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Courses - Spring 2026
PHIL
Philosophy Department Site
Open Seats as of
11/27/2025 at 03:30 PM
PHIL478
Topics in Philosophical Logic; Logics for Defeasible Reasoning
Credits: 3
Grad Meth: Reg, P-F
Philosophy and artificial intelligence often rely on logical models of reasoning, yet standard logic, originally designed to systematize reasoning in mathematics, applies only in domains where information is certain. In many scientific fields, as well as in ordinary common sense reasoning, both people and machines must reason on the basis of information that is uncertain, incomplete, or even inconsistent. This course is focused on logics - sometimes known as "defeasible" or "nonmonotonic" logics - designed for reasoning with information of this kind. Course prerequisites: PHIL 370 or equivalent work in formal logic or permission of the instructor.