Phil 100 MW S18: Schedule and Syllabus

Philosophy 100: Logic and Critical Thinking

Spring 2018

CRN 44277 MW 8:00-9:25 Location: SB-212

Instructor Information  

Dr. Ian M. Duckles
Email: iduckles@sdccd.edu
Office Hours: MW 11:10-12:10; TTH 10:00-11:00; F 8:30-9:30
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. (FT) AA/AS; CSU; UC.

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.

Course Learning Outcomes:
  1. Critical Thinking: Think critically in reading, writing, and/or speaking about communication, reasoning, and logical processes, thereby identifying problems, theses, arguments, evidence and conclusions.
  2. Communication: Write or speak about communication, reasoning, and logical processes, thereby addressing problems, formulating theses, making arguments, analyzing and weighing evidence, and deriving conclusions.
  3. 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.

Requisites and Advisories: Advisory: ENGL 101 with a grade of "C" or better, or equivalent or Assessment Skill Level R6/W6; or ENGL 105 with a grade of "C" or better, or equivalent or Assessment Skill Level R6/W6.

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. Students should check the course website (this one) regularly. The schedule uses the following abbreviations:

  • ISD for A Short Course in Intellectual Self-Defense
  • OB for On Bullshit

Week 1: Introduction

Monday, January 29: Introduction (ISD 11-16)

Wednesday, January 31: Language (ISD 19-37)
Homework Due: In the introduction (pages 11-16) our author describes several reasons for why he wrote our text. What are those reasons?

Week 2: Language

February 5: Language (ISD 38-49)
Homework Due: Find examples of the five features of language we discussed in class. Find an example of a euphemism and a dysphemism. 

February 7: Language Continued
Homework Due: Find examples of five of the deceptive features of language that we discussed in class. 

Week 3: Symbolic Logic

February 12: Syllogisms (ISD 49-54)
Homework Due: Find an example of each of the four types or functions of definitions and each of the three ways to define. 

February 14: Symbolic Logic (Materials Available Online)

Week 4: Symbolic Logic

February 19: NO CLASS!

February 21: Symbolic Logic (Materials Available Online)
Homework: Symbolic Logic 1: Problem set A #'s 11-20; Problem set B #'s 21-25. 

Week 5: Symbolic Logic

February 26: Symbolic Logic Continued
Homework Due: Symbolic Logic 2: Problem Set A #'s 21-25. 

February 28: Symbolic Logic Continued

Week 6: Symbolic Logic

March 5: Symbolic Logic Continued
Homework Due: Symbolic Logic 4, Problem Set B, #'s 2,4,6,8,10. 

March 7: Review for Exam

Week 7: Exam and Fallacies

March 12: FIRST EXAM

March 14: Formal Fallacies (ISD 55-58)

Week 8: Personal Experience

March 19: Informal Fallacies (ISD 59-85)
Homework Due: Find examples of five of the fallacies we discussed in class today. 

March 21: Personal Experience (ISD 171-196)
Homework Due: Find examples of five of the fallacies we discussed in class today. 

Week 9: SPRING BREAK!!

March 26: NO CLASS!!

March 28: NO CLASS!!

Week 10: Personal Experience

April 2: Personal Experience (ISD 196-222)

April 4: Personal Experience
Homework Due: Find examples of two optical illusions. Try to find an explanation for each of the illusions. 

Week 11: Science

April 9: Empirical Science (ISD 223-242)

April 11: Empirical Science (ISD 242-266)

Week 12: Science

April 16: Empirical Science Continued
Homework Due: Find a late-night infomercial style product. Be sure to briefly describe the claims made by that product. 

April 18: Empirical Science Continued, Introduction of Paper Topic

Week 13: Exam

April 23: Review for Exam

April 25: EXAM 2

Week 14: Bullshit

April 30: "On Bullshit" (OB 1-30)

May 2: "On Bullshit" Continued (OB 31-67)
Homework Due: Select your topic for the essay. 

Week 15: The Media

May 7: Introduction to the Media (ISD 267-276)

May 9: In-class peer editing.
Homework Due: Bring two copies of a draft of your essay to class.

Week 16: The Media

May 14: The Propaganda Model of Media (ISD 277-290)

May 16: Media Continued (ISD 290-306), Final Paper Due

Week 17: The Media

May 21: Review for Final

May 23: Final Exam

STUDENT EVALUATION:
Assignments: Your grade in the course will be out of 500 points and will be based on the following assigments:

  • Exam 1: 100 points.
  • Exam 2: 100 points.
  • Final Exam: 100 points.
  • Final Paper and Pre-Writing: 50 points. More information on this assignment will be provided later.
  • Homework and In-Class Exercises: 50 points. Each homework assignment will be worth 2.5 points. These are due at the start of the class for which they are assigned. Late assignments will not be accepted.
  • Pop Quizzes: 100 points. Each quiz will be worth 10 points. These will be given at the start of class and will cover material from the previous class. They cannot be made-up if missed, but I will drop the lowest quiz score.

Grade Scale:

    ≥ 450 points = A
    ≥ 400 points = B
    ≥ 350 points = C
    ≥ 300 = D
    < 300 = F

ACADEMIC POLICIES:
Student Responsibility to Drop/Withdraw: It is the student’s responsibility to drop all classes in which he/she is no longer attending. It is the instructor’s discretion to withdraw a student after the add/drop deadline (February 9) due to excessive absences. Students who remain enrolled in a class beyond the published withdrawal deadline (April 13) will receive an evaluative letter grade in the class.

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 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 academic accommodations should discuss options with their professors during the first two weeks of class. You should also contact DSPS. DSPS can be found at http://www.sdmesa.edu/dsps/ or they can be contacted by phone at 619-388-2780.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS IN THIS COURSE (Thanks to Professor June Yang):

  1. Be optimistic about your ability to learn from the textbook, the instructor, and each other.
  2. 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.
  3. Be prepared to spend time outside of class working on class material, doing readings, homework, preparing for quizzes and exams, etc.
  4. Ask questions if you don't understand something.
  5. 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!
Voting: If you are not registered to vote, please register online today: http://registertovote.ca.gov/. Please choose the vote-by-mail option.


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