Logic Primer, Third Edition

By Colin Allen and Michael Hand

The new edition of a comprehensive and rigorous but concise introduction to symbolic logic. Logic Primer offers a comprehensive and rigorous introduction to symbolic logic, providing concise definitions of key concepts, illustrative examples, and exercises. After presenting the definitions of validity and soundness, the book goes on to introduce a formal language, proof theory, and formal semantics for sentential logic (chapters 1-3) and for first-order predicate logic (chapters 4-6) with identity (chapter 7). For this third edition, the material has been reorganized from four chapters into seven, increasing the modularity of the text and enabling teachers to choose alternative paths through the book. New exercises have been added, and all exercises are now arranged to support students moving from easier to harder problems. Its spare and elegant treatment makes Logic Primer unique among textbooks. It presents the material with minimal chattiness, allowing students to proceed more directly from topic to topic and leaving instructors free to cover the subject matter in the way that best suits their students. The book includes more than thirty exercise sets, with answers to many of them provided in an appendix. The book's website allows students to enter and check proofs, truth tables, and other exercises interactively.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0262543648
• ISBN13: 9780262543644
• Release Date: February 2022
• Publisher: MIT Press
• Length: 174 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.8" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Not Meant To Stand Alone

Had the previous reviewer bothered to read the preface to this text, he would have found that the book was meant to be used with an instructor: the first two sentences read, "The most important thing for you to know about this book is that it is designed to be used with a teacher. You should not expect to learn logic from this book alone..." Contra the previous review, I found this textbook to be tremendously helpful. I was fortunate enough to study with Dr. Bill Robinson, who worked hard to insure that his lectures adequately explained the material: the book complemented that instruction. If I needed to refer back for the formal definition of a term or rule, I had the book to rely on. The definitions were clearly worded, and made plain sense (when coupled with the high level of classroom instruction) and the examples and exercises were helpful for understanding and practice. Step-by-step solutions were given at the back of the book for selected problems. In short, this text provided a useful complement to the fine instruction I received in symbolic logic, and, when properly used in concert with such instruction, should provide any beginning practioner of symbolic logic the tools he needs to begin to his foray into the world of logic.