THE FUNDAMENTALS OF SOUND REASONING
Concordia University of Edmonton’s newest personal development course, Introduction to Logic will be a pillar for learners to work on both personal and professional development by enhancing personal growth and education.
It will teach you elementary methods and principles for analysing reasoning as it occurs in everyday contexts.
Thursday
Online Delivery Asynchronous
No Prerequisites
Course Schedule
| START/END | DAY | TIME | HOURS | FEES |
| SEP 7 – DEC 7, 2023 | Thursdays | 6:00 PM – 8:50 PM | 39 | $400 +GST |
| JAN 11 – APR 11, 2024 | Thursdays | 6:00 PM – 8:50 PM | 39 | $400 +GST |
Why Take this course?
- Learn how to tell the difference between good reasoning and bad reasoning
- Understand the fundamentals of both formal and informal logic – logic that is valid because of it’s structure and reasoning that may be valid for other reasons
Hear more from instructor Dr. Jonathan Strand on why this course matters and what to expect in the video below:
Course Outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Distinguish the characteristics between good and bad reasoning
- Recognize common mistakes in reasoning and identify reasoning that are valid because of its structure
- Understand the basics of how scientific reasoning works
- Effectively evaluate the reasoning of others
- Create and engage in sound reasoning of your own
Lecture Topics
1. Informal Logic
Lecture Focus: Students will receive an introduction to logic and discuss alternative possibilities.
2. Recognizing and Analyzing Arguments
Lecture Focus: Students will study necessary truths, necessary falsehoods, and contingencies.
3. Evaluating Arguments
Lecture Focus: Students will evaluate arguments, create and express strong arguments.
4. Informal Fallacies
Lecture Focus: Fallacies of relevance, weak induction, presumption ambiguity, illicit transfer. Students will discuss hypothetical reasoning, and scientific reasoning.
5. Formal Logic
Lecture Focus: Propositional Logical Form.
6. Truth Tables
Lecture Focus: Calculating truth values, calculating truth values of formulas, and english sentences.
7. Natural Deduction
Lecture Focus: Rules of interference, and conditional/indirect proof.
Course Instructor
Dr. Jonathan Strand
Doctor of Philosophy
About Jonathan Strand
Dr. Strand is Professor of Philosophy at Concordia University of Edmonton (CUE). He has been a member of CUE’s faculty since 1994. He holds a BA in Philosophy from the University of Minnesota (summa cum laude) and a Master of Divinity degree. He earned his PhD in Philosophy from the University of Notre Dame, under the directorship of Dr. Alvin Plantinga. Dr. Strand’s recent scholarship focuses on the intersections between philosophy of religion, epistemology, ethics, philosophy of mind, and logic.
Questions?
Email us at extension@concordia.ab.ca