GC University Lahore

 

Course Outline

 

INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC

 

Department of Computers Sciences

GC University, Lahore.

 

 

DEPARTMENT:                                                  COMPUTER SCIENCES

INSTRUCTUR’S NAME:                                 YASIR SULTAN

OFFICE HOURS:                                                12:00 to 2:00 Mon to Sat (Prof. Room # 34)

COURSE TITLE:                                                 LOGIC & CRITICAL THINKING

COURSE CODE:                                                

COURSE LENGTH:                     SEMESTER, II (16+2 WEEKS)

CREDIT HOURS:                                                03

 

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

 

Enquiry into the scheme of man’s existence is as essential as hunger, thirst and sex for his physical existence. Thinking can be correct, incorrect, valid or invalid. Naturally the question arises that what is the difference between right and wrong and valid and invalid thinking. Therefore, it was felt necessary that this vital issue should be studied at a scientific level. Logic and critical thinking is the course, which has taken up the study of this crucial problem.

 

The course is designed for the students of computer science, year II. Students will learn this course in 3rd Semester. The course of Logic & Critical thinking consists of 6 chapters, which is further divided into 2 portions. Every portion consists of 3 chapters of different nature. The first portion is about the fundamental concepts of Traditional/Aristotelian logic, also includes formal and informal logic and introduces the critical thinking skills. This portion includes the traditional techniques to check the validity of arguments. The second portion is highly important and introduces the modern techniques to check the validity of thought. It also orientates the learners to the fallacies, which we commit in every day life. These chapters focus on the frame works of decision-making and problem solving and also teach the strategies to avoid pitfall and pratfalls during the systematic processes. The first portion of the course consists cognitive type of learning; the second effective type of learning and the third portion consists of psychomotor type of learning.

 

The curriculum of this course has been designed to stimulate a student’s logical capacity or ability. After studying this course he would be able to analyze things critically. Beside this, it also sharpens one’s mental ability and makes one creative. This course is methodological in its enquiry and formulates general laws and problems regulative of valid thinking. The study of logic is likely to improve the quality of one’s reasoning. A student who has studied logic is more likely to reason correctly than another, with the same basic intelligence. The study of logic and critical thinking supports the use of one’s reasoning powers, helps to make them more dependable. After studying this course students will be able to defend judgments/arguments and will know how to criticize the defense of claims. Studying this paper, students strengthen their native powers, bringing their intellectual capacities to maturity and to fruitfulness.

 

 

 

PRE-REQUISITES:             None

                                                                                     

 

CO-REQUISITES:                                                   None

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES/GOALS:

 

 

To stimulate student’s logical capacity or ability

To develop and enhance critical skills of decision making, problem solving and creative thinking

To develop ability to use cognitive skills

To develop the ability to analyze the structure of complex and controversial problems, with an understanding of major strategies of reasoning designed to resolve such problems

To develop an ability to employ the techniques of formal and informal methods of reasoning, together with an ability to recognize any relevant fallacies

To develop an ability to translate an ordinary language expression into symbolic or logical form

To develop the ability to do hypothetical, probabilistic, analogical, reflective, purposeful vertical and lateral thinking

Develop a critical thinking attitude and Disposition

9.         To understand the relationship between human and artificial intelligence

 

COURSE SPECIFIC DETAILS:

 

TEACHING, LEARNING STRATEGIES:

 

  Teaching and learning strategies will be including:

                

· Lectures

· Student Presentations

· Discussions

· Class room activities

· Books and Handouts

· News paper Editorials

· Personal Supervision

· Assessment from students (in which they will be asked to mention highs and lows or drawbacks of instructor’s teaching method or techniques)

 

ASSESSMENT STRATEGY:

 

 Total Marks:       100 

 

(i)             Mid term:                                40 marks,                20%

(ii)            Term Paper:                            20 marks,                10%

(iii)      Quizzes                       20 marks           10%

(iii)           Semester work:           20 marks,        10%

(iv)           Comprehensive

                 Examination:                        100 marks,              50%

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Computer Science Department

Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION

Nature of Logic

 

 

 

Structure of Argument

 

 

 

c)   Five Logical Terms

 

Kinds of Induction

 

      e)   Laws of Thought

 

 

 

f)   Critical Thinking

 

(i)  Nature of Logic (Origin and Definition

      of Logic)

(ii) The Structure of thought or Reasoning

 

 (i)  Propositions, Premises,   Conclusions

       and Inference

(ii)  Inductive and Deductive  Reasoning

 

(i)   Truth, Validity, Soundness,  Strength

        and Cogency

(i)   Analogy, Hypothesis, Probability

 

(i)   Law of Identity

(ii)  Law of Non-Contradiction

(iii) Law of Excluded Middle

 

(i)  The Concept of Critical Thinking

(ii) The need for Critical Thinking Skills

(iii) Attitude and values involved in

       Critical Thinking

 

Chapter 2:  CATEGORICAL PROPOSITIONS

Four Kinds of Categorical Propositions

 

 

 

Traditional Square of Opposition

 

Kinds of Immediate Inference

 

 

(i)  Components of Categorical

      Propositions

(ii)  Quality, Quantity, and Distribution

(iii) Using Venn Diagrams to prove      Logical Relationships

 

(i)   Relationship among Categorical

        Propositions

(i)   Conversion , Obversion and

        Contraposition

Chapter 3: CATEGORICAL SYLLOGISM

Nature of Categorical Syllogism

 

      b)  The formal Nature of Syllogistic Reasoning

 

