten notes on homework assignments.

    3. Grades. Your grade in the course will depend on your scores on Examinations (75%), the average of your HomeWork Assignments (25%), and any applicable attendance points. The following scale will apply:

    On this basis, the final course grade will be determined by cumulative points as follows: I post final grades as soon as possible at the end of the semester. For them to become available on RamLink, they have to be "verified" by the Registrar's Office -- a process over which I have no control.

    3.1. I believe that attendance plays a role in your experience of the course. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to determine any relevant information you may need (presumably by making contact with a student who attended the class -- this course is neither a tutorial nor an independent study). In accordance with Catalog policy, one absence is acceptable for this course. If you exceed one absence, you may be dropped without notice. Points will be deducted from your final grade for excessive absences. The scale is 24 points per missed class. Fractions apply to partially missed classes. (Since each class runs four hours attendance is calculated by the percentages of that time -- for example, if you arrive at 1:30, you have missed 3 points worth of a class.) This principle includes all classes, including the first and the last. Please note that having a "good" reason for being absent does not create an exception: I assume that students have good reasons for missing classes. The only principle under consideration is whether your participation in the course has been adequate. Since one absence is the University standard, the appropriate number of points (24 if you attend all the classes in their entirety) will be added to your final grade if your have less than one absence. See the policies stated above about substitute assignments and extra credit.

    3.2. Lateness in submitting homework assignments. Each homework assignment is due at the beginning of the relevant class session. It will not be possible to submit homework through CengageNOW after the start of a class. Any part of a hand-submitted assignment not submitted within 15 minutes of the beginning of the session is late and will receive a deduction of 15 points. Even if you miss a class, HomeWork Assignments are due on time. (Remember that you have a minimum of two weeks to do each assignment.) You may submit an assignment by email, and the 15-minute rule applies to such submissions. No credit will be given to homework submitted after attending the class in which the homework is reviewed or after the relevant examination has been taken.

    4. Course Schedule.
     
    May 10 Introduction to the Course -- Questions on the Syllabus
    <class #1>
      In-Class Review: Chapter 1 – Basic Concepts, sections 1-2
    **** The exercises listed below from Chapter 1.1 and Chapter 1.2 show you what to do to prepare for the class -- these exercises can not be used as a "homework" assignment ****
        chapter 1.1: "Arguments, Premises, and Conclusions"
    • exercise 1.1-IV, numbers 1-10 in the book (no points - this is not a homework assignment)
    • exercise 1.1-I, numbers 1-8 in the book (no points - this is not a homework assignment)
        chapter 1.2: "Recognizing Arguments"
    • exercise 1.2-V, numbers 1-10 in the book (no points - this is not a homework assignment)
    • exercise 1.2-I, numbers 2-7 in the book (no points - this is not a homework assignment)
    • exercise 1.2-VI, numbers 2-7 in the book (no points - this is not a homework assignment)
       
       
    May 24
    <class #2>
    		 Homework #1 Due at 1:00 pm: Chapter 1 – Basic Concepts, sections 3-4
    ****The exercises listed below from Chapter 1.3 and Chapter 1.4 are the first homework assignment****
        chapter 1.3: "Deduction and Induction"
    • exercise 1.3-III, numbers 1-15 in the book (1 point each = 15)
    • exercise 1.3-I, numbers 2-9 in the book (2 points each = 16)
        chapter 1.4: "Validity, Truth, Soundness, Strength, Cogency"
    • exercise 1.4-V, numbers 1-15 in the book (1 point each = 15)
    • exercise 1.4-I, numbers 3-11 in the book (2 points each = 18)
    • exercise 1.4-II, numbers 3-10 and number 12 in the book (2 points each = 18)
    • exercise 1.4-III, numbers 3-11 in the book (2 points each = 18)
         
         
    June 7 FIRST EXAMINATION (1:00-2:30 pm) -- Chapter 1.1-4
    <class #3>
      Homework #2 Due at 2:30 pm: Chapter 2 – "Language, Meaning and Definition"
    ****The exercises listed below from Chapter 2.1 through Chapter 2.5 are the second homework assignment****
        chapter 2.1: "Varieties of Meaning"
    • exercise 2.1-III, numbers 3-11 in the book (2 points each = 18)
        chapter 2.2: "The Intension and Extension of Terms"
    • exercise 2.2-II, numbers 1-10 in the book (1 point each = 10)
    • exercise 2.2-I.1, right column in the book (1 point each = 11)
    • exercise 2.2-I.2, last five in the book (1 point each = 5)
    • exercise 2.2-I.4, a-e in the book (2 points each = 10)
        chapter 2.3: "Definitions and Their Purposes"
    • exercise 2.3-III, numbers 1-10 in the book (1 point each = 10)
    • exercise 2.3-I, numbers 2-6 in the book (2 points each = 10)
        chapter 2.4: "Definitional Techniques"
    • exercise 2.4-III, numbers 1-10 in the book (1 point each = 10)
    • exercise 2.4-I, numbers 2-5 in the book (2 points each = 8)
        chapter 2.5: "Criteria for Lexical Definitions"
    • exercise 2.5, numbers 2-9 in the book (1 point each = 8)
         
