What This Document Is
This document contains reading exercises related to the principles of logic, specifically focusing on categorical propositions. It’s designed to accompany coursework in Argumentation and Advocacy (COM 362) at Grand Canyon University, building on readings from Irving Copi’s *Introduction to Logic*. The exercises center around identifying and manipulating logical relationships within statements – converses, obverses, and contrapositives – and evaluating inferences based on given premises.
Why This Document Matters
Students enrolled in COM 362 will utilize these exercises to reinforce their understanding of formal logic. This is crucial for constructing sound arguments, analyzing persuasive appeals, and identifying fallacies in reasoning – skills central to effective argumentation and advocacy. These exercises are likely used as practice to prepare for assessments on logical forms and their relationships.
Common Limitations or Challenges
This document provides *practice* with logical forms. It does not offer comprehensive explanations of the underlying principles of logic itself. Students will need to refer to the assigned readings and lecture materials to fully grasp the concepts being applied. The exercises require a foundational understanding of logical notation and terminology.
What This Document Provides
The document includes five sets of exercises (labeled A through E). Each set focuses on a specific logical operation:
* **Exercise A:** Determining the converse of propositions and identifying equivalency.
* **Exercise B:** Determining the obverse of propositions.
* **Exercise C:** Determining the contrapositive of propositions and identifying equivalency.
* **Exercise D:** Evaluating inferences based on a given premise ("All socialists are pacifists").
* **Exercise E:** Evaluating inferences based on a given premise ("No scientists are philosophers").
This preview does *not* include the solutions to these exercises, nor does it provide detailed explanations of the logical principles involved. It only presents the exercise prompts themselves.
