Introduction to Logic, Argument, and Fallacy

SUMMER 2024

Instructor:  James Goode

Dates:  24June-19July (4 weeks)

Mtg. Days:  M, W, F (3 days/week)

Mtg. Time (Pacific Time):  9:00-9:50 AM

Credits: No Credit

Class Description:  This course will provide a (very!) brief introduction to the basic tools of reasoning. Students will apprentice in the science and art called since the days of the Greeks “logic,” with an emphasis on using it to argue well. We will examine what logic is, and its three great fundamental laws. We will then take a look at the vital importance of definitions in an argument. After learning the difference between validity and truth, we will spend the remainder of the class going through various logical fallacies that can trip up an argument, particularly those of distraction, ambiguity, and form.

Note: This course is not a replacement for the year-long logic course LOS offers. It is designed to be as practical, rather than theoretical, as possible. This would be ideal for students who either cannot take the year-long course (but want to know something of logic) or students who are unsure and want to dip a toe in first.

Required Text:

The Amazing Dr. Ransom’s Bestiary of Adorable Fallacies by Douglas and N.D. Wilson

If you are already enrolled in LOS, simply log in to your ClassReach account--you'll see a summer registration notification on your homepage beginning March 18.