PHIL XX1 Critical Thinking

Spring 2012 | Evening | Surrey Campus

INSTRUCTOR  Colin Ruloff

REQUIRED TEXT

• Reason and Argument, 2nd ed., Richard Feldman. Prentice Hall, 1999
  

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course introduces the student to the study of argument. The course is divided into three sections.  The first section provides the basic concepts associated with arguments and explains the terminology used to understand and evaluate them. The second section lays out a general method for identifying, interpreting, and evaluating arguments. This method consists of two main steps: rewriting the argument in standard form, and then evaluating the rewritten argument, i.e., determining whether the argument is in fact a good argument. The third (and final) section applies this general method to testimonial arguments, statistical arguments, and causal arguments.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

• 1st exam - 30%
• 2nd exam - 30%
• Final exam - 30%
• Participation - 10%

NOTE: Philosophy XX1 has no prerequisites and may be applied towards the Certificate in Liberal Arts and the Q-requirement.