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PHIL 103 OL: Critical Thinking
ON-LINE version

 

Dr. Carlos A. Colombetti

colombetti@smccd.edu

Orientation Meeting:  Thursday, August 20, 2:00 – 3:00 pm, room 1-107

 

Course Description:

An informal logic and language course that develops general learning skills, aids to understanding, and creative problem solving. 

Critical Thinking is the use of logic to decide what to believe.  It is the special area of philosophy that deals with formulating and assessing arguments.  An argument is a set of statements, some of which (the premises) are said to provide reasons to believe the conclusion.  You will study the relationship between language and logic, deductive and inductive patterns of reasoning (including scientific reasoning), as well as fallacies and errors of reasoning.    

Recommended: eligibility for ENGL 836.     Transfer Credit: UC; CSU (A3)
48 hours by arrangement. 
Students must have internet access and an email address.

 

Student Learning Outcomes:
 

o   SLO 1.  When presented with an argument, the student is able to assess the soundness of the argument by assessing deductive validity using appropriate deductive techniques (and assessing the truth or epistemic value of the premises using reliable sources of information). 

o   SLO 2.  When presented with an argument, the student is able to assess the cogency of the argument by assessing inductive strength using appropriate inductive techniques (and assessing the truth or epistemic value of the premises using reliable sources of information). 

o   SLO 3.  When presented with a theoretical hypothesis or a pseudo-scientific claim, the student is able to evaluate it using appropriate explanatory criteria.

o   SLO 4.  At the end of the course, the student is able to construct a novel, interesting, and logically correct argument that avoids fallacies.  The student is also able to represent the logical structure of the argument (in standard logical form), as well as express and defend the argument as a short essay. 

Required Text:

Lewis Vaughn,
The Power of Critical Thinking, 2nd edition.

Text Website:  www.oup.com/us/criticalthinking

 

 

SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS AND EXAMS

UNIT I:          The Basics of Reasons and Reasoning

Chapters 1 – 5

                        EXAM 1:  Tuesday September 15     2 pm / room 1107

                        Chapters 1 to 5 (100 points)

UNIT II:         Deductive and Inductive Arguments

Chapters 6 – 8
                        EXAM 2:  Tuesday October 27         2 pm / room 1107

                        Chapters 6 to 8 (100 points)


UNIT III:       Explanation (Abductive Arguments) / Moral Reasoning

Chapters 9 – 11

                        EXAM 3:  Tuesday December 15      2 pm / room 1107

                        comprehensive final exam (200 points)

                        essay is due (50 points)

 

 

Course Requirements and Instructions:

  1. Enroll in the course.
  2. Come to the orientation meeting.
  3. Study the text (so as to master the content) and practice on exercises.
  4. Maintain email communication with instructor and other students (you will receive emails from me regularly).
  5. Use the websites for the course and the textbook (more materials will be posted periodically). 
  6. Maintain a steady pace of work each week (don’t put off your studying).
  7. There is a self-study quiz at the end of each chapter (monitor your own progress).
  8. Follow the above schedule of assignments and exams (or make special arrangements).

 

            The two chapter exams will be worth 100 points each (they will assess SLO 1 and 2). 

            Exam results will be posted on this page using your student ID number.

            The five homework assignments will be worth 10 points each = 50 points. 

                        The assignments will be posted on this site (follow link).

                        They are due on day of exam.    

                        They will be credited but not graded (hand-written is OK). 

                        A complete homework will receive full credit.

                        Check the solutions in back of the textbook.
            A 3-page essay worth 50 points will be due on the day of the final exam (it will assess SLO 4).
                        Check handouts below for special instructions.  

            The final exam is comprehensive and worth 150 points (it will assess SLO 1, 2, and 3).

 

 

Grading Policy

The letter grade for the course will be determined using the following scale:

A = 405-450 points     B = 360-404    C = 315-359    D = 270-314    F =  0-269 points

 

The Chapters of the Text:

            UNIT 1           Chapter 1        (pace about one week per chapter)
                                    Chapter 2
                                    Chapter 3
                                    Chapter 4
                                    Chapter 5

            UNIT II          Chapter 6        (pace one to two weeks per chapter)
                                    Chapter 7
                                    Chapter 8

            UNIT III         Chapter 9        (pace two weeks per chapter)
                                    Chapter 10
                                    Chapter 11

Handouts

            Types of Statements
            Stylistic Variants of Statements
            Deductive Argument Forms
            Inductive Argument Forms
            argument and essay assignment        (50 points)