PHILOSOPHY 101: CRITICAL THINKING

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1 PHILOSOPHY 101: CRITICAL THINKING [days and times] [classroom] [semester] 20YY, [campus] [instructor s name] [office hours: days and times] [instructor s ] COURSE OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES 1. Identify and define the major concepts included in reasoning 2. Identify and define major types of reasoning 3. Translate arguments in language into their correct logical symbolic form 4. Assess validity, soundness or credibility of arguments by appropriate tests 5. Know the various fallacies connected with bad arguments 6. Apply the general rules and guidelines for correct thinking to concrete instances of reasoning in speech and writing 7. Recognize major types of informal fallacies A. Subgoals Specific to the Mathematical Strategies Rubric (full coverage) for General Education: 1. Identify and extract propositions or arguments from their linguistic contexts (Exemplifies element A.1: finds the necessary information) 2. Translate propositions or arguments into their correct logical formats (Exemplifies element A.2: makes a plan to solve a problem) 3. Determine strategy and step-by-step procedures to be used in assessing the truth-value of truthfunctional expressions or the validity of arguments. (Exemplifies elements B.1 and B.2: performs a calculation/checks answers for accuracy) 4. Justify and explain steps in proofs or tests by citing procedures, argument-forms equivalences, etc. that are used (Exemplifies element C.1.: explains the steps taken) 5. Name the procedures, argument-forms or equivalences used in each step. (Exemplifies element C.2.: articulates the solution) 6. Clearly format proofs or decision procedures (such as Venn diagrams, inference-strings, truthtable assignments, etc.) for ease of understanding. (Exemplifies element C.3: presents the problem and solution clearly and concisely) B. Subgoals Specific to the Humanities Rubric (full coverage) for General Education: 1. Define argument, proposition, premise, conclusion, validity vs. truth, induction, deduction, quality, quantity, etc. (Exemplifies first humanities element: identify facts, vocabulary, definitions terms and concepts 2. Know those concepts relevant to the tasks of formulating and/or determining validity of deductive and inductive inferences (Exemplifies second humanities element: recognizes concepts or tools relevant to application of a task) 3. Test arguments for validity by applying: axioms on the square of opposition, converse-obverse 1

2 derivatives, syllogistic axioms, Venn diagrams and/or various truth-table tests, natural deduction and rules of credible generalization. (Exemplifies fifth humanities element: analysis: applies concepts to address the task) 4. Breaks down arguments into premises and conclusions to determine soundness and/or joins facts to form pieces of evidence to enhance credibility of conclusions. (Exemplifies sixth humanities element: deconstructs arguments by indicating claims and/or evidence and synthesizes evidence from multiple sources) 5. Correctly assess the strengths and weaknesses of the basic types of deductive and inductive arguments by considering both truth-factor and support-factor (Exemplifies seventh humanities element: evaluates support for claims and justifies conclusions) OUTLINE OF COURSE I. Introduction: Critical Thinking and Reasoning A. Logic and Philosophy B. Thought and Reasoning C. Premises vs. Conclusions D. Arguments vs. Non Arguments E. Deduction vs. Induction F. Truth vs. Validity G. Diagramming Arguments In-class exercises: p. 9 11, 1-10; p , 2 10; p , Readings: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 1.6, 2.2 Outcomes. Able to recognize arguments, tell inductive from deductive arguments, distinguish premises and conclusions, and correctly diagram arguments by analyzing them [A.1, A.2, B.1, B.2]. Quiz on Unit I II. The Logic of Statements A. Categorical Propositions and Classes B. Quality, Quantity, and Distribution C. Standard Form D. The Square of Opposition E. Existential Import and Difficulties with the Square F. Further Immediate Inferences In-class exercises: p.74, 1 10; p , 1 10; p. 84, 1 4; p , A, B, D, E, F; p. 107, Readings: 3.1 through 3.8 Outcomes: Able to recognize, translate into standard form and test immediate inferences: [A.2-A.6, B.2, B.3] Practice Quiz on Unit II 2

