If all dogs bark and Fido is a dog, it follows that Fido barks. If Clark Kent owns a car, it follows that Superman owns a car, since Clark Kent is Superman. Yet you might wonder why these statements follow from the said assumptions. Can this perhaps be explained in terms of the statements' meanings or their grammatical form? Will the explanation be the same in both cases, or do statements follow from assumptions for a variety of different reasons? Are there laws or principles which conclusively prove the statements from the assumptions? Can these laws be doubted, or are they self-evident?nThe Logic Group will tackle these and similar questions. You will gain a solid understanding of both propositional and predicate logic, including a deductive proof system. You will familiarise yourself with the central concepts of formal reasoning, including syntax and semantics, truth and interpretation, validity and soundness, and the concept of logical consequence. Although formal and technical, the course is accessible to all students, and all may benefit. Studying logic will improve your analytic and critical thinking skills and help you develop a more rigorous and precise writing style. Only open to students residing at Stanford House in Oxford (UK).
1-2 units · Satisfactory/No Credit
If all dogs bark and Fido is a dog, it follows that Fido barks. If Clark Kent owns a car, it follows that Superman owns a car, since Clark Kent is Superman. Yet you might wonder why these statements follow from the said assumptions. Can this perhaps be explained in terms of the statements' meanings or their grammatical form? Will the explanation be the same in both cases, or do statements follow from assumptions for a variety of different reasons? Are there laws or principles which conclusively prove the statements from the assumptions? Can these laws be doubted, or are they self-evident?nThe Logic Group will tackle these and similar questions. You will gain a solid understanding of both propositional and predicate logic, including a deductive proof system. You will familiarise yourself with the central concepts of formal reasoning, including syntax and semantics, truth and interpretation, validity and soundness, and the concept of logical consequence. Although formal and technical, the course is accessible to all students, and all may benefit. Studying logic will improve your analytic and critical thinking skills and help you develop a more rigorous and precise writing style. Only open to students residing at Stanford House in Oxford (UK).
Offered in Autumn 2026 at Stanford University.