Course Name: PHIL 310 Logic and Reasoning

Winter 2020
SUPPLEMENTAL COURSE SYLLABUS
Instructor Name: Joseph A. Hedger, Ph.D.
Monday, 5:45—8:15 pm, Bryant & Stratton College, Syracuse
Room 208

Course Description:
This course is designed to help you develop your critical thinking skills through learning
and application of various systems of logic, including propositional logic and the Famous
Forms Method. We will not only delve deeper into Logic than we did in PHIL 250, but we will
also continue to work on our critical thinking skills. For instance, we will look at some common
fallacies or mistakes people make in reasoning, as well as learn how to separate the cognitive
meaning from the emotive force in things we read or hear. This is perhaps the most valuable
thing that one can learn.
Essentially, learning to think critically means learning to think for oneself. It means being able
to reason through difficult or confusing topics; being able to hold informed judgments about
important issues, including ethical issues, political issues, workplace issues, and others. It also
means being able to reason and solve problems, which will make your life easier and less
stressful, and will also make you more valuable as an employee. These skills are especially
necessary in the medical profession, where employees may need to reason through problems
or deal with important ethical dilemmas and issues on a daily basis. Perhaps most importantly,
critical thinking is essential for living in a democratic society, especially one with free speech.
Thinking critically will allow you to evaluate information which is presented to you and to
determine whether the reasoning is correct or poor, whether this information comes from a
teacher, a doctor, a lawyer, a politician, an employer, a book, a movie, an advertisement, a
magazine article, or a television program.
I’m excited to teach this course because learning to think critically is the most worthwhile
thing you can help a person develop. In a very real sense, thinking intelligently about
philosophical topics will enrich your life and lift it above the drudgery of day-to-day duties and
deadlines. It will help you appreciate and understand good literature, good painting, and good
film (or even good comic books). As Socrates famously said, “The unexamined life is not worth
living.”

Course Outcomes:
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
• Compare and contrast various forms of reasoning.
• Relate the importance of basic logical concepts such as validity, soundness and
consistency to reasoning practice.
• Apply analytical and thinking skills through syllogistic, symbolic and informal logic
scenarios.
• Demonstrate understanding and apply ethical behavior/responses to; situations, case
studies and simulations.
• Translate, formalize and evaluate simple arguments in categorical and propositional
form. • Combine theory and practice to communicate logical

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arguments orally and in written form.
• Construct and defend arguments for one self.
• Critically assess the argument of others.

Institutional Outcomes Addressed:

Institutional Outcomes:
• Information Literacy and Communication - Utilize appropriate current technology and
resources to locate and evaluate information needed to accomplish a goal, and then communicate
findings in visual, written and/or oral formats.
• Relational Learning - Transfer knowledge, skills and behaviors acquired through formal and
informal learning and life experiences to new situations.
• Thinking Abilities - Employ strategies for reflection on learning and practice in order to adjust
learning processes for continual improvement.
• Quantitative and Scientific Reasoning - Follow established methods of inquiry and
mathematical reasoning to form conclusions and make decisions.
• Community and Career - Participate in social, learning, and professional communities for
personal and career growth.

Required Media:
The Power of Logic, 5th edition. F. Howard-Snyder, D. Howard-Snyder & R. Wasserman
(McGrawHill).

Academic Misconduct:
Students should refer to the Code of Student Conduct for policies related to plagiarism, attendance,
behavior and other actions which are considered misconduct. These policies will be followed so as all
students are provided an optimal learning environment where they can grow academically and
professionally.

Attendance Policy:
Regular class attendance is necessary to receive the maximum benefit from this course as well as to develop
the professional work habits that are highly valued in the business world. Attendance at every class meeting is
required; if you must be absent, you will be held accountable for class work missed and any assignments that
were due at that time. Students who arrive on time and stay for the entire class will be able to maximize the
benefits of this course. Students are required to sign the attendance sheet at each class meeting to be
considered present in the class.

Grade Allocation:
The following describes the method of computing and Percentage % of each project or activity that
accounts for the student’s final grade. Students can access Blackboard to check grades and student
progress.

Weight of Each Course Element:

Project/Activity % Value Expectations/Standards of Performance
Class Participation 20% In order to get good at Logic and critical reasoning,
and therefore to do well in this course, it is
essential that you are an active participant during
class sessions. We will be going over the
homework assignments in class, as well as
practicing logic exercises in class in order to
prepare you to do well on the homework
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 assignments for that week or upcoming exams.
Homework (x10) 40% You only get good at Logic and critical reasoning by
practicing it. The 10 homework assignments are
your chance to practice. You will receive full credit
as long as you completed the entire assignment to
the best of your ability.
You can simply hand write all of the homework
assignments. When we begin symbolizing, some
symbols may be difficult to find on Word.
You may work together if you know other students
in the class, but please make sure you really do the
homework assignments. This is your chance to
practice before the exams. If you do not take the
practice seriously, it will be much more difficult to
do well on the exams.
Exams (x2) (10% x2 Ok, you’ve been practicing in class and during the
=) 20% week by completing your homework assignments,
so now it’s time to show me what you have
learned. We will have 2 exams in class. You will be
able to use your textbook, notes, and other written
materials for the exam, but you may not use
electronic devices or communicate with other
students.
ePortfolio Project 20% For every class at Bryant & Stratton you will have a
project that you will upload to your ePortfolio so
that you have evidence of your work and skills that
you can show to potential employers.
For Logic and Reasoning, you will find an argument
somewhere (anywhere), write it up in premise and
conclusion form in your own words in a Word
document, and then upload it to your ePortfolio.
You need to upload your document in order to
receive credit for this exercise.

