1
First-Order Logic
Fall 2012
hilosophy 100 covers ground standardly covered in courses on first-order logic: sentential
logic, predicate logic with identity, and a smattering of metalogic. The course has no
prerequisite, and presumes no background in philosophy, let alone logic. Anyone
intimidated by symbols and proofs (think: high school geometry) can expect to experience periods
of alienation and panic. On a scale of 110 (10 being most difficult), the course is an 8.5.
Grades are based on two tests, a cumulative final examination, and a dozen quizzes. Quizzes
(which replace homework) cover material of the sort found in numbered exercises indicated
parenthetically on the reading schedule. Quizzes will be administered by a course assistant in a
weekly logic laboratory (see below). Quizzes cannot, under any circumstances, be rescheduled or
made up. If you miss a quiz because of illness, a schedule conflict, or for any other reason, you
will be awarded a zero. However, your two lowest quiz grades will be dropped.
Bureaucratic Items
Location: Busch 100
Instructor: John Heil, Wilson 205 <jh@wustl.edu>
Assistants: Jeff Dauer <jdauer@wustl.edu> and Gary Williams <garywilliams@wustl.edu>,
both in Wilson 116
Office Hours: Heil: by appointment; assistant: in Logic Lab and by appointment
Text: John Heil, First-Order Logic: A Concise Introduction (Wadsworth, 1994).
Readings: T. Gilovich, R. Vallone, and A. Tversky. The Hot Hand in Basketball: On the
Misperception of Random Sequences. Cognitive Psychology 17 (1985): 295314.
E. Sjafir and A. Tversky. Thinking Through Uncertainty: Nonconsequential
Reasoning and Choice. Cognitive Psychology 24 (1992): 44974.
A. Tversky and D. Kahneman. Judgment Under Uncertainty: Heuristics and
Biases. Science 185 (1974): 112431.
Grading: Two in-class tests (each worth 22.5%); quizzes (30%, two lowest grades dropped;
no make-ups); cumulative final examination (25%). The instructor reserves the
right to administer unannounced quizzes on assigned material (for up to 2% of
the final grade, replacing 0.5 points on each of the items above).
Logic Lab
Monday and Wednesday evenings (most weeks), 7:009:oo, Busch 202, one or more skilled
logicians will be available to answer questions, help with exercises, and administer quizzes. You
may take a quiz at any time during the week for which it is scheduled, but you must take it
during that week: positively no late quizzes.
Philosophy 100.1
Fall 2012
Assignment Schedule
Date
Aug
28
30
Sept 4
6
Assignment
Introductory remarks; First-Order Logic, 120
2046
4666; Quiz 1 (2.012.04)
6674
11
13
18
20
25
27
Oct 2
4
9
11
16
18
23
25
30
Nov 1
6
8
13
15
20
22
27
29
Dec 4
6