PHIL 012 119

1
PHIL 012 1/19

• Survey Results, the Study of Logic, and Set Theory

2
Todays class

• Questions/Problems
• Survey Results
• The Context of Logic
• Set Theory Continued

3
(No Transcript)
4
Additional Suggestions for Students (1 response)

• Make sure I understand
• Give myself a lot of time
• Take notes
• Come to class prepared
• Create solve original logic problems
• Pay attention
• Hang out in tarski's world

5
(No Transcript)
6
Additional Suggestions for Instructors

• paper pencil problem sets
• more advance notice of assignments
• tell where we are heading
• foreshadow next lecture
• make sure students understand
• tell how material applies to philosophy
• give good notes
• practice problems in class before assigned
• solutions on web
• don't repeat basic stuff

• Comment homework
• Be willing to help
• Less detail
• Be gentle
• email students
• provide study guides
• go slowly
• allow correction of homework errors
• put notes in a text file
• Give non-homework examples
• explain how exams work

7
Additional Comments

• Students should take responsibility for
  learning.
• I feel like Im learning from the book and the
  class is review.
• The book makes simple things seem complicated.
• The class seems pretty fun.

8
What is Logic?

• Logic (allegedly) studies the rational basis of
  thought and valid reasoning.
• Formal logic studies the forms of valid
  inference.
• It is not necessarily a descriptive account of
  how people think (psychology/cognitive science).
• Like the Foundations of Mathematics, it doesnt
  necessarily have any real-world applications.

9
Q Why does logic make simple things seem
complicated?

• Consider the expression There are a lot of
  smart people in this room.
• This expression is simple, but imprecise.
• Define a lot and smart
• To be precise, we would have to define smart
  operationally as well as make an awful lot of
  complex statements about human psychology.

10
What is logic?

• The difficulties of definition
• Logicians disagree.
• An answer presupposes a sophisticated knowledge
  of the history of philosophy and mathematics.
• Where are we going? Consider the problem of
  explaining calculus.

11
Next Class Function Symbols and Arithmetic

• For Monday, read 2.5 and 2.6
• Because 1) you should read ahead to understand
  the lectures and 2) reading is reinforced by
  actual practice
• Do Problems 9, 11, 12, and 13 if you havent
  already
• Submit these problems by midnight Monday.