Dean Pickard Ph.D.

PHILOSOPHY 7 Section 1522 - Critical Thinking (SMC)

Dr. Dean Pickard	Office: N/A, Ph: N/A
Santa Monica College	E-mail: DrPickard@deanpickard.com
Winter 2007, M-Th 10:15-12:20	Hrs: Email for appt

Course Description: Why is it important to be well-informed and think critically about the things that matter to us? Better reasoning can contribute to better and more successful living. This course covers the logical principles of sound reasoning that can be applied to our everyday concerns as citizens, parents, consumers, business people, etc.. It can help students more clearly understand the nature of reasoning, language, and communication, as well as improve critical thinking skills, including critical reading and listening. With consistent practice, what is offered here can improve skills of reasoning, communicating and decision making, as well as promote better understanding, greater autonomy, and a more adequate world view.

Course topics will include:

1. The distinctions and relations between: logic and truth, logic and emotion, and logic and reasonableness.
2. The centrality of our attitudes, habits, and biases in the opinions we hold, our reactions to others, and how we think.
3. Faulty conceptions of truth replaced with the idea of well-reasonedness.
4. The nature of interpretation and how to overcome problems of meaning.
5. Recognition and use of basic patterns of reasoning in deductive and inductive arguments and explanation.
6. How to better recognize and avoid common fallacies (errors in reasoning).
7. Critical thinking is an ethical issue insofar as poor reasoning has negative consequences for others.
8. It is sometimes erroneously believed that we cannot judge people’s values and feelings as better or worse, as more or less appropriate or inappropriate, that we can only reasonably argue over facts, but not over matters of value because “values are too subjective” or “too difficult to argue about” or “feelings can never be wrong. They “just are.” We can however, make reasonable value judgments and judge whether feelings are warranted, justified, or appropriate.

Note:

1. If you drop the class, do so officially or you may receive an automatic F for the course.
2. I no longer give incompletes, but I will accept late work in some cases.
3. You are subject to automatic exclusion if you miss 2 weeks of class.
4. If you come to class late or leave early, please sit in the rear of the class. Seats there should be otherwise left empty.
5. Beepers and cell phones should be turned off before entering class.
6. Please see me first for help or complaints.
7. This outline is a basic guide and is subject to revision. Follow announcements in class about any changes.

Course Texts

1. Pickard, D., Logic, Truth, and Reasoning: A Textbook in Critical Thinking, 2001. (P) Download Preface, Download Chapter 1
2. Extra Credit Outside Reading: (maximum of 2, 10 points each)
   1. Loewen, Lies My Teacher Told Me, New Press/Norton, 1995
   2. Cohen/Solomon Adventures in Medialand, Common Courage Press, 1993 (both in bookstore)
   3. The Skeptical Inquirer (1-800-634-1610) (bimonthly) Regular semester only
   4. Science News (1-800-247-2160). (Weekly) Regular semester only
   5. Schick, T., & Vaughn, L., How To Think About Weird Things, Mountain View, CA: Mayfield, 1997.
   6. Shermer, Michael, How We Believe, New York: Freeman, 2000.
   7. Shermer, Michael, Encyclopedia of Psuedoscience.

Extra credit will be determined by a short scantron quiz on Loewen and Schick. A short oral exam will be given on the others at the end of the course.

Grading

Course grades will be determined by: Four exams, 100 pts. each on the Pickard text. Use scantron 882 (ERASURES: CIRCLE THE NEW ANSWER IN INK TO RECEIVE CREDIT). Only one make-up exam with 5-10% deducted from high scores. Exams and quizzes will be returned in class only once, otherwise get recorded grade. Allowable absence: 2 hours (one class) unless you are getting an A or B. Outside reading will be quizzed at the middle and end of the semester. Bring all issues of periodicals.

Date	Topic	Reading Assignment
1/2	Introduction
1/3	Logical Consistency, Key Terms, The Importance of Critical Thinking	P 1
1/4,8,9	Truth, Belief	P 2
1/10,11	Argument Analysis and Evaluation	P 3 1st Part
1/15	Holiday
1/16	Review Ch 1-3
	EXAM 1 (1/16)	Review P 1-3
1/17,18,22	Argument Analysis and Evaluation	P 3 2nd Part
1/22,23,24	Language and Meaning	P 4
1/24	Review Ch 2-4	P 2-4
	EXAM 2 (1/24)	Review P 2-4
1/25,29,30	Evaluating Deductive Arguments: Categorical Syllogism	P 5
1/31,2/1	Evaluating Deductive Arguments: Hypothetical & Disjunctive Syllogisms	P 6
	EXAM 3 (2/5)	Review P 5-6
2/5,6	Detecting Pseudo Arguments: Fallacies	P 7
2/7	Review Ch 7
	EXAM 4 (2/7)	Review P 7
2/8	Comprehensive Final, Make ups, Extra Credit