GRADING PLAN:

Percentage grades are assigned letter grades as follows:

A = Greater than 90 points

B+ = 85 – 89 points

B = 80 – 84 points

C+ = 75 – 79 points

C = 70 – 74 points

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D+ = 65 – 69 points

F = 64 points or less

Professionalism:
Developing and exhibiting professional behavior is critical to creating a positive and productive
learning and work environment. As this class is designed to prepare you with the knowledge and
skills necessary to succeed in your career, it is important to view this learning space as you would
your place of employment and to treat your classmates as you would your work colleagues. It is
expected that all students observe and practice the following standards to foster a professional and
dynamic learning environment:

* As your instructor, I will demonstrate the following professional behaviors: I will be respectful of
all students, opinions, and beliefs; I will promote a supportive and positive learning environment that
considers all styles of learning; I will promptly provide constructive feedback that highlights both
strengths and areas needing more consideration; and I will make myself available to answer
questions, address concerns, and help students navigate their educational and career path.

* As in the workplace, students are expected to arrive to class on time and to remain present,
engaged, and to participate throughout the duration of the class.

* As in the workplace, students should actively listen, be open to new ideas, ask thoughtful
questions, and challenge themselves to view issues and concepts from a new perspective.

* As in the workplace, all constructive comments should be content based and delivered in a
productive manner that moves the discussion forward. Respect should be shown to one’s peers and
instructor.

* As in the workplace, please refrain from any conduct that is disruptive to the instructor and
classmates or is a distraction to the overall learning environment such as cell phone activities and
private discussions.

Make Up Policy:
As in the business world, timely and accurate work is expected in this class. You should treat your
classwork as if it is an assignment in your future occupation. If you miss a due date for the submission
of work or you miss an exam/ quiz, you will be given one week from the original due date to submit any
late assignment and/ or complete any missed exam/ quiz with a 10% deduction. No late work will be
accepted after that.

If you have an unusual and verifiable circumstance or emergency an exception to this policy may be
granted. Any potential exceptions to this rule should be first reviewed with me and your Academic
Advisor; exceptions are rarely granted and typically, only in the case of a medical emergency with a
doctor’s note. If it is determined that an exception should be granted we will come up with a plan for
you to turn in late work that is appropriate given the circumstances for the missed work or assignment.

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How to be successful in this class:
 Be here on time for every class and actively participate and engage in class work.
 Be respectful to your peers and exhibit a positive attitude and behavior in class.
 Keep classroom distractions to a minimum—no cell phones should be visible, computer
monitors should be off when class discussion in progress.
 Complete all assignments to the best of your ability, make an effort to succeed.
 Communicate when you need assistance.

Skills Assistance:
Skills Assistance provides opportunities for students to receive additional instruction as well as
feedback in one-on-one or small group settings. These opportunities provide additional contact points
between the student and faculty as well as provide support for students to understand as well as meet
faculty’s course expectations.

I am available for skills assistance after class or by appointment.

I am also available electronically through Bryant & Stratton E-Mail or Blackboard.

Workplace Capabilities:

In all Bryant & Stratton College course offerings, we refer to “Critical Workplace Competencies”, which
are simply the “soft skills” that employers say are critical to your success in your future occupation.

Core Capability Workplace Capability

Teamwork Tolerance
Communication
Attitude
Customer Service Orientation Interpersonal Skills
Perseverance
Managerial Potential Enthusiasm
Problem-Solving
Persuasion
Work Discipline Productivity
Dependability
Literacy Information
Technology
Financial

To prepare students for a successful transition from the classroom to the workplace, students will have
opportunities via collaborative activities, discussions, peer review, and interaction between faculty and
students to begin to develop the following critical workplace capabilities:

This class will highlight: Problem-Solving.

Portfolio Development:
Throughout a students’ program of study at Bryant & Stratton College, they will have opportunities to create
portfolio projects that will evidence academic development and career preparedness. These projects will

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highlight students’ technical and soft’ skills, workplace capabilities, and proficiency with course, program, and
institutional outcomes. Students will be asked to upload sample projects into their E-Portfolio to begin the
process of archiving their preparedness for a successful transition from the classroom to the interview the
workplace.

Plagiarism:
Plagiarism is defined as “to use and pass off as one’s own ideas or writings of another” We are
intolerant of plagiarism at this college. Academic dishonesty, including, but not limited to plagiarism,
multiple submission, collaboration, falsification, bribery or use of purchased reports will result in
disciplinary review. For this course, any plagiarized work will result in a grade of zero for that
assignment, and may result in a failure for the course.

Tracking Calendar:
A Tracking Calendar will be provided to students. This calendar will identify when topics will be
covered course outcomes that will be addressed, and specific teaching strategies that will be used. The
teaching strategies identified in the tracking calendar indicate the types of learning activities that will
be used in each class session.