3 Quiz on Unit II III. The Syllogism A. Mediate vs. Immediate Inference B. The Form of the Syllogism Figure and Mood C. Venn Diagrams D. Rules and Fallacies E. Critique of the Syllogism In-class exercises: p.174, 2 10; p. 177, 2 10; p ,1 10; p , A, B, C. Readings: 5.1 through 5.4. Outcomes: Able to recognize mediate inferences (syllogisms), to translate them into correct logical symbolic form and test them for validity by general rules and the Venn diagram technique [A.2-A.6, B.3-B.5] Trial Quiz on Unit III Quiz on Unit III IV. Variations and Extensions of the Syllogism A. Problems of Translating into Standard Form B. Enthymemes and Soriteses C. Disjunctive and Hypothetical Syllogisms D. Dilemmas In-class exercises: p , 1 20; p , Readings: 6.3, 6.5, 6.6, 6.7 Outcomes: Able to recognize variations on the syllogism such as enthymemes and soriteses, to translate them into standard logical form in symbols and to test them for validity. Able to introduce truth-functional arguments: (e.g., disjunctive and hypothetical syllogisms, the dilemma) and translate them into standard logical form and test them for validity, to deconstruct soriteses into their member syllogisms: [A.1-A.5, B.1, B.2, B.4, B.5] Trial Quiz on Unit IV Quiz on Unit IV V. Symbolic Logic A. Notation and Punctuation B. Propositions vs. Propositional Functions C. Translating from Language to Symbols D. Arguments and Argument Forms E. Truth-Functions and Truth-Tables In-class exercises: p A, 1 10; B, C; p A, B Readings:

4 Quiz on Unit V, Sections A-E F. The Paradoxes of Material Implication G. Tests for Validity H. Reduction to a Single Function I. The Three Laws of Thought In-class exercises: p , B, C Readings: Outcomes: Able to recognize, correctly translate and test arguments involving compound propositions. Know and apply the various truth-table tests for validity [A.2-A.6, B.2, B.3, B.5] Quiz on Unit V, Sections F I VI. Formal Proofs A. The Idea of Natural Deduction B. Strategies for Natural Deduction C. Rules of Replacement and Equivalent Expressions D. Practice in Natural Deduction E. Indirect and Conditional Proof In-class exercises: p , B, 1 6, C, 1 7; p. 356 A, 1 4; p. 366, E, 1 6; p , F, Readings: 8.1 through 8.8 Outcomes: to deduce conclusions from premises in truth-functional arguments step-by-step by use of elementary argument forms and equivalences. To weigh and adopt strategies for such natural deduction [A.2-A.6, B.2, B.3, B.5] Quiz on Unit VI. VII. Fallacies A. Fallacies of Relevance B. Fallacies of Defective Induction C. Fallacies of Presumption D. Fallacies of Ambiguity In-class exercises: p , 1 10; p , 18; p , Readings: 4.1 through 4.6 Outcomes: Able to describe and discuss nineteen types of fallacy in ordinary language and recognize instances of each type [A.1, A.2, B.2-B.4] Quiz on Unit VII 4

5 VIII. Inductive Logic A. Cause, Effect, and Uniformity B. Simple Enumeration C the problem of induction D Mill s methods and their limitations E the method of hypothesis F hypothesis formation and testing In-class exercises: p , 1-7; p , 1-5; p , 1-7. Readings: , p Outcomes: Able to define, recognize, criticize and formulate each one of Mill s five methods; to know how to recognize, form and test hypotheses; to understand the problem of verification and falsification of hypotheses, to understand the philosophical problem of induction [A.1, A.2. B.3, B.4] Quiz on Unit VIII FINAL EXAM [date and time] 5

