Introducing Symbolic Logic - Softcover

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Robert M. Martin is Professor of Philosophy at Dalhousie University. His many books include On Ayer (Wadsworth), The Meaning of Language (MIT Press), and On Ockham, with Sharon Kaye (Wadsworth). He is also the author of There Are Two Errors in the the Title of This Book, The Philosopher's Dictionary, and Scientific Thinking (Broadview Press).

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This accessible, SHORT introduction to symbolic logic includes coverage of sentential and predicate logic, translations, truth tables, and derivations. The author's engaging style makes this the most informal of introductions to formal logic. Topics are explained in a conversational, easy-to-understand way for readers not familiar with mathematics or formal systems, and the author provides patient, reader-friendly explanations--even with the occasional bit of humour.

The first half of the book deals with all the basic elements of Sentential Logic: the five truth-functional connectives, formation rules and translation into this language, truth-tables for validity, logical truth/falsity, equivalency, consistency and derivations. The second half deals with Quantifier Logic: the two quantifiers, formation rules and translation, demonstrating certain logical characteristics by "Finding an Interpretation" and derivations.

There are plenty of exercises scattered throughout, more than in many texts, arranged in order of increasing difficulty and including separate answer keys.