PHIL 213: Critical Reasoning and Argumentation (GE)
Credit Hours: (3)
This course aims at advanced student skills and dispositions in critical reasoning
and argumentation. It moves from review of general critical thinking competencies
applicable to thinking within all domains and subjects, to the introduction and study
of more domain-specific competencies in legal, moral, and scientific reasoning.
Note(s): General Education and Humanistic or Artistic Expression designated course.
Detailed Description of Course
(1) Thinking Skillfully: The Logical Features of Reasoning
鈥� This first section of the course reviews basic features of logical
inference. Distinctions between inductive and deductive reasoning, valid and invalid
arguments, and formal validity and soundness of deductive arguments are reviewed and
reinforced, as are basic argument patterns such as syllogistic reasoning (categorical,
hypothetical and disjunctive).
(2) Communicating Effectively: Evidence, Inference, Argumentation
鈥� In this section of the course new material is introduced allowing
students to distinguish the related but distinct concepts of fact, information, experience,
research, data, and evidence. These are related on the one hand to different methods
of inductive reasoning such as argument by analogy/disanalogy, generalization/statistics,
and cause-and-effect/hypothetical reasoning, and on the other hand to evaluation of
effective/ineffective communication in terms of standards of clarity, accuracy, relevance,
depth, breadth, significant, and intellectual fairness of the arguments that we and
others employ.
(3) Navigating Central Domains of Reasoning
鈥� In the final section of the course attention is turned to constructing
extended arguments of our own and to understanding/evaluating argumentation within
specific areas of discourse central to us all, including moral, legal, and scientific
reasoning. Through case studies and other excursions into these domains, students
will leave with a better understanding of how legal, moral and scientific reasoning
proceed, and how each is a more specific extension of critical reasoning skills applicable
to everyday life. They will learn to apply critical reasoning standards of argumentation
to contemporary public policy, moral, legal, and scientific debates in order to evaluate
whether defensible standards of argumentation have been met.
Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
The class will meet three hours each week. Students will be responsible for mastering
the principles of argument through homework assignments, numerous short writing or
close reading assignments, participation in class, and/or group exercises and discussions.
Goals and Objectives of the Course
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
(1) demonstrate deductive reasoning skills of spotting contradictory statements, and
of analyzing and constructing syllogistically-patterned arguments;
(2) demonstrate inductive reasoning skills of determining relevant information, recognizing
relationships, and evaluating causal claims while avoiding causal fallacies;
(3) demonstrate advanced evaluative reasoning skills of judging credibility of sources,
evaluating hypotheses, and recognizing underlying assumptions and biases;
(4) construct an extended argument of one鈥檚 own along a pre-diagrammed pattern of
support;
(5) demonstrate problem-solving skills of identifying and clarifying problems, and
of formulating hypotheses and alternative solutions;
(6) identify patterns of reasoning and argumentation central to the legal, moral,
and scientific domains;
(7) apply critical reasoning standards of argumentation to moral, legal, and scientific
debates in order to evaluate whether defensible standards of argumentation have been
met.
Assessment Measures
Students' progress in achieving the course-specific objectives may be assessed on
the basis of the following:
(1) objective quizzes and exams in which students demonstrate competence in argument
diagramming, and analysis and familiarity with general and domain-specific patterns
of reasoning;
(2) numerous short assignments requiring argument construction and analysis and exploration
of philosophical issues done both in and outside of class, alone and in conjunction
with other students;
(3) participation in class discussion and individual/group presentation.
Other Course Information
Review and Approval
July, 2010
March 01, 2021