Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Jennifer Duke-Yonge
Contact via jennifer.duke-yonge@mq.edu.au
By arrangement
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Credit points |
Credit points
3
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
Logic is concerned with the study of good reasoning. While PHL137 examines reasoning as it occurs in everyday life, this unit is a course in formal logic, where we look behind these particular contexts and consider what it is that makes a piece of reasoning good or bad: What makes one claim follow from another? People disagree about all sorts of things, but are there some claims and arguments that any rational person must accept? If so, what is special about those claims and arguments? In this unit, you will learn to use formal techniques to prove whether certain kinds of arguments are valid or invalid, and will examine some of the philosophical problems that arise in connection with the methods and assumptions of formal logic.
The unit is suitable for those with an interest in the nature and philosophy of logic for its own sake, and for those who want to understand the techniques of formal logic for use in philosophy, or in other areas such as computing, mathematics and linguistics.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Special Consideration
Requests for extensions should be submitted via a Special Consideration request, which is available in the http://ask.mq.edu.au portal. Your request should be accompanied by appropriate documentation, such as a medical certificate. Please see the Special Consideration policy in the list of policies at the end of this document for further details.
Read the policy closely as your request may be turned down if you have not followed procedure, or if you have not submitted a request in a timely manner.
Late Submission Penalty
Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.
Academic Honesty
In Philosophy, academic honesty is taken very seriously. Misrepresenting someone else's work as your own may be grounds for referral to the Faculty Disciplinary Committee. If you have questions about how to properly cite work or how to credit sources, please talk to one of the teaching staff and see also Academic Integrity Policy (see the Policies and Procedures section below).
Your assessments in this units are individual assessments, so the work you submit must be your own work. You may not work on the assignments with other students.
For information about extensions, late penalties and special consideration, see Policies and Procedures section below.
Any assessment problems should be discussed with the convenor as soon as they arise.
Rationale for unit assessment structure
Assessment is spread through the unit in such a way that no task is too heavily weighted, and you will always receive feedback on one assessment before having to do the next. Any questions about feedback should be discussed with the convenor as soon as possible.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Online quiz 1 | 5% | No | 11.59pm, Sun 18/8 (Wk3) |
Take-home task 1 | 10% | No | In Wk 5 tuts (29/8&30/8) |
In-class test | 30% | No | Thursday 12/9 or Friday 13/9 |
Online quiz 2 | 5% | No | 11.59pm, Sun 20/10 (Wk10) |
Take-home task 2 | 25% | No | In Wk 11 tuts (24 or 25/10) |
Online quiz 3 | 15% | No | 11.59pm Sun 10/11 (Wk13) |
Participation | 10% | No | Weeks 1-11 |
Due: 11.59pm, Sun 18/8 (Wk3)
Weighting: 5%
Online quiz 1 is available from 9am Monday August 12 until 11.59pm on Sunday August 18 (week 3). It consists of five multiple choice questions, and you will have 20 minutes to complete it. Further instructions and a sample quiz will be made available through iLearn.
The quiz covers material from weeks 1 and 2, and is designed to give you early feedback on your progress in the unit.
Criterion for assessment: understanding of content from first two weeks, as demonstrated by correct choice of answer in multiple choice quiz.
See the General Assessment Information section for information about Special Consideration.
Due: In Wk 5 tuts (29/8&30/8)
Weighting: 10%
A short exercise based on material from the first four weeks.
The exercise will be made available via iLearn on the day of your tutorial in week 4. It is to be submitted as a hard copy at the beginning of your tutorial in week 5. It will be returned in your tutorial in week 6. Anyone who will not be in the tutorial in week 5 must make arrangements to submit the exercise directly to Jenny before the tutorial time.
Criterion for assessment: Demonstrated understanding of logical concepts and methods from weeks 1-4.
See the General Assessment Information section for information about Special Consideration and penalties for lateness.
Due: Thursday 12/9 or Friday 13/9
Weighting: 30%
An in-class test for all internal students will be held in your tutorial in week 7 (12/9 or 13/9). It will be a 50 minute test, covering material from weeks 1-6. The lecture in week 7 will be used for test revision and preparation.
The test is open book. Permitted resources will be discussed in lectures and confirmed in iLearn by week 5.
In-class test 'safety net'
Any student who makes a serious attempt at the in-class test but receives a mark under 50% for it, will be given the opportunity to complete some additional work as determined by the convenor, and sit a supplementary test on a Pass/Fail basis (ie for a maximum mark of 50%) at a time to be negotiated with Jenny, no later than the end of week 9. No extensions of time will be given. This opportunity is only available for the in-class test, and is intended to help ensure that all students meet the learning outcomes for the first part of the course required for success in the second half.
Criterion for assessment: Demonstrated understanding of logical concepts and methods from weeks 1-6.
See the General Assessment Information section for information about Special Consideration.
