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PHIL 103 OL: Critical Thinking
ON-LINE version

 

Dr. Carlos A. Colombetti

colombetti@smccd.edu

Orientation Meeting:          MONDAY June 18 at 4:00 to 5:00 pm, room 8-213

                                                The orientation meeting is optional but recommended.           
                                                The three exam dates (in red below) are mandatory.

 

SYLLABUS  FOR:  SUMMER 2012

 

 

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.

 

You should check your email regularly throughout the semester.  Use email to communicate with other students and with the instructor.

 

 

Student Learning Outcomes:

The following are statements of what you should learn or be able to do by the end of the course:
 

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:   may be purchased at the Skyline College bookstore

Lewis Vaughn,
The Power of Critical Thinking, 3rd edition.   The textbook is available for purchase at the Skyline Bookstore

Text Website (see also links below):  www.oup.com/us/criticalthinking

 

 

SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS AND EXAMS

UNIT I:          The Basics of Reasons and Reasoning

Chapters 1 – 5

                        EXAM 1:  Monday July 2                 4:00 to 5:00 pm, room 8-213

                        Chapters 1 to 5 (100 points)

UNIT II:         Deductive and Inductive Arguments

Chapters 6 – 8
                        EXAM 2:  Monday July 16                 4:00 to 5:00 pm, room 8-213
                       

                        Chapters 6 to 8 (100 points)


UNIT III:       Explanation (Abductive Arguments) / Moral Reasoning

Chapters 9 – 11

                        EXAM 3:  Thursday July 26             4:00 to 5:00 pm, room 8-213

                        comprehensive final exam (150 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).
  9. It is highly recommended that you maintain a set of 4 x 6 index cards for study and reference.
    Fill these cards with information regarding basic terms, concepts, techniques, etc.
    You may bring these, or other handwritten notes, to the comprehensive final exam only.



GRADING POLICY

1.  Lab by arrangement:  Approx 1.5 hours per chapter using the Lab website.  For each chapter:
            Read the material; Do the Study Guide Exercises and Chapter Study Questions. 
            Print the Review Quiz for each chapter to turn in. 
            Lab is worth about 5% of the course grade = 25 points.
2.  Two Chapter Exams will be worth 100 points each = 200 points (they will assess SLO 1 and 2). 
3.  The Final Exam is comprehensive and worth 150 points (it will assess SLO 1, 2, and 3).
4.  The five Homework Assignments will be worth 10 points each = 50 points (due on the exam days). 
            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.
5.  The 3-page argument/essay, due the day of the Final, is worth 50 points (it will assess SLO 4).

Grand total =  475
                       
The letter grade for the course will be determined using the following scale:

A = 427-475      B = 380-426    C = 332-379    D = 285-331    F =  0-284

 

                       

           
TEXT WEBSITE:

            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

 

Printable “handouts”

Types of Statements

            Stylistic Variants of Statements

            Deductive Argument Forms

            Inductive Argument Forms

            argument and essay assignment          (50 points)