PHIL 220

PHIL 220: Symbolic Logic 2
Instructor: Katalin Bimbo

Course Description:

This course is a second introduction to first-order logic with identity (FOL), which assumes a certain familiarity with some elements of FOL (from Phil 120 or a similar course). A focus will be on proving inferences in a Fitch-style natural deduction system, or disproving them by building (small) possible worlds. Most of the course will be devoted to quantification and two fundamental theories formalized in FOL. Topics such as generalized quantifiers, resolution, Peano arithmetic and the Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory are of vital interest to philosophers, computer scientists, linguists and mathematicians. This course concentrates on a handful of fixed first-order languages, which helps to increase rigor in reasoning. The textbook comes with a software package that facilitates learning by using programs that implement logical tools and a program that provides access to feedback 24/7.