Crim
Philosophy 001: Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking
SEMESTER: Fall 2014
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Jennifer Johnson
EMAIL: FIC portal or Johnson@sfu.ca
OFFICE HOURS: Thurs. 12:30pm-1:30pm
PREREQUISITES
There are no prerequisites for this course.
OBJECTIVES/COURSE OVERVIEW
This course is an introduction to the evaluation of arguments as they are encountered in everday life. The central aim will be to improve the student’s reasoning skills by understanding how arguments work and to learn to distinguish those which actually prove what they set out to demonstrate from those which do not. The course includes the study of basic types of reasoning, the structure of arguments, and the standard by which we determine whether an argument is strong or weak.
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
The aim is for students to learn:
The role and importance of arguments
How to classify arguments by type
How to recognize when arguments are being offered
How to recognize the strengths of good arguments, and the weaknesses of bad ones
How to recognize common errors in reasoning
REQUIRED TEXT
Merilee Salmon, Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking, 6th edition. Wadsworth Publishing. ISBN: 9781133049753
COURSE ASSESSMENT
Your grade will be based on your performance on three exams and on your in-class behavior.
Evaluation and their weights are as follows:
First in-class exam 20%
Second in-class exam 30%
Final exam 40%
Attendance and participation 10%
The final exam is cumulative. It will be scheduled by FIC.
Note: the weight of the exams is not open to modification. This means-if you do poorly on the first in-class exam you CANNOT transfer the 20% weight of that exam to the final. Each exam will be worth the percentage that is listed on this course outline.
Note: You must write the in-class exams with the class in which you are officially registered. I teach 4 sections of philosophy 001 this term, but you can
SEMESTER: Fall 2014
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Jennifer Johnson
EMAIL: FIC portal or Johnson@sfu.ca
OFFICE HOURS: Thurs. 12:30pm-1:30pm
PREREQUISITES
There are no prerequisites for this course.
OBJECTIVES/COURSE OVERVIEW
This course is an introduction to the evaluation of arguments as they are encountered in everday life. The central aim will be to improve the student’s reasoning skills by understanding how arguments work and to learn to distinguish those which actually prove what they set out to demonstrate from those which do not. The course includes the study of basic types of reasoning, the structure of arguments, and the standard by which we determine whether an argument is strong or weak.
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
The aim is for students to learn:
The role and importance of arguments
How to classify arguments by type
How to recognize when arguments are being offered
How to recognize the strengths of good arguments, and the weaknesses of bad ones
How to recognize common errors in reasoning
REQUIRED TEXT
Merilee Salmon, Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking, 6th edition. Wadsworth Publishing. ISBN: 9781133049753
COURSE ASSESSMENT
Your grade will be based on your performance on three exams and on your in-class behavior.
Evaluation and their weights are as follows:
First in-class exam 20%
Second in-class exam 30%
Final exam 40%
Attendance and participation 10%
The final exam is cumulative. It will be scheduled by FIC.
Note: the weight of the exams is not open to modification. This means-if you do poorly on the first in-class exam you CANNOT transfer the 20% weight of that exam to the final. Each exam will be worth the percentage that is listed on this course outline.
Note: You must write the in-class exams with the class in which you are officially registered. I teach 4 sections of philosophy 001 this term, but you can