Introductory Logic
by Douglas J. Wilson and James B. Nance
Reviewed by Martha Robinson
Purchase details: Introductory Logic by Douglas J. Wilson and James B. Nance. Third Edition was reviewed. Spiral bound paperback student text ($29, 119 pages), answer key ($20, 52 pages), and test booklet ($10). Part of the Mars Hill Textbook Series published by Canon Press. Please support HomeschoolChristian.com by buying this program from our Christian Book Distributors link or Amazon affiliate link.
Also see the review of the Introductory Logic videos that accompany the third edition.
First published in 1990, Introductory Logic was revised and expanded in 1997 by James Nance, a teacher at the classical Christian Logos School in Idaho. This text seeks to provide an introduction to categorical or syllogistic logic, the deductive branch of formal logic, but it also includes a small section on informal fallacies.
Introductory Logic is divided into four sections. The first, "Statements and Their Relationships," is the largest and covers supported versus self-supporting statements, the "square of opposition," contradiction, contrariety, subcontrariety, subimplication, and superimplication. Twelve exercises are included. The second section, "Syllogisms and Validity," offers brief explanations and examples of syllogisms and recommends that the student study the list of 256 forms of syllogisms, represented by letters on a one-page chart in the appendix. Six exercises are included. The third section, "Arguments in Normal English," teaches the student how to translate every day language into formal syllogisms so that statements may be tested for validity. Hypothetical syllogisms (using if...then) and two fallacies, "asserting the consequent" and "denying the antecedent," are the final topics considered in this part of the book. Six exercises are included. The fourth section, "Informal Fallacies," breaks the fallacies of commonly used language into three categories: distraction, ambiguity, and form. After breaking down each of these with examples, the authors provide a brief lesson on detecting fallacies and use a part of an essay entitled, "Why I Am Not a Christian," as an example. Four exercises are included.
Introductory Logic is written from a Christian perspective with many examples drawn from the Bible and the authors' faith. The entire course attempts to teach logic for use in supporting Christian beliefs and refuting non-Christian beliefs in discussions with others. Using the following example, the authors caution students that agreement with the conclusion does not make the argument valid.
"The Bible is the Word of God, and the Book of Mormon is definitely not in the Bible. We must therefore conclude that the Book of Mormon is not the Word of God."
In this case the conclusion is not supported by the premises.
The answer key reprints the exercise pages with the answers shown below. No further discussions or explanations are included.
The test booklet includes six tests and a final exam with the answer key in the back.
Recommendation: Introductory Logic offers a brief overview of formal deductive logic and informal fallacies. The material moves quickly but has sufficient examples. I would prefer to see a few more exercises to support the material. I believe that a parent will need to go through the course before the student in order to help the child with understanding.
HomeschoolChristian.com resources related to this review:
HomeschoolChristian.com's Classical Education Section
An Interview with Douglas Wilson, co-author of Introductory Logic
Review of Douglas Wilson's books on classical education
Review of Introductory Logic Videos
Review of Logic I, Tools for Thinking by Norman Birkett
Review of Material Logic by Martin Cothran
Review of Traditional Logic by Martin Cothran
Review of Traditional Logic II by Martin Cothran
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