Schedule

This schedule is subject to revision. Check the course website (http://johnmacfarlane.net/142) for current reading and writing assignments.

Introduction

Jan 22

What is philosophical logic? Review of propositional logic. Handout with exercises (to be handed in in section next week, but not graded).

Jan 24

Review of predicate logic. Handout with exercises (to be handed in in section next week, but not graded).

Unit 1—Quantification

Jan 29

Identity. Numerical quantifiers. Handout with exercises.

Jan 31

Generalized quantifiers. Definite descriptions. Handout with exercises.

Feb 5

Generalized quantifiers. Quinean corner quotes. Handout with exercises.

Feb 7

Substitutional quantification.
Reading: Linsky, “Two Concepts of Quantification,” §§II, IV, V. Handout with exercises.

Feb 12

Substitutional quantification, continued. Plural quantification introduced.

Feb 14

Plural quantification. Reading: Boolos, “To Be is to Be a Value of a Variable (or to Be Some Values of Some Variables).” Exercises.

Unit 2—Modality

Feb 19

Propositional modal logic: semantics and natural deductions. Handout with exercises. Unit 1 problems due.

Feb 26

Quine’s objections to quantified modal logic. Reading: Quine, “Three Grades of Modal Involvement,” Recommended: Linsky, “Two Concepts of Quantification,” §III, pp. 228–231, Quine, “Reference and Modality.”

Feb 28

Smullyan’s response to Quine. The slingshot argument. Reading: Smullyan, “Modality and Description.” Handout with exercises.

Mar 4

Kripke’s response to Quine. Reading: Kripke, Naming and Necessity, pp. 34–63 (on apriority vs. necessity), pp. 97–105 (on the necessity of identity).

Unit 3—Logical Consequence

Mar 6

Informal characterizations of logical consequence.

Mar 11

Tarski’s definition of logical consequence. Reading: Tarski, “On the Concept of Logical Consequence.” Unit 2 problems due.

Mar 13

Inference rules and the meanings of the logical constants. Reading: Prawitz, “Logical Consequence from a Constructive Point of View,” through p. 678. Prior, “The Runabout Inference Ticket.” Belnap, “Tonk, Plonk, and Plink.”

Mar 18

Prawitz’s proof-theoretic account of consequence. Intuitionistic logic. Reading: Prawitz, “Logical Consequence from a Constructive Point of View” (entire).

Mar 20

Motivations for relevance logic. The Lewis argument. Reading: Meyer, “Entailment.”

Apr 1

Relevance logic. Reading: Burgess, “No Requirement of Relevance.” Recommended: Anderson and Belnap, Entailment, vol. 1, §§15, 16.1.

Apr 3

Logic and reasoning. Reading: Harman, Change in View, Chapters 1–2.

Apr 8

Relevance logic and inconsistent data. Reading: Lewis, “Logic for Equivocators.” Recommended: Anderson, Belnap, and Dunn, Entailment, vol. 2, §§81–81.2.3.

Unit 4—Conditionals

Apr 10

Subjunctive vs. indicative conditionals. Defense of the material conditional. Reading: Thomson, “In Defense of ‘⊃’”. Unit 3 problems due.

Apr 15

Do conditionals have truth conditions? Reading: Edgington, “Do Conditionals Have Truth-Conditions?”

Apr 17

A modal account of the indicative conditional. Reading: Stalnaker, “Indicative Conditionals.”

Apr 22

A counterexample to Modus Ponens? Reading: McGee, “A Counterexample to Modus Ponens.”

Unit 5—Vagueness and the Sorites Paradox

Apr 24

The sorites paradox. Multivalued logics. Reading: Sainsbury, Paradoxes, §§2.1–2.4. Williamson, Vagueness, §§4.1–4.6.

Apr 29

Fuzzy logic. Reading: Williamson, Vagueness, §§4.7–4.14.

May 1

Supervaluationism. Reading: Williamson, Vagueness, Chapter 5.

May 6

Evans on vagueness in the world. Reading: Evans, “Can There Be Vague Objects?”

May 8

Catchup/review.

May 14

Paper due.

May 20

Final exam. 5–8 PM, 110 Wheeler Hall.