Philosophy 100: Logic and Critical Thinking Fall 2016 CRN 86522 MW 8:00-9:25 Location: SB 212 CRN 01202 MW 2:20-3:45 Location: SB 211 Instructor Information   Dr. Ian M. Duckles Email: iduckles@sdccd.edu Office Hours: MW 12:30-2:00, TTH 10:00-11:00 Office: SB 311-H Phone: 619-388-2294 Course Description: This course explores the relationship of communications and critical thinking with a focus on good reasoning and the impediments to its mastery. This course emphasizes the development of skills in logical processes including familiarity with the more common fallacies. This course is designed for students learning to apply principles of critical thinking to the practical problems of everyday life. Course Objective: Students will learn the basic elements of critical thinking with a particular focus on logical fallacies and then will learn to apply these tools to real world problems and issues. Student Learning Outcomes: Critical Thinking: Think critically in reading, writing, and/or speaking about communication, reasoning, and logical processes, thereby identifying problems, theses, arguments, evidence and conclusions. Communication: Write or speak about communication, reasoning, and logical processes, thereby addressing problems, formulating theses, making arguments, analyzing and weighing evidence, and deriving conclusions. Personal Actions and Civic Responsibilities: Demonstrate an ability to understand one's role in society, take responsibility for one's own actions, and make ethical decisions in complex situations. Textbooks: There are two texts required for this class: Baillargeon, Normand. A Short Course in Intellectual Self-Defense. Seven Stories Press: 2007. Frankfurt, Harry G. On Bullshit. Princeton University Press: 2005. Reading assignments can be found on the schedule. Schedule: (topics and important dates included): Homework will be due daily and assignments will be announced in class. Do not be concerned if we fall ahead or behind on this schedule. The most important goal is that everyone understand the concepts and problems. This schedule is subject to change. All changes will be announced in class and posted on the course website. The schedule uses the following abbreviations: ISD for A Short Course in Intellectual Self-Defense OB for On Bullshit Week 1: Introduction Monday, August 22: Introduction (ISD 11-16) Wednesday, August 24: Language (ISD 19-37) Week 2: Language August 29:Language (ISD 38-49) Homework Due: Find an example of each of the five functions of language we discussed in class.  August 31: Language Continued Homework Due: Find examples of the deceptive features of language that we discussed in class today.  Week 3: Symbolic Logic September 5: NO CLASS!! Labor Day September 7: Syllogisms (ISD 49-54) Homework Due: Find an example of each of the four functions of definitions and the three ways to define.  Week 4: Symbolic Logic September 12: Symbolic Logic (Materials Available Online) Homework Due: Find an example of a deductive argument. Find an example of an enumerative induction. Find an example of an analogical induction.  September 14: Symbolic Logic (Materials Available Online) Homework Due: Symbolic Logic 1 PDF: Problem Set A #'s 6-10; Problem Set B #'s 21-25.  Week 5: Symbolic Logic September 19: Symbolic Logic Continued September 21: Symbolic Logic Continued Homework Due: Symbolic Logic 4; Problem Set B #'s 1, 3, 5, 7, 9.  Week 6: Exam September 26: Review for Exam Homework Due: Symbolic Logic 4; Problem Set B #'s 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. September 28: FIRST EXAM Week 7: Fallacies October 3: Formal Fallacies (ISD 55-58) October 5: Informal Fallacies (ISD 59-85) Homework Due: Find examples of five of the fallacies we discussed in class.  Week 8: Personal Experience October 10: Personal Experience (ISD 171-196) Homework Due: Find examples of five of the fallacies we discussed in class.  October 12: Personal Experience (ISD 196-222) Homework Due: Find examples of five of the fallacies we discussed in class.  Week 9: Personal Experience October 17: Personal Experience Homework Due: Find examples of two optical illusions. Try to find an explanation for those illusions as well.  October 19: Personal Experience Homework Due: What are the implications of this research on memory for the criminal justice system in the US? Week 10: Science October 24: Empirical Science (ISD 223-242) October 26: Empirical Science (ISD 242-266), Introduction of Paper Topic Homework Due: Find an example of a late-night infomercial style product. Be sure to a brief description of what the product claims to be able to do.  Week 11: Science October 31: Empirical Science Continued November 2: Empirical Science Continued, Topic for paper Due Week 12: Exam November 7: Review for Exam November 9: EXAM 2 Week 13: Evolution and ID November 14: Evolution and Intelligent Design November 16: Evolution and Intelligent Design Continued Week 14: Thanksgiving November 21: NO CLASS!! Thanksgiving November 23: NO CLASS!! Thanksgiving Week 15: Bullshit November 28: "On Bullshit" (OB 1-30) November 30: In-class peer editing. Bring two copies of a draft of your essay to class. Week 16: The Media December 5: Introduction (ISD 267-276), The Propaganda Model of Media (ISD 277-290) Homework due: Find an example of a front group. What does that front group support? Who is really funding them?  December 7: Media Continued (ISD 290-306), Final Paper Due Week 17: The Media December 12:  Media Continued, Review for Final December 14: Final Exam STUDENT EVALUATION: Assignments: Your grade in the course will be based on your performance on the following assignments: 20% Exam 1 20% Exam 2 20% Final Exam 10% Final Paper: Though only worth 10% of your grade in the course, failure to complete this assignment or the associated pre-writing will result in an F in the course. More information on this assignment will be provided later in the semester. 10% Homework: This is due at the start of the class for which it is assigned. Late assignments will not be accepted. 20% Pop Quizzes: These will be given at the start of class and will cover the material from previous classes. They cannot be made-up if missed.  Grade Scale:     ≥ 90 = A     ≥ 80 = B     ≥ 70 = C     ≥ 60 = D     < 60 = F ACADEMIC POLICIES: Student Responsibility to Drop/Withdraw: It is the student’s responsibility to officially add, drop, or withdraw from the course stated in the class schedule. Failure to do so can result in a failing grade. Attendance: During the first two weeks of class, students will be dropped for any absence. Starting during the third week, students may be dropped for missing two classes. In addition, students who arrive unreasonably late or leave unreasonably early will be marked absent. Professionalism: It is assumed that students will conduct themselves in a professional manner with a positive attitude. An open mind is one of the most important tools required for success in academia. If a student is negative and feels as is there is nothing of value to be gained by the college experience or this course, he or she will not do well in this course. Academic Integrity and Conduct: Mesa College students are bound by the Student Code of Conduct, Policy 3100.  In this course, cheating, plagiarism, disruptions of instructional activity, fraud and/or lying will result in, at a minimum, a grade of “F” for the assignment/test with no make up permitted.  Any of these infractions may result in an “F” for the course as well and formal disciplinary action by the Dean of Student Affairs as described in the code (as published in the catalog or online). Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Students with disabilities who may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to notify the instructor and DSPS. DSPS can be found at http://www.sdmesa.edu/dsps/ or they can be contacted by phone at 619-388-2780. Voting: If you are not registered to vote, please register online today: http://registertovote.ca.gov/. Please choose the vote-by-mail option. TIPS FOR SUCCESS IN THIS COURSE (Thanks to Professor June Yang): Be optimistic about your ability to learn from the textbook, the instructor, and each other. Do all homework and all the readings. The homework will be collected every time, and spot-checked, and the readings will help you understand the course material. Be prepared to spend time outside of class working on class material, doing readings, homework, preparing for quizzes and exams, etc. Ask questions if you don't understand something. Remember that you are gifted with more education and intelligence than many persons on this planet. If you try, you are sure to get it, or at least most of it!