Philosophy 100: Introduction to Philosophy Craig Fox

SUGGESTIONS FOR NOTES, WEEKS 1-4

(Remember that these are merely suggestions: you needn’t write on any of these topics.)

1. What do you think that logic is? (Is it something worth studying, even?)

2. What do you think about the relationship between mathematics and logic?

3. What does it mean to call something illogical?

4. What might the relationship between logic and philosophy be?

5. What can you say about the relationship between thinking and logic?

6. A contradiction is when something and its opposite (negation) are asserted. Should contradictions always be avoided? Why or why not?

7. What is the purpose of studying validity? (That is, why do we study “abstract” relationships, instead of “actual” ones?)

8. Explain why evaluating soundness and validity are both important when we analyze arguments.

9. Suppose that, somehow, we figured out—logically—that 2+2 is not always 4. What would this mean about our logic? our mathematics?

10. Explain why the distinction between use and mention might be important.

11. Comment on the relationship between logic and our legal system. (—in particular, laws and legal arguments.)

12. Is there anything to say about the relationship between logic and religion?

13. Is there anything to say about the relationship between logic and ethics?

14. Is logic the same for everyone?

15. What is a proof of a claim? How do proofs relate to logic?

16. What purposes does the symbolization of arguments serve?

17. Are there limits to what we can expect from logic?

18. Should logic “progress” as natural science seems to?