b5010 Elements of Logic and Critical Thinking

Faculty of Sports Studies
autumn 2025

The course is not taught in autumn 2025

Extent and Intensity
0/1/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
doc. PaedDr. Emanuel Hurych, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
doc. PaedDr. Emanuel Hurych, Ph.D.
Department of Physical Education and Social Sciences – Faculty of Sports Studies
Supplier department: Department of Physical Education and Social Sciences – Faculty of Sports Studies
Prerequisites (in Czech)
BOZP_OK(bozp_po_stud) && BOZP_OK(bozp_po_stud_fsps)
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 10 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to inform students about the importance of logic in the context of philosophical thinking and also about the use of logical processes in practical life situations. In addition, to build basic skills for solving logical operations in the framework of propositional and predicate logic; to understand the principles of argumentation theory; to become familiar with the basics of critical thinking and to refine the initial basis for the ability to solve tasks included in the IQ tests and especially in various forms of aptitude tests.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- understand the basics of propositional and predicate logic;
- use the acquired knowledge to improve the elements of critical thinking;
- analyze argumentation fallacies and rely on the theory of argumentation;
- understand more accurately the principle of IQ and aptitude test design;
- use the basics of logical reasoning to work in  empirical research;

- think about the phenomenon of artificial intelligence in the context of opportunities and threats;
- apply selected logic tasks to practice.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction. Logic in historical perspective - philosophy and mathematics in relation to logic. The importance of logic in the present, the phenomenon of artificial intelligence.
  • 2. Critical thinking. Foundations and principles of critical reading. Controversies in the field of critical thinking (prejudices, misinterpretations).
  • 3. Propositional logic as a basis for understanding the principles of two-valued logic. Basic laws of logic (law of the  exclusion of the third, law of contradiction, law of negation of negation).
  • 4. Basic operations with expressions (negation, conjunction, disjunction, implication, equivalence...).
  • 5. Predicate logic. Objects, predicates and quantifiers. Logical functions (Lewis Carroll - Logic by play and solving predicate s tems, solving Venn diagrams).
  • 6. Antinomies. Ancient paradoxes, Mr. Pond's paradoxes (G. K. Chesterton). Historical significance of antinomy (Zeno's paradoxes - Achilles and the tortoise, The flying arrow).
  • 7. IQ tests - definition, history, breakdown, examples. IQ phenomenon, EQ phenomenon.
  • 8. Tests of learning aptitude. Types of tasks, difference from IQ tests. Critical thinking tests in the framework of OSP and TSP.
  • 9. Theory of argumentation. Flawed argumentation, appeal to authority, faulty arguments, missing arguments.
  • 10. Logic in empirical sciences. Empiricism, observation, experiment, inductive reasoning. Statistical reasoning, hypothesis, analysis, synthesis.
  • 11. Applied logic. Logic of humour. Logic and kinanthropology. Sport and its problems. Logical discourse in the approach to doping.
  • 12. The question of artificial intelligence and its use. Practical examples of everyday situations and their solutions using knowledge of logical rules.
Literature
    required literature
  • RACLAVSKÝ, Jiří. Úvod do logiky: klasická výroková logika ([Introduction to Logic: Classical Propositional Logic). 1. vyd. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2015, 238 pp. ISBN 978-80-210-7790-4. info
  • CARROLL, Lewis. Logika hrou. 1. vyd. Praha: Pressfoto, 1971. info
    recommended literature
  • RUSSELL, Stuart J. and Peter NORVIG. Artificial intelligence : a modern approach. Edited by Ming-Wei Chang - Jacob Devlin - Anca Dragan - David Forsyth - Ian Good. Fourth edition, global editi. Harlow: Pearson, 2022, 1166 stran. ISBN 9781292401133. info
  • GORANKO, Valentin. Logic as a tool : a guide to formal logical reasoning. First published. Chichester: Wiley, 2016, xxii, 358. ISBN 9781118880005. info
  • BERGMANN, Merrie; James MOOR and Jack NELSON. The logic book. 6th ed., international ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2014, x, 611. ISBN 9781259010606. info
Teaching methods
- interpretation;
- demonstration;
- group discussion;
- practical exercises;
- group project.
Assessment methods
- 1 continuous test on logical operations (statements and predicates - success rate over 60%);
- 1 final test (success rate over 55%);
- group project.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught each semester.
The course is taught every week.
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