         
    June 21
    <class #4>
    		 Homework #3 Due at 1:00 pm: Chapter 3 – "Informal Fallacies"
    ****The exercises listed below from Chapter 3.1 through Chapter 3.4 are the third homework assignment****
        chapter 3.1: "Fallacies in General"
    • exercise 3.1, numbers 2-6 in the book (1 point each = 5)
        chapter 3.2: "Fallacies of Relevance"
    • exercise 3.2-II, numbers 1-10 in the book (1 point each = 10)
    • exercise 3.2-I, numbers 3-8 in the book (2 points each = 12)
        chapter 3.3: "Fallacies of Weak Induction"
    • exercise 3.3-II, numbers 1-10 in the book (1 point each = 10)
    • exercise 3.3-I, numbers 3-8 in the book (2 points each = 12)
    • exercise 3.3-III, numbers 5-10 in the book (2 points each = 12)
        chapter 3.4: "Fallacies of Presumption, Ambiguity, and Grammatical Analogy"
    • exercise 3.4-II, numbers 1-15 in the book (1 point each = 15)
    • exercise 3.4-I, numbers 3-8 in the book (2 points each = 12)
    • exercise 3.4-III, numbers 13-18 in the book (2 points each = 12)
         
       
    July 5 SECOND EXAMINATION (1:00-2:30 pm) -- Chapters 2-3
    <class #5>
      Homework #4 Due at 2:30 pm: Chapter 4 – "Categorical Propositions"
    ****The exercises listed below from Chapter 4.1 through Chapter 4.5, and Chapter 4.7, are the fourth homework assignment****
        chapter 4.1: "The Components of Categorical Propositions"
    • exercise 4.1, numbers 2-6 in the book (2 points each = 10)
        chapter 4.2: "Quality, Quantity, and Distribution"
    • exercise 4.2-I, numbers 2-5 in the book (3 points each = 12)
    • exercise 4.2-II, numbers 2-3 in the book (2 points each = 4)
    • exercise 4.2-III, numbers 2-3 in the book (2 points each = 4)
    • exercise 4.2-IV, numbers 2-3 in the book (2 points each = 4)
        chapter 4.3: "Venn Diagrams and the Modern Square of Opposition"
                            [**we won't cover Venn Diagrams inthiscourse**]
    • exercise 4.3-II, numbers 2-6 in the book (2 points each = 10)
        chapter 4.4: "Conversion, Obversion, and Contraposition"
    • exercise 4.4-I, numbers 2-3, 8-9 in the book (2 points each = 8)
    • exercise 4.4-II.1, letters b-c in the book (2 points each = 4)
    • exercise 4.4-II.2, letters b-c in the book (2 points each = 4)
    • exercise 4.4-II.3, letters b-c in the book (2 points each = 4)
    • exercise 4.4-III, numbers 2-6 in the book (2 points each = 10)
        chapter 4.5: "The Traditional Square of Opposition"
    • exercise 4.5-I, numbers 2-5 in the book (3 points each = 12)
    • exercise 4.5-II, numbers 2-8 in the book (2 points each = 14)
    		  
         
         
    July 19
    <class #6>
    		 Homework #5 Due at 1:00 pm: Chapter 5 – "Categorical Syllogisms"
    ****The exercises listed below from Chapter 5.1 and Chapter 5.3 are the fifth homework assignment****
        chapter 5.1: "Standard Form, Mood, and Figure"
    • exercise 5.1-V, numbers 1-10 in the book (1 point each = 10)
    • exercise 5.1-I, numbers 2-4 in the book (3 points each = 9)
    • exercise 5.1-II, numbers 3-8 in the book (3 points each = 18)
    • exercise 5.1-III, numbers 3-8 in the book (3 points each = 18)
        chapter 5.3: "Rules and Fallacies"
    • exercise 5.3-III, numbers 1-9 in the book (1 point each = 9)
    • exercise 5.3-I, numbers 3-8 in the book (3 points each = 18)
    • exercise 5.3-II, numbers 4-9 in the book (3 points each = 18)
    		  
         
         
    August 2
    <class #7>
    		 THIRD EXAMINATION (1:00-2:30 pm) -- Chapters 4-5