6 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION QUIZZES There will be a total of 6 ANNOUNCED quizzes on the Units on the syllabus. In addition, there will be 3 UNANNOUNCED quizzes at any time. IT IS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE TO TAKE ALL THE QUIZZES, both announced and unannounced. The reason is that if you take MORE than 7 quizzes, only your 7 best ones are counted. However, if you take FEWER than 7 quizzes, your average quiz score will be adversely affected, because your quiz grade average will be determined by dividing the sum of your quiz scores by 7. Students with documentation from disability services and students with documentation who are involved in a university sponsored event on the day of a quiz must make arrangements with me at least one week BEFORE the scheduled quiz in order to be able to take a make-up quiz. PLEASE NOTE THAT NO MAKE UP QUIZZES WILL BE ADMINISTERED WITHOUT AN OFFICIAL, LEGITIMATE AND SIGNED EXCUSE. SEEKING HELP SOON Any student who has difficulty understanding course material should immediately seek help. Please do not hesitate and please feel free to see me after class or during my office hours if you have questions about or difficulty with the subject matter. Please make a special appointment to see me if you cannot make it during my office hours. BASIC QUESTIONS ON THE ASSIGNED READING Each student must pass in NO LATER THAN THE LAST CLASS DAY his/her answers to the basic questions on the reading. These questions are taken from the assigned chapters and will be distributed at the beginning of the semester. FINAL EXAM There will be a final exam on the date indicated on the syllabus. EXCEPT IN CASES OF AN EXAM CONFLICT, NO PERMISSION WILL BE GRANTED TO TAKE THE FINAL EXAM AT ANY OTHER TIME OR DATE THAN THE SCHEDULED TIME AND DATE WITHOUT A LEGITIMATE EXCUSE. (The purchase of a plane, train, or bus ticket for a date or time prior to or on the same date as the final exam is not a legitimate excuse. Do not ask for an exception for that reason. It will not be granted.) GRADING The average of your best 7 quiz grades counts for 50% of your final grade for the course; the final exam counts for 25%, and your answers to the list of basic questions on the reading counts for the remaining 25% of your grade for the course. ATTENDANCE Attendance will be taken every class meeting. It is expected and important for success in this course both to attend every class and to arrive on time. It is not accidental that those who failed this course almost always had poor attendance. UNLESS a written, signed, legitimate and official excuse is handed in within one week of a missed class, THE ABSENCE WILL BE RECORDED AS AN UNEXCUSED ABSENCE. TEN OR MORE UNEXCUSED ABSENCES MEANS AN AUTOMATIC FAILURE OF THE COURSE. 6

7 ACADEMIC HONESTY Students are expected to be honest in all academic work. A student s name on any written work, quiz, or exam shall be regarded as assurance that the work is the result of the student s own independent thought and study. Work should be stated in the student s own words, properly attributed to its source. Students have an obligation to know how to quote, paraphrase, summarize, cite and reference the work of others with integrity. Examples of academic dishonesty include: Using material directly or paraphrasing, from published sources (print or electronic) without appropriate citation. Claiming disproportionate credit for work not done independently. Unauthorized possession or access to exams Unauthorized communication during quizzes or exams Unauthorized use of another s work or preparing work for another student Taking an exam for another student Altering or attempting to alter grades The use of electronic devices to gain an unauthorized advantage during exams Fabricating or falsifying facts, data or references Facilitating or aiding another s dishonesty Submitting the same paper for more than one course without prior approval from the instructors. During all quizzes and exams all notes, books, computers and electronic devices should be closed and placed on the floor SPECIAL SERVICES A) Disability Services Any student with a documented disability should contact me as early as possible in the semester so that we might arrange reasonable accommodations. As part of this process, please be in touch with disability Services for Students office at 330 memorial Union, B) Academic Services In addition to getting help from me, students having difficulty keeping pace with the work or understanding course concepts are encouraged to take advantage of help provided by the Academic Enhancement Center on the fourth floor of Roosevelt ( ). 7