Milne Open Textbooks

A Concise Introduction to Logic

Author(s):

Publication Date: March 27, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-942341-42-0

OCLC: 992976856

Affiliation: SUNY Oswego

About the book

Cover image of textbook titled A Concise Introduction to Logic

A Concise Introduction to Logic is an introduction to formal logic suitable for undergraduates taking a general education course in logic or critical thinking, and is accessible and useful to any interested in gaining a basic understanding of logic.  This text takes the unique approach of teaching logic through intellectual history; the author uses examples from important and celebrated arguments in philosophy to illustrate logical principles.  The text also includes a basic introduction to findings of advanced logic.  As indicators of where the student could go next with logic, the book closes with an overview of advanced topics, such as the axiomatic method, set theory, Peano arithmetic, and modal logic.  Throughout, the text uses brief, concise chapters that readers will find easy to read and to review.

The presentation of concepts and principles is orderly, clear and thought provoking. Many topics are introduced with examples of philosophical arguments drawn from classic sources, adding depth of knowledge to an introductory course.

– Adam Kovach, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Marymount University
Table of Contents


Craig DeLancey

Craig DeLancey is Professor of Philosophy and Chair of the Department of Philosophy at SUNY Oswego. He received his Ph.D. from Indiana University. His publications include Passionate Engines: What Emotions Reveal about the Mind and Artificial Intelligence, with Oxford University Press. He has been a fellow of the Center for the Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh, a fellow of the National Endowment of the Humanities, and has received research funding from the Army Institute of Basic Research. When not teaching philosophy or doing research, he writes science fiction.