LOGIC AND METHODOLOGY MINOR PROPOSAL

We propose a new interdisciplinary undergraduate minor in logic and methodology. This mi-
nor provides a unied course of study for topics that are otherwise scattered throughout units
on campus. This course of study promises to have broad appeal to students in what are some
of the campus strongest units, and situates philosophy as a center of such appeal.

The minor would require 21 credit hours in courses from philosophy, mathematics, psychology,
computer science, linguistics, and economics. The courses are shown in Figure 1, with the
left branches indicating the deductive track and the right the inductive track of the minor.
Following that are descriptions of the minors requirements and the courses involved.

103: intro to formal logic

& causal reasoning

Philo 351
CS 373: Theory 202: deductive 2IX: inductive (Psych): Thinking
of computation logics logics & reasoning

Math (Phil) 414: 454: Gdel & 4IX: Causal 4IY: Formal 471: Contemporary
Mathematical logic computation reasoning epistemology philosophy of science

CS 473: Psych 406: Econ 465:

Math 432: Set Statistical
Fundamental Mathematical
theory & topology Methods I
algorithms Economics

CS 475: Formal Ling (Philo) 407: Psych 407:

models of Logic & linguistic Statistical
computation analysis Methods II

Figure 1. A tree of logic and methodology courses

1. Minor requirements

All students in the minor will take each of Philosophy 103, 202, and 2IX (courses described in
the next section). These constitute the core courses of the minor.

Students will then choose four further courses from among Philo/Psych 351, Psych 406, Psych
407, Econ 465, Philo 4IX, 4IY, CS 373, Math/Philo 414, Philo 454, Math 432, CS/Math 473,
CS/Math 475, Ling/Philo 407. These are the elective courses of the minor.

Date: April 16, 2013.

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2. Descriptions of courses involved in minor

Philosophy 103 (Logic and Reasoning QR II). This course will be reworked from its
present incarnation into an introduction to both deductive and inductive logics. In
fact Jonathan Livengood has already been teaching it this way. Doing so dierentiates
it from 102. We can think of it as a prerequisite for the rest of the minor, though
we wouldnt necessarily have to enforce it as a prereq if doing so were an obstacle to
enrollment in the advanced courses. But we could teach the higher-level courses as if
the students had worked through the 103 material.

Philosophy 202 (Symbolic Logic). To be taught like now as a course on deductive logics,
optimally including some exposure to non-classical logics, e.g. modal logic.

Philosophy 2IX (Inductive Logic). A new 200-level course to be developed on inductive

logics, covering the basics of causal reasoning and decision theory. We would need to
propose such a course to the college.

Philosophy / Psychology 351 (Thinking and Reasoning). From the course catalog: An
overview of historical and contemporary research on thinking, reasoning, and problem-
solving. Topics will include normative systems of logic, defeasible/non-monotonic rea-
soning, psychological models of reasoning, heuristic problem-solving, insight and cre-
ativity, Bayesian decision-making, decision-making biases, and fast-and-frugal heuris-
tics. Note that we will be oering this course in Spring 2014, with Livengood the in-
structor.

Computer Science 373 (Theory of Computation). From the course catalog: Finite au-
tomata and regular languages; pushdown automata and context-free languages; Turing
machines and recursively enumerable sets; computability and the halting problem; un-
decidable problems.

Mathematics 414 (Mathematical Logic). A basic course on the metatheory of rst-order

logic. This course has almost the same curriculum as our 454 has often had, and so we
have begun the process of cross-listing it in our department (having already secured
agreement with Math).

Philosophy 454 (Advanced Symbolic Logic). To be reworked into a course concentrating

on Gdels incompleteness theorems and their philosophical consequences concerning
computation, the philosophy of mind, and the philosophy of science and mathematics.

Philosophy 4IX (Causal Reasoning). A new course to be developed on causal reasoning

and its application to philosophical problems.
 LOGIC AND METHODOLOGY MINOR PROPOSAL 3

Philosophy 4IY (Formal Epistemology). A new course to be developed on formal epis-

temology.

Philosophy 471 (Contemporary Philosophy of Science). We already oer this course

regularly, and it regularly has a signicant methodology component.

Mathematics 432 (Set Theory and Topology). From the course catalog: Informal set
theory, cardinal and ordinal numbers, and the axiom of choice; topology of metric spaces
and introduction to general topological spaces.

Computer Science / Mathematics 473 (Fundamental Algorithms). From the course cat-
alog: Fundamental techniques for algorithm design and analysis, including recursion,
dynamic programming, randomization, dynamic data structures, fundamental graph al-
gorithms, and NP-completeness.

Computer Science / Mathematics 475 (Formal Models of Computation). From the

course catalog: Finite automata and regular languages; pushdown automata and context-
free languages; Turing machines and recursively enumerable sets; linear-bounded au-
tomata and context-sensitive languages; computability and the halting problem; unde-
cidable problems; recursive functions; Chomsky hierarchy; computational complexity.

Linguistics / Philosophy 407 (Logic and Linguistic Analysis). From the course catalog:
Introduction to the theory of logic as applied in linguistic analysis.

Psychology 406 (Statistical Methods I). From the course catalog: Techniques in applied
statistics used in psychological research, including simple linear regression, partial and
multiple correlation, and nonparametric methods; thorough review of statistical esti-
mation and signicance tests; emphasizes applied statistics and statistical computing.

Psychology 407 (Statistical Methods II). From the course catalog: Experimental design,
including Latin Squares, factorials, and nested designs; expected mean squares; analysis
of covariance; emphasizes the general linear model.

Economics 465 (Mathematical Economics). From the course catalog: Introduction

to game theory with applications to economics; emphasizes the analysis of static and
dynamic games with or without complete information. We had considered adding a
new 400-level philosophy course in decision and game theory, but judged for now that
the overlap with this economics course would make for an ineciency.
4 LOGIC AND METHODOLOGY MINOR PROPOSAL

3. Questions

Should the minor be only 18 credit hours? If so, should we modify the core courses, by
say requiring only two of the three? Or should we require only three electives?