Introduction to Formal Logic with Philosophical Applications

Features

• Offers exceptional clarity and accessibility, explaining key concepts using a conversational tone and examples that speak to students without oversimplifying the topics
• More than 2,000 in-text exercises--presented progressively, from easier to more challenging-- provide plenty of opportunity for students to apply and practice what they learn. Solutions to approximately 20% of the in-text exercises are included at the back of the book.
• Incorporates several formal topics and exercise types that are usually omitted from standard logic texts, including seven rules for biconditionals, parallel to the standard rules for conditionals; exercises on interpreting and modeling short theories; two sections on functions at the end of Chapter 5; and exercises on determining whether an argument is valid or invalid, or whether a proposition is a logical truth or not, and then constructing either a derivation or a counterexample
• Integrates numerous student-friendly learning aids including section summaries, lists of important points to keep in mind, bolded key terms with marginal definitions, and a glossary/index
• Emphasizes the connection between philosophy and logic with two chapters (6 and 7) that offer stand-alone, accessible essays on logic and its application in philosophy and beyond
• "Tell Me More" boxes at the ends of sections in Chapters 1-5 help instructors and their students to use the essays in Chapters 6 and 7 to deepen their understanding of logic
• Dashboard for Introduction to Formal Logic with Philosophical Applications delivers an interactive eBook, auto-graded exercises, a symbolic proof checking tool, additional study resources, and a gradebook in a simple, informative, and mobile-friendly form

About the Author(s)

Russell Marcus is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Hamilton College.

Reviews

"Introduction to Formal Logic with Philosophical Applications is a superb treatment of the subject. It is unusually lucid, meeting students where they are and guiding them in a step-by-step manner through the rigors of symbolic logic. All of this without sacrificing the kind of detail and precision that is a sine qua non for textbooks of this kind."--Michael Futch, University of Tulsa

"This is a superb treatment of formal logic. In my opinion, it's not too difficult and not too easy."--Leemon McHenry, California State University, Northridge

"This is a book that enables students to become comfortable with the basics of logic while also allowing them to understand why they are doing logic."--Andrew Winters, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

"Hurley has the advantage of breadth, but lacks the depth, whereas Hausman has depth, but lacks the clarity of Marcus. Chapter 7 is my favorite chapter, as Marcus addresses philosophical issues of logic. What I like is that this chapter can be used throughout the semester. And I loved the paper topics suggested throughout the book."--Reginald Raymer, University of North Carolina, Charlotte

"Introduction to Formal Logic with Philosophical Applications is better than what I now use. It's an excellent introductory text--precise, detailed, and clear, with lots of exercises and a wealth of interesting supplementary material."--Jeff Buechner, Rutgers University, Newark

"Marcus's text is invitingly written, lucid, and often intuitive, providing students with easy-to-follow conceptual development. None of this, however, comes at the expense of a thorough presentation and suitable opportunities to practice."--Mia Wood, Pierce College

"Introduction to Logic with Philosophical Applications does an excellent job of addressing the connections between logic and philosophy. It is thorough and rigorous in presentation, yet the prose is conversational and easy to follow. The tone is appropriately conversational and engaging, and the explanations are clear. Pedagogically, the book is excellent. The very large number of exercises at the end of each section is one of the very first things that stood out to me. This will give students plenty of exercise in learning to use logic. I am also always concerned about pricing for my students. The fact that Introduction to Logic with Philosophical Applications is $50.00 less than The Logic Book definitely counts in this text's favor."--Joseph Long, The College at Brockport, State University of New York