PHIL 201 - Section 03 - Introduction to Logic - Spring 2012 - Syllabus

Sep 4, 2026

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Course syllabus for PHIL 201, Section 03, Introduction to Logic (Spring 2012), taught by Justin Kalef. The course fulfills a core curriculum goal emphasizing effective formal processes for reasoning and problem solving. Students study symbolic logic with required texts, develop stronger informal and formal reasoning skills, and are positioned to succeed in LSAT and advanced logic and philosophy courses. Assessment includes four retakable exams with clear tiered grading and pass requirements, plus a detailed weekly schedule covering truth trees, truth tables, paradoxes, proofs, and quantifier logic.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

Course Overview

Core Curriculum Goal

Texts

Topic and Purpose

Assessment

Exam Structure and Retakes

Passing Requirements

Grading Tiers

Policies and Logistics

Contact Information

Office Hours

Student Absences

Missed Labs and Missed Exams

Course Schedule

Exam Period: FINAL EXAM

Syllabus for PHIL 201, Section 03 – Introduction to Logic Taught by Justin Kalef, Rutgers University, Spring 2012 This course satisfies Core Curriculum Goal ‘x’: Apply effective and efficient mathematical or other formal processes to reason and to solve problems. Contact information: The easiest way to contact me outside of class is by email, at [jkalef@philosophy.rutgers.edu](jkalef@philosophy.rutgers.edu) Office hours: I will hold office hours on Tuesdays and Fridays from 12:00 to 1:00 pm. Please feel free to come by with any questions you might have about the course or about philosophy in general. If you are unable to visit me during these times, please be in touch: I am also happy to meet with students at other times by appointment or to answer questions via email. My office is Room 005 in Seminary 3. Texts: Readings will come from two sources: 1) Essentials of Symbolic Logic by R. L. Simpson, and 2) Logical Labyrinths by Raymond Smullyan. Both texts are required. More particularly, students who do not secure a copy of Essentials of Symbolic Logic early on should expect to fail the course. Topic and purpose of course: This course aims to provide students with a background informal logic. Students who complete the course with a high grade will leave with greatly enhanced powers of logical reasoning, and will also find themselves in a strong position to thrive on the LSAT, in more advanced logic courses, and in advanced philosophy courses in all core areas. Assessment: There will be four exams in the course, each of which can be retaken. Students may only write an exam beyond level one after having passed the exam of the previous level. Students who pass the level four exam will receive an A; students who pass the level three exam but not the level four exam will receive a B (or, if their score on the level three exam is perfect, a B+); students who pass the level two exam but not the level three exam will receive a C (or, if their score on the level two exam is perfect, a C+); students who pass the level one exam but not the level two exam will receive a D; and students who never pass the level one exam will receive an F. The first and second exams will consist of five sections each; the third exam will consist of four sections; and the fifth exam will consist of two sections. To pass an exam, you must achieve both of the following: a) an average (mean) score of 75% or higher overall, and b) a score of 60% or higher on each section. Student Absences: Students are expected to attend all classes; if you expect to miss one or two classes, please use the University absence reporting website [https://sims.rutgers.edu/ssra/](https://sims.rutgers.edu/ssra/ to indicate)[ to indicate](https://sims.rutgers.edu/ssra/ to indicate) the date and reason for your absence. An email is automatically sent to me. Please note: My policy for missed labs and missed exams is that students who miss classes are responsible for finding out from other students what they missed. I advise and encourage all students to exchange contact information with at least five other students in class for that purpose, and to make further contacts in the event that any of these five or more students drops the course. Schedule: Tuesday, January 17th: Introduction to the course. Friday, January 20th: Thinking about liars and truth-tellers; beginnings in formal logic. Tuesday, January 24th: Translations, truth trees, and truth tables: finding the main operator. Friday, January 27th: Derivations in simplified propositional logic. Tuesday, January 31st: The liar paradox; translation practice. Friday, February 3rd: The barber of Seville paradox; derivation practice. Tuesday, February 7th: Taking it to the next level: proofs using truth tables. Friday, February 10th: Taking it to the next level: proofs using truth trees. Tuesday, February 14th: Taking it to the next level: more complicated liars and truthtellers, and the

FAQs

What texts are required for PHIL 201 Section 03?

Essentials of Symbolic Logic by R. L. Simpson and Logical Labyrinths by Raymond Smullyan are both required.

How many exams are in the course and can they be retaken?

There are four exams, and each can be retaken. Writing an exam beyond level one requires passing the previous level’s exam.

What are the conditions to pass an exam?

Students must achieve an overall mean score of 75% or higher and score at least 60% on each section within the exam.

Sep 4, 2026

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