Of making many intro logic books there is no end

There was an interesting post on Daily Nous by Curtis Franks a few days ago. He starts with some comments on the much used book and software package Language, Proof and Logic (LPL) by Jon Barwise, John Etchemendy, and Dave Barker-Plummer. I do agree, by the way, with the criticisms. Franks’s discussion then opens out to look at some other intro logic texts, with and without associated courseware.

There are a number of books mentioned that are not familiar to me, but then I haven’t been keeping up with what’s out there. I’ll have to dip into those that are available online sometime. Curtis Franks doesn’t mention Nick Smith’s excellent text at all (rather a surprise), so I’m in good company, as he doesn’t list my IFL either. One commentator mentions using IFL but his students finding it too challenging as soon as it moves beyond the initial very introductory chapters (that soon?)

It is sheer madness I know, but despite the multitude of intro logic texts, I confess I am still inclined to have another bash at an entry-level book, Another Introduction to Formal Logic. But freed from the IFL1 constraints of fitting round the then first-year Cambridge syllabus, or the IFL2 constraints of length and level for the CUP Introductions to Philosophy series, I’d structure it rather differently and make it slightly more sophisticated, and indulge myself …  There is no point in trying, impossibly, to please everyone!

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