Logic Certificate Program
“How critical is logic? I will tell you: In every corner of the known universe, you will find either the presence of logical arguments or, more significantly, the absence.”
— V. K. Samadar
Logic is a part of every discipline. There is reasoning in every field of inquiry. There are rules behind every work of art, behind every natural language. There is inference in every intelligence, human and inhuman. Every issue of law and public policy bends to the power of logic.
The study of logic itself is thus of the greatest importance. The Logic Certificate Program brings together aspects of logic from different regions of the curriculum: philosophy, mathematics, computer science and linguistics. The program is designed to acquaint students with the uses of logic and initiate them in the profound mysteries and discoveries of modern logic.
On This Page
Faculty
Lee Spector, Cognitive Science, Computer Science
G. Lee Bowie, Philosophy (Emeritus)
Samuel Mitchell, Philosophy
Jay Garfield, Philosophy
Theresa Helke, Philosophy
Albert Mosley, Philosophy (Emeritus)
Melissa Yates, Philosophy
Phillip Bricker, Philosophy
Gary Hardegree, Philosophy
Neil Immerman, Computer Science
Kevin Klement, Philosophy
Angelika Kratzer, Linguistics
Barbara Partee, Linguistics and Philosophy (Emerita)
Alejandro Pérez Carballo, Philosophy
Certificate Requirements
The basic requirement for the logic certificate is six courses from the list of Five College logic courses.
For more details, please review the Five College Logic Certificate Program Completion Form (below).
No more than four courses can be counted toward the certificate from any single discipline (philosophy, linguistics, mathematics, computer science).
At least two courses must be taken at an advanced level (500 or above at UMass, 300 or above at Smith, Hampshire, Mt. Holyoke or Amherst).
At least one course should expose students to the basic metatheory of first-order logic including incompleteness. Courses satisfying this requirement include:
Smith: Philosophy 220
Amherst: Math 385
UMass Amherst: Philosophy 513, 514
Mount Holyoke: Philosophy 327
Students must receive grades of at least "B" in each course counting toward the certificate.
Courses
Spring 2022 Logic Courses
Samuel Mitchell
MWF 08:55AM-09:45AM
Cleveland 002L
Justin S. Dealy
TU TH 4:10 PM - 5:25 PM
Seelye 102
Kevin Klement
TU TH 1:00PM 2:15PM
Integ. Learning Center S240
Fall 2022 Logic Courses
Alexander George
T 01:00 PM-02:20 PM
"All philosophers are wise and Socrates is a philosopher; therefore, Socrates is wise." Our topic is this mysterious "therefore." We shall expose the hidden structure of everyday statements on which the correctness of our reasoning turns. To aid us, we shall develop a logical language that makes this underlying structure more perspicuous. We shall also examine fundamental concepts of logic and use them to explore the logical properties of statements and the logical relations between them. This is a first course in formal logic, the study of correct reasoning; no previous philosophical, mathematical, or logical training needed.
One communal lecture and two small-group practice meetings each week. There will be three practice sections, each limited to 15 students and section 1 being restricted to first-years.
Fall semester. Professor A. George.
Alexander George
WF 10:00 AM-10:50 AM
Alexander George
WF 11:00 AM-11:50 AM
Alexander George
WF 12:00 PM-12:50 PM
Nina Emery
MW 10:00AM-11:15AM
M W 9:25 AM - 10:40 AM
Hatfield 202
Kevin Klement
TU TH 10:00AM 11:15AM
South College Room E301
Regularly Offered Logic Courses
Introductory symbolic logic courses:
Smith: Logic 100, Philosophy 202
Amherst: Philosophy 213
UMass Amherst: Philosophy 110
Critical thinking courses:
Mount Holyoke: Philosophy 210
Introductory symbolic logic for mathematics students:
Amherst: Mathematics 385
UMass Amherst: Philosophy 513, 514
Mount Holyoke: Philosophy 225
Incompleteness:
Smith: Philosophy 220
Amherst: Mathematics 385
UMass Amherst: Philosophy 513, 514
Mount Holyoke: Philosophy 327
Various topics in logic and philosophy:
Smith: Philosophy 203
Amherst: Philosophy 350
UMass Amherst: Philosophy 310, 511, 512, 594, 710
Hampshire: Computer Science 210
Mount Holyoke: Philosophy 328
Various topics in computer science:
Smith: Computer Science 250, 270, 290, 294
Amherst: Computer Science 161, 241, 401
UMass Amherst: Computer Science 250, 401, 513, 601
Hampshire: Computer Science 175, 263
Mount Holyoke: Computer Science 311
Various topics in mathematics:
Smith: Mathematics 217
Amherst: Mathematics 380
Various topics in linguistics:
Smith: Computer Science 294
UMass Amherst: Linguistics 510, 610, 620, 720
Hampshire: Computer Science 166, 210