 

      c)   Validity of Categorical Syllogism

 

 

(i)  Syllogistic method of proving

      Validity/  Invalidity

 (i)  Standard form, mood and figure

 

(ii)  Syllogistic Rules and Fallacies

 

(i)   Venn Diagrams 

Chapter 4: PROPOSITIONAL LOGIC

Symbols and Translations of Propositions

 

 

 

Truth Tables

 

Classification of Propositions

 

      d)   Equivalences

 

 

e)   Truth Table for Arguments

(i)  Logical Operators and their Truth

      Functions

(ii) The symbols of Negation (~),   Conjunction (.), Disjunction (V), Implication (  ), Equivalence (=)

(i)  Truth Table for Propositions

 

(i)  Tautologies, Self-contradictory and Contingent

(i)  Propositional Equivalences

(ii) Logical Equivalences

 

(iii) Proving validity of arguments by Truth Table method

 

Chapter 5: PREDICATE CALCULUS / QUANTIFIER LOGIC

a)  Predicate and Quantifiers

b)  Variables

 

(i) The Universal Quantifier

 (ii) The Existential Quantifier

 (i)  Individual Variables

 (ii) Binding Variables

 (iii) Corresponding symbols in Sentential logic and Boolean Algebra

 (iv) Proving Arguments with Quantifier Logic

Chapter 6:  DECISION MAKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING

Learning Decision Trees

 

Systematic way of Decision Making

 

 

 

 

c) Problem Solving

(i) Application of  Decision Trees

 

(i)   Making Sound Decisions

(ii)  Stages of Decision Making

(iii)  Pitfalls and Pratfalls in Decision

        Making

 

(i)  Stages of Problem Solving

(ii)  Ill defined and Well Defined Problems

(iii)  Strategies for Problem Solving

 

CHAP

LECTURE TEXT

CONTENTS

TIME FRAME

1

Introduction

Nature of Logic

Structure of thought or reasoning

Arguments, Premises, Conclusions

Induction and deduction

Truth, validity, soundness

Strength and cogency

Inductive Inference

Laws of thought

Critical Thinking 

Lec. 1

Lec. 2

Lec. 3

Lec. 4,5

Lec.5,6

 

Lec. 7

Lec. 8

Lec. 9

2

Categorical Propositions

Components of Categorical propositions

Traditional square of opposition

Conversion, Observation and Contraposition

 

Lec. 10

Lec. 11

Lec. 12

 

3

Categorical Syllogism

Components of Categorical syllogism

Mood and figure

Venn Diagrams

Rules of Syllogism

 

Lec. 13

Lec. 13

Lec. 14

Lec.  15,16

4

Propositional Logic

Logical symbols/operators

Truth functions

Truth table for Propositions

Classifying Statements

 Statement Equivalences

Truth table for arguments

Lec. 17

Lec. 18

Lec. 18

Lec. 19

Lec. 20

Lec. 21

5

 

 

 

 

Predicate Calculus

Predicate and Quantifier

Variables

Proving arguments with Quantifier Logic

Lec. 22

Lec. 23

Lec. 24

6 (A)

Decision Making

Learning Decision Trees

Steps in Decision Making

Pitfalls and Pratfalls in decision making

Lec. 25

Lec. 26

Lec. 27

 

6 (B)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Problem Solving

 Student Presentations

Anatomy of a Problem and Stages in Problem solving

Well defined and Ill defined Problems

Strategies in Problem solving 

Students will give the Presentations in groups

Lec. 28

 Lec. 28

Lec. 29

 Lec. 30, 31,32

TAB LE OF SPECIFICATION

 

CONTENT AREA

SLO’s

Cognitive C1

Comprehension C2

Critical analysis

C3

 

TOTAL ITEMS

Introduction to Logic

2

2

1

5

21.7%

Categorical Propositions

0

1

2

3

13.0%

Categorical Syllogism

0

1

2

3

13.0%

Propositional Logic

1

1

2

4

17.39%

Predicate Calculus

1

1

2

4

17.39%

Decision Making

0

1

1

2

8.69%

Problem Solving

0

1

1

2

8.69%

Total

4

8

11

23

 

Percentage

17.39%

34.78%

47.8%

 

100%

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES / LEARNING DOMAIN

 

Course Specification

Cognitive

Affective

Psychomotor

 Student Attributes

Lec. 1 to 4

Define different logical terms

Receive

Communicate

Cognitive skills, critical approach

Lec. 5 to 6

Explain, construct

Answers

Describes

Successful communication

Lec. 7 to 9

Appraise, compares identifies, labels

Participate in class discussion

Assembles, adapts, improves

Composition of Work

Lec. 10 to 13

Evaluate

Motivate

Guided specification

Specific skill

Lec. 14 to 17

Better

Compares, practices

Articulation, Application

Logical capacity or ability

Lec. 18 to 21

Recognize logical fallacies in reasoning

Displays

Adapts, reorganizes

Evaluation, Error free thought

Lec. 22 to 25

Recognize, Application

Performs

Perception

Reasoning, intellectual capacity

Lec. 26 to 29

States problem in his/her own words

Responding to phenomena

Synthesizes

Reasoning, making strategies

Lec. 30 to 32

 

Lateral thinking

 

Influences

Motivation

Creativity