161-003 Logic and Rationality: The Art of Good Reasoning

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Subject Description

No skill is more essential to success in university studies or in other aspects of life than the ability to reason well. This course covers the fundamental principles of reasoning and argument in ordinary language. Topics covered include: distinguishing reasoning from other forms of persuasion; uses and abuses of language in the expression of ideas; extracting arguments (premises and conclusions) from texts; clarifying the internal structure of arguments; evaluating the acceptability of premises; distinguishing kinds of reasoning (statistical, causal, analogy, ethical, explanatory etc.); methods for evaluating arguments of different kinds; common patterns of error in reasoning; and the structure of debate. By the end of the course, students will have greater ability to organize their thoughts, to evaluate reasoning, to support their own positions, and to think their way through difficult issues. Acquiring these skills will substantially enhance their performance in subsequent courses in the Philosophy department and indeed in any course which requires logical thinking.

Assessment

Written work totalling 4000 words. Examination may be substituted for part of the written work.

Prescribed Texts

Materials prepared by the department.