PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT
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CRITICAL THINKING
madphilo@yahoo.com
Course Description:
This course introduces the main concepts, issues, and skills in the discipline of critical thinking. It acquaints the students with
the different techniques and appropriate guidelines for evaluating claims and arguments of various kinds such as those
encountered in ordinary life and in the other disciplines.
Course Outline:
Topics:
1. STATEMENTS 2. EXPOSITION AND ARGUMENT 3. GETTING THE POINT 4. THE ANATOMY OF ARGUMENT 5. PUTTING YOUR
REASONS IN ORDER
6. MEANING AND CONTEXT, 7. AMBIGUITY, 8. THE FALLACY OF EQUIVOCATION 9. VAGUENESS, 10. HOW TO PIN DOWN YOUR
MEANING
Levels of Meaning
11. DENOTATION AND DESIGNATION, 12. DESIGNATION AND CONNOTATION, 13.STATING AND SUGGESTING 14.SLANTING, 15.
PLAIN DISCOURSE,
Figurative Language
16. SIMILE AND METAPHOR, 17. INTERPRETING A METAPHOR, 18. ANALOGIES: THEIR USE AND MISUSE, 19. ANSWERING AN
ANALOGY, 20. MANAGING FIGURES OF SPEECH,
Emotive Language
21. WORDS AND FEELINGS, 22. EMOTIONAL APPEALS, 23. FEELING AND THINKING, 24. OVERSIMPLIFICATION AND DISTRACTION,
25. CONTROLLING EMOTIVE LANGUAGE,
26. WHAT A DEFINITION DOES, 27. TESTING A DEFINITION, 28. IMPROMPTU DEFINITIONS, 29. DEFINING IN A CIRCLE, 30.
INFORMAL DEFINITIONS
Does it Follow?
31. THE IMPORTANCE OF LOGICAL FORM, 32. BASIC LOGICAL CONNECTIONS, 33. STATEMENTS INTO PREMISES, 34. TESTING A
SYLLOGISM, 35. THE USES OF DEDUCTION
36. THE INDUCTIVE LEAP, * 37. APPRAISING A GENERALIZATION, 38. APPRAISING A HYPOTHESIS, 39.
CLASSIFICATION, 40. THE PROBLEM OF OUTLINING
Course Requirements:
1. Attendance◦
2. Participation
Students are expected to come to class prepared to contribute to the discussion. Participation includes active speaking
as well as attentive listening. An atmosphere of respect, openness and patience is expected in the classroom. I have a
strict NO LAPTOP, NO CELLPHONE POLICY.
4. Bring the required readings in class. (Readings are uploaded on our Yahoo Group: File Section)