Catholic Faith Defenders

Diocese of Tagbilaran
Logic 3: 1st Kind of the 3rd Act of the Mind: Deductive Reasoning
Mark Steven Pandan

COURSE DESCRIPTION
In this course, you will be able to think and communicate in a clear, effective, and sound way. In Logic
III, the focus is on the third act of the mind, reasoning, in its first kind—deduction.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Each week has an assigned reading. Student is expected to read the text carefully before each class. Each
class will function only as an extended open forum of the lesson that the student is expected to already
have read beforehand. A brief quiz will be given during each class. The quizzes will be cumulative, that
is, the coverage will be all topics discussed prior.
REQUIRED TEXT
 Peter Kreeft, Socratic Logic, ed. 3.1. (SL)
SUPPLEMENTARY TEXT
 Manuel Piñon, Fundamental Logic. (FL)
 Irving Copi, Carl Cohen, & Kenneth McMahon, Introduction to Logic, ed. 14. (IL)
 Plato, The Apology of Socrates (AS)
 W.L. Craig & J.P. Moreland, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview, ed. 2. (PF)
COURSE SCHEDULE
Mondays, 8:30-10pm – Independent Study Period
Wednesdays, 8:30-10pm – Face to Face Classes at Cogon

Week Topic Readings

1 Third Act of the Mind: Reasoning SL, ch. 8.; FL, ch. 19; IL, ch. 1-
2.
2 Different Kinds of Arguments SL, ch. 9., sec. 1-4.; FL, ch. 25.
3 The Socratic Method & the Apology of Socrates SL, ch. 9., sec. 5-6; AS.
4 Syllogism SL, ch. 10.
5 Checking Syllogisms for Validity: Euler’s Circles and SL,.ch. 11, sec. 1-2.; FL, 20-21.
Aristotle's Six Rules
6 Midterm Exam SL., chs. 1-11, sec. 2.
7 Checking Syllogisms for Validity: Barbara Celarent + SL., ch. 11, sec. 3.; FL, 22-24.
Reduction of Categorical Syllogisms
8 Checking Syllogisms for Validity: Venn Diagrams SL, ch. 11., sec. 4.
9 More Difficult Categorical Syllogisms: Enthymemes, SL, ch. 12., sec. 1-3.; FL, ch. 26.
Sorites, and Epicheiremas
10 Complex Argument Maps SL, ch. 12., sec. 4.; IL, 2.3.
11 Compound Syllogisms: Hypothetical syllogisms, Reductio SL, ch. 13., sec. 1-3.; FL, ch.
ad absurdum arguments, and the Practical syllogism. 27-28.; PF, 2.1.
12 Compound Syllogisms: Disjunctive and Conjuctive SL, ch. 13., sec. 4-6.; FL, ch. 28.
 Syllogisms, and Dilemmas
13 Final Exam SL, chs. 1-13.