PHI-130: Critical Reasoning/Basic Course Outline

Course Description
The course has been designed to give students the opportunity to explore the basic tools of critical reasoning and to empower them to think for themselves. The ability to think critically is of great value in helping to deal competently with ethical, social and political problems in the work situation and everyday life. In most humanities courses at universities, lecturers expect students to understand cultural diversity, to critically evaluate information and knowledge claims and to make responsible decisions. However, students are rarely given the opportunity to acquire these abilities in a systematic way.

The aim of this course is to give students the opportunity to acquire critical thinking tools to critically analyse and evaluate knowledge claims. Students will acquire the skills to develop a critical attitude to cultural stereotypes and biases.

These tools are crucial to making informed decisions so that, when students are faced with difficult situations in their professional or even private lives, they will be able to make appropriate reasoning choices.

Course Objectives
After completing this course, students will be able to:
 * CO1 Identify assumptions, reasons, claims and their interaction
 * CO2 Make informed logical decisions that are based on facts and substantiated claims
 * CO3 Critically evaluate your own personal biases, misconceptions and preconceived ideas
 * CO4 Identify and critically evaluate the ideas and beliefs of others
 * CO5 Analyze information and knowledge claims critically
 * CO6 Apply the key concepts of critical reasoning to constructing arguments and writing critical essays.

Course Topics

 * T1 Critical reasoning
 * T2 Analyzing arguments
 * T3 Obstacles to clear thinking
 * T4 Evaluating arguments
 * T5 The use of arguments in different kinds of writing

Topics

 * LPT1.1: Critical Reasoning
 * LPT1.2: Thinking for Yourself
 * LPT1.3: Informed Thinking
 * LPT1.4: Critical Self-reflection

Objectives

 * LPO1.1: Define critical reasoning
 * LPO1.2: Demonstrate techniques on how to think for yourself (independent thinking)
 * LPO1.3: Reflect critically on your own assumptions
 * LPO1.4: Apply reasoning to argumentative statements

Readings

 * Reading 1

Web Resources

 * Critical and Creative Thinking.

Activities
(Course Objectives: 1, 2)
 * 2 Journal Activities
 * 2 Objective Quizzes

Topics

 * LPT2.1: What is an argument
 * LPT2.2: Analyzing arguments
 * Identifying premises and conclusions
 * LPT2.3: The structure of arguments

Objectives

 * LPO2.1: Identify Argument Components
 * LPO2.2: Evaluate simple and complex arguments
 * LPO2.3: Analyze premise and conclusion statements in arguments
 * LPO2.4: Distinguish between empirical and value arguments

Readings

 * Reading 2

Web Resources

 * Definitions and examples of common logical fallacies. http://www.fallacyfiles.org
 * Contemporary examples of ways in which information, particularly statistical information, can be accidentally or wilfully misinterpreted. http://www.badscience.net
 * The site contains definitions and examples of a wide range of logical fallacies. http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies
 * Stephen Downes' Guide to the Logical Fallacies. http://onegoodmove.org/fallacy/toc.htm

Activities
(Course Objectives: 1, 3, 5)
 * 2 Journal Activities
 * 3 Objective Quizzes

Topics

 * LPT3.1: Preconceived ideas
 * Social Conditioning
 * Labeling
 * Stereotypes
 * LPT3.2: Applying your knowledge and skills to argument evaluation

Objectives

 * LPO3.1: Identify and examine obstacles to clear thinking
 * LPO3.2: Recognize and interpret the nature of social conditioning and preconceived ideas
 * LPO3.3: Illustrate labeling and stereotypes
 * LPO3.4: Identify fallacious statements
 * LPO3.5: Deconstruct arguments

Readings

 * Reading 3

Web Resources

 * http://philosophy.hku.hk/think/critical/
 * http://www.saylor.org/courses/phil102/
 * Providing definitions and examples of common logical fallacies. http://www.fallacyfiles.org
 * Providing contemporary examples of ways in which information, particularly statistical information, can be accidentally or wilfully misinterpreted. http://www.badscience.net
 * The site contains definitions and examples of a wide range of logical fallacies. http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies
 * Stephen Downes' Guide to the Logical Fallacies. http://onegoodmove.org/fallacy/toc.htm
 * A poster summarising common fallacies with examples. https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/poster
 * Slippery slope. http://www.garlikov.com/philosophy/slope.htm

Activities
(Course Objectives: 1, 3)
 * 2 Journal Activities
 * 1 Objective Quiz - Identifying Fallacies

Topics

 * LPT4.1: Different types of arguments
 * LPT4.2: Applying your knowledge and skills to argument evaluation

Objectives

 * LPO4.1: distinguish between deductive and inductive arguments
 * LPO4.2: analyze arguments for validity and soundness

Readings

 * Reading 4

Web Resources

 * Argument Mapping Tutorials.
 * Argument diagramming tools.

Activities
(Course Objectives: 4)
 * 1 Journal Activity (JA11)
 * Quiz: 2 self-check quizzes
 * Objective Test - Soundness and Validity
 * Objective Test - Identify Deductive vs Inductive

Topics

 * LPT5.1: Different kinds of writing
 * Expressive writing
 * Journals
 * Communicative writing
 * LPT5.2: Writing argumentative essays
 * LPT5.3: The philosophical attitude

Objectives

 * LPO5.1: Distinguish between different forms of writing
 * LPO5.2: Write argumentative essays using generally accepted guidelines
 * LPO5.3: Reflect and critically evaluate your own personal biases, misconceptions and preconceived ideas
 * LPO5.4: Identify and critically evaluate the ideas and beliefs of others

Readings

 * Reading 5
 * The Writing Center - Handout on Argument
 * A Brief Guide to Writing Argumentative Essays

Web Resources

 * Writing resources/Types of writing
 * Analyzing scholarly articles
 * How to Write a Good Argumentative Essay: Logical Structure (10 minutes duration)
 * Critical and creative thinking

Activities
(Course Objectives: 5)
 * 2 Journal Activities
 * Objective Test - Selecting the Appropriate Writing Style

Assessments

 * 9 journal assignments
 * 11 objective self-assessment quizzes
 * Access to test bank for evaluation
 * Learning Pathway Assignments will map to Course Objectives