Deduction: Introductory Symbolic Logic [Paperback]

Daniel Bonevac (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2, 2002 | ISBN-10: 063122713X | ISBN-13: 978-0631227137 | Edition: 2

Deduction is an efficient and elegant presentation of classical first-order logic. It presents a truth tree system based on the work of Jeffrey, as well as a natural deduction system inspired by that of Kalish and Montague.

• Efficient and elegant presentation of classical first-order logic.
  
• Presents a truth tree system based on the work of Jeffrey, as well as a natural deduction system inspired by that of Kalish and Montague.
  
• Contains detailed, yet accessible chapters on extensions and revisions of classical logic: modal logic, many-valued logic, fuzzy logic, intuitionistic logic, counterfactuals, deontic logic, common sense reasoning, and quantified modal logic.
  
• Includes problem sets, designed to lead students gradually from easier to more difficult problems.
  
• Features web-based programs which give students symbolization problems, hints, grades, and demonstrations.

Further information and sample content is available on the supporting website: http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/philosophy/faculty/bonevac/deduction/

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Deduction is the best logic textbook on the market. It is modern, clean, elegant, sharp and direct. It is a perfect accompaniment to the most recent developments in philosophy and logic; in every sense the logic textbook for the twenty-first century.” Rick Benitez, University of Sydney

From the Back Cover

Deduction is an efficient and elegant presentation of classical first-order logic. It presents a truth tree system based on the work of Jeffrey, as well as a natural deduction system inspired by that of Kalish and Montague. Both are very natural and easy to learn. The definition of a formula excludes free variables, and the deduction system uses Show lines; the combination allows rules to be stated very simply.

The book's main innovation is its final part, which contains chapters on extensions and revisions of classical logic: modal logic, many-valued logic, fuzzy logic, intuitionistic logic, counterfactuals, deontic logic, common-sense reasoning, and quantified modal logic. These have been areas of great logical and philosophical interest over the past 40 years, but few other textbooks treat them in any depth. Deduction makes these areas accessible to introductory students. All chapters have discussions of the underlying semantics and present both truth tree and deduction systems.

New features in this edition, in addition to truth tree systems for classical and nonclassical logics, include new and simpler rules for modal logic, deontic logic, and counterfactuals; discussions of many-valued, fuzzy, and intuitionistic logics; an introduction to common-sense reasoning (nonmonotonic logic); and extensively reworked problem sets, designed to lead students gradually from easier to more difficult problems. This new edition also features web-based programs that make use of the book's methods. Each program is set up to give students symbolization problems, give them hints, grade their work, and do problems for them.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; 2 edition (December 2, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 063122713X
• ISBN-13: 978-0631227137
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #490,799 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Book, April 22, 2004

By 

Flounder (Substitution Instance) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Deduction: Introductory Symbolic Logic (Paperback)

This is an excellent modern or formal logic text. I would recommend this for a beginning or intermediate modern logic couse. The prose is clear, direct, and economic. It is well-written. Superb definitions and examples. The paperback version is extremely affordable for students. The text covers: validity and natural deduction, quantification, identity and necessity. It even delves into deontic logic (obligation) and counterfactuals. The system used here is commensurable with Kalish and Montague. I highly recommend it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Introductory Symbolic Logic Text, October 20, 2010

By 

Matthew Carlson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Deduction: Introductory Symbolic Logic (Paperback)

I am a graduate student in philosophy (AOS in logic) and I teach introductory symbolic logic on a fairly regular basis. This text is superb for that purpose. The definitions are well-formulated, and allow for rigorous informal reasoning based on them. There are many good exercises. Unlike many introductory logic books (e.g. Klenk) the more "challenging" exercises are not simply complicated for the sake of being complicated--they typically can be used to bring to light some interesting logical fact. The natural deduction system is intuitive, and proof-theoretically relatively nice to talk about (if one is inclined to make brief diversions into the metatheory) since it consists of introduction and elimination rules for each connective (as opposed to e.g. the motley of rules one gets in Copi). Given that this book also delves into a variety of extensions and revisions of classical logic, it could be a natural choice for a logic sequence beginning with classical logic and moving to other systems.