Due: 11.59pm, Sun 20/10 (Wk10)
Weighting: 5%
Online quiz 2 is available from 9am Monday October 14 until 11.59pm on Sunday October 20 (week 10). It consists of five multiple choice questions, covering material from weeks 8 and 9, and you will have 20 minutes to complete it. Further instructions will be given through iLearn.
Criterion for assessment: understanding of content from weeks 8 and 9, as demonstrated by correct choice of answers in multiple choice quiz.
See the General Assessment Information section for information about Special Consideration.
Due: In Wk 11 tuts (24 or 25/10)
Weighting: 25%
A take-home exercise based on material from weeks 8-10.
The take-home task will be made available via iLearn on the day of your tutorial in Week 9. It is due at the beginning of your tutorial in week 11. It will be returned in the week 12 lecture. Anyone who will not be in the tutorial in week 11 must make arrangements to submit the exercise directly to Jenny before the tutorial time.
Criterion for assessment: Demonstrated understanding of logical concepts and methods from weeks 8-10.
See the General Assessment Information section for information about Special Consideration and penalties for lateness.
Due: 11.59pm Sun 10/11 (Wk13)
Weighting: 15%
The final online quiz will cover material from the second half of the unit, with a focus on weeks 11-12. It will be available from 9am Monday to 11.59pm Sunday of week 13 (10/11).
It will consist of five multiple-choice questions and three short-answer questions (requiring one-paragraph answers). This is a timed quiz, and you will have one hour to complete it. A sample will be made available via iLearn.
Criterion for assessment: understanding of content from second half of the unit, with a focus on weeks 11-13, as demonstrated by correct choice of answers in multiple choice questions; and understanding and clarity in answers to short answer questions.
See the General Assessment Information section for information about Special Consideration.
Due: Weeks 1-11
Weighting: 10%
Participation is an essential part of this unit, since you will be developing a set of skills that are formed through practice. You will therefore be assessed on your level of engagement with the content throughout the unit.
Internal students will be assessed on participation in weekly tutorials (weeks 1-6 and 8-11). This involves coming prepared, engaging in class discussions, asking and answering questions etc. Your mark for participation will depend on your level of engagement, rather than on how many answers you get right. Asking questions is as good a demonstration of engagement as answering them.
CLASSES
Internal students will attend one two-hour lecture and one tutorial each week. The tutorials for each week follow on directly from the lectures, so we will be discussing each week's lecture topics in the same week's tutorials. Tutorials begin in week 1. There are no tutorials in weeks 12 and 13. Jenny Duke-Yonge is the lecturer and tutor for this unit.
The timetable for this unit can be found at https://timetables.mq.edu.au. You should check the timetable prior to the start of the Session for any updates.
You are expected to have attended the lecture or watched it online before you come to your tutorial. If you are unable to attend the lecture on a regular basis, you should:
REQUIRED TEXT
The textbook for the unit is Logic: an introduction by Greg Restall. You can download it from the library, by following the Leganto link from iLearn. You can purchase the hard copy of the book if you prefer.
UNIT WEBPAGE AND TECHNOLOGY USED AND REQUIRED
This unit has an online presence. Login is via: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/ Students are required to have regular access to a computer and the internet. Mobile devices alone are not sufficient.
- For technical support go to: http://mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/informatics/help - For student quick guides on the use of iLearn go to: http://mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/guides.htm
Week |
Reading
(Essential readings listed below are from the textbook, which can be downloaded via Leganto. Some supplementary readings will also be available during semester) |
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Formal propositional logic |
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Week 1 1/8 |
Introduction; Propositions and Arguments
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Restall, Chapter 1 |
Week 2 8/8 |
Translation: Connectives and argument forms | Restall, Chapter 2 |
Week 3 15/8 |
Truth tables First online quiz this week |
Restall, Chapter 3 |
Week 4 22/8 |
Trees |
Restall, Chapter 4 |
Problems in the Philosophy of Logic (1) |
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Week 5 29/8
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Vagueness and bivalence Take-home task 1 due this week in tutorials |
Restall, Chapters 5 |
Week 6 5/9 |
Conditionality | Restall, Chapter 6 |
Week 7 12/9 |
Revision (lecture); Test (tutorial)
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Midsemester break |
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Formal predicate logic |
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Week 8 3/10
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Introduction to predicate logic: predicates, names and quantifiers |
Restall, Chapter 8 |
Week 9 10/10 |
Trees for predicate logic
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Restall, Chapter 10 |
Week 10 17/10 |
Trees for predicate logic Second online quiz this week |
Restall, Chapter 11 (excluding 'Functions') |
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Problems in the Philosophy of Logic (2) |
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Week 11 24/10 |
Definite Descriptions ; Non-existence Second take-home task due this week in tutorials |
Restall, Chapters 12 and 13 |
Week 12 31/10 |
What is a predicate? What is logic No tutorials this week |
Restall, Chapters 14 and 15 |
Week 13 |
No lectures or tutorials Third online quiz this week |
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