A Guide to Critical Thinking in an Era of Conspiracies, Ideology and Assorted Woo-Woo

• Week 1: Introduction to critical thinking and the importance of argument
  We will take a broad, introductory overview of the historical importance of education, argument and debate in the formation of our beliefs and values. We will see how these virtues have been contorted into vices, with aggressive attacks on the pillars of democracy: free speech (what is it?); the justice system; the media; and our primary and secondary educational institutions.
• Week 2: Reconstructing arguments
  We will begin to describe different ways of reasoning and the components of an argument: moving from premise(s) to its conclusion. We’ll define our terms: conspiracy theory, ideology, etc., asking, “How are they related?” “How do they differ?” We will unpack the nature of conspiracy theories and how misinformation powers the very uncritical nature of contemporary culture. Does public debate give life to conspiracy theories?
• Week 3: Assessing truth claims
  “What is truth?” It’s not really that difficult a question. We will look at a few theories of truth and why more than truth is needed for a good argument. We will continue to examine the nature of conspiracy theories. We will acquire more cognitive tools for our philosophical toolbox, such as the powerful demand for “falsification.” And we’ll consider the practical question of how to “do research.”
• Week 4: Assessing relevance
  Even if what we are saying is true, the next question is, “So what?” We’ll outline the elements of a relevant premise. With the help of new research, we will examine the nature of ideology. And, as a robust companion to critical thinking, we will look at how science can help us critique uncritical thinking and aid in forming ordinary arguments.
• Week 5: Assessing adequacy
  If we’ve shown our premises are true and relevant to the conclusion, the last step in our analysis is showing, “How much?” That is, to what extent are the premises adequate for showing that the conclusion follows from the premises? We will outline Jacques Ellul’s classic, Propaganda, and see how he got it right.
• Week 6: Bringing it all together
  We will continue to present examples of uncritical thinking and woo-woo, and how they fail as sound arguments. More fallacies will be detected for our cognitive toolbox. We will give ourselves some time to embellish the various components of this course, with some final considerations on how we can bring it all into a defence—and offense—against uncritical thinking.

By the end of the course, you should be able to:

• Understand the components of a sound argument, identify a bad argument and show why it is a bad argument
• Identify the nature of conspiracy theories, ideology and propaganda, and how they can be managed and resisted
• Gain some basic, but powerful, philosophical tools that will aid in critical thinking, and a few tips for engaging in arguing about facts
• Scrutinize information and claims made on social media or in everyday chatter with friends and acquaintances to present carefully justified beliefs

• Lectures
• Participation in class discussions
  
• Supplementary reading and resources accessed through Canvas
  
• Reflective essay (applicable only to certificate students)

No textbook is required. We will provide all course materials online.