LING 230 |
Syllabus |
Fall 2009 |
| instructor: | Prof. Nathan Sanders | office: | Stetson D14 | |
| email: | nsanders@williams.edu | phone: | x4714 | |
| AIM: | NathanSanders | hours: | MR 1-2pm, 4-5pm | |
| and by appointment |
From the course catalog: This course is an introduction to both formal logic and the study of linguistic meaning. Throughout the course, a formal system of logic will be developed, and its adequacy for describing linguistic meaning will be tested. Topics to be covered include the meaning of words and sentences, first-order predicate logic, logical deduction, interpretation and understanding, and pragmatics. Format: lecture/discussion. Requirements: participation in discussions, weekly homework, a midterm exam, and a final exam. No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 40 (expected: 40). Preference given to students using the course to fulfill requirements for a major or concentration; such students should contact the instructor in advance to guarantee placement in the course.
This course satisfies the QFR requirement and is cross-listed as Philosophy 131.
L. T. F. Gamut. 1991. Logic, Language, and Meaning. Volume 1: Introduction to Logic. University of Chicago Press. ISBN #0226280853.
Your grade for the course is calculated as a weighted combination of your class attendance (5%), homework average (25%), midterm exam score (25%), and final exam score (45%). See supplemental handout on grading for further information.
Homework is generally assigned on a Monday and due the following Monday, so you should usually have a full week to work on it. Homework is available from the course website, so missing lecture is not an excuse for skipping homework. Homework is due at the beginning of class since solutions are often discussed in lecture. For this reason, late homework cannot be accepted. To compensate for this strict policy, your lowest homework grade is dropped when computing your grade for the course. You are encouraged to work together in groups, but in accordance with the Williams College Honor Code, you must write up your own solutions, in your own words, listing the names of all students you consulted with. Suspected violations will be pursued to the full extent of College policy! Your homework should be either neatly written or typed in a reasonable font with reasonable spacing and margins for writing comments (e.g. 10-12pt font, double-spaced prose, 1-1.5" margins, using only one side of the page). Please, do not submit spiral-bound paper with ragged edges! Staple (rather than paper clip or fold) multiple pages together. Be sure to put your name on every page in case they get separated.
There are two exams: a midterm and a final. The midterm covers material from the first half of the course. It is an in-class exam, designed to take the full class time to complete. The final exam is longer (two to three hours) and more comprehensive, covering material from the entire course, with a focus on material covered after the midterm. Both exams are open-book, open-note, and in accordance with the Honor Code, you must do your own work on these exams without the help of any other student. Suspected violations will be pursued to the full extent of College policy!
The final exam will be given on Thursday, December 17th, 1:30-4:00pm.