SYLLABUS HANDOUT

 

for

 

Critical Reasoning

 

 

Philosophy 115 / Section 2A

 

 

 

Summer 2005

 

 

 

Edward Abplanalp

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WELCOME TO METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

 

 

 

 

 

PHILOSOPHY 115 SYLLABUS: Spring 2005

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

                              1-800-228-9553

 

SECTION I: THE CLASS AND THE INSTRUCTOR

 

COURSE SECTION AND TITLE:                   Philosophy 115

                                                                        Critical Reasoning

ACADEMIC QUARTER:                                  Summer 2005

INSTRUCTOR’S NAME:                                 Edward Abplanalp

LOCATION OF CLASS:                                  EVC 122

TIME:                                                              TH 5:30-9:55 p.m.

METHODS OF CONTACTING INSTRUCTOR:

                                                                        Email address: philosophered@cox.net

                                                                       

IMPORTANT DATES:

 

DATE CLASS BEGINS:                                  June 9

DATE CLASS ENDS:                                      Aug 11

LAST DATE TO DROP CLASS:                     July 27

 

 

SECTION II:  THE COURSE

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION: The purpose of this course is to provide some of the basic logical skills students need to become better thinkers. Students will be exposed to both informal and formal logic. We will focus on analyzing the basic features of validity in terms of categorical syllogisms and truth-functional arguments (truth-tables and formal patterns of deduction). We will also focus on inductive arguments, evaluating the premises and conclusions in terms of strong and weak. Throughout the class we will be examining the complexity of the use of language, with reference to defining terms, and identifying rhetorical devices (informal fallacies).

 

COURSE PREREQUISITES: Students are recommended to have completed ENG 101 & 102.

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES: Students will learn and demonstrate these specific skills:

            · Identify reasons, claims, and explanations in everyday language.

            · Learn to recognize, evaluate, and reconstruct arguments.

            · Learn how to recognize weak and assumed premises.

            · Identify valid and invalid argument forms.

            · Construct arguments in the form of truth tables and test their validity.

            · Apply elementary argument patterns (inductive and deductive).

 

REQUIRED TEXT: We will be using the seventh edition of Brooke Noel Moore and Richard Parker’s Critical Thinking (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004).

           

 

SECTION III:  STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

 

 

METHODS OF LEARNING: Students are expected to cover assigned materials before class. This includes doing the assigned reading and the exercises included in each chapter.

           

ATTENDANCE STATEMENT: Students are expected to attend each class. Students who are unable to attend class are expected to bear the burden of understanding the material on their own.

           

STUDENT WITHDRAWAL:  If you cannot attend and complete this course, you should officially withdraw by calling Central Registration, 457-5231.  Failure to officially withdraw will result in either an instructor withdraw (IW) or failing (F) grade.  The last date to withdraw is identified on the first page of this syllabus handout.

 

ACADEMIC HONESTY STATEMENT:  Students are reminded that materials used in connection with this course may be subject to copyright protection.  Additional information about copyright is provided on the library webpage at http://www.mccneb.edu/library, by your instructor, or by the College's Copyright Officer.  In response to incidents of student dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, etc.), the College imposes specific actions that may include receiving a failing grade on a test, failure in the course, suspension from the College, or dismissal from the College.  The disciplinary procedures are available in the Counseling/Advising Centers.

 

USE OF STUDENT WORK: The ownership of student works submitted in fulfillment of classroom requirements shall remain with the student(s): By enrolling in classes offered by Metropolitan Community College, the student gives the College license to mark on, modify, and retain the work as may be required by the process of instruction, as described in the course syllabus. The institution shall not have the right to use the work in any other manner without the written consent of the student(s).

 

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING PROGRAM: Metropolitan Community College is committed to continuous improvement of teaching and learning. You may be asked to help us to accomplish this objective. For example, you may be asked to respond to surveys or questionnaires. In other cases, tests or assignments you are required to do for this course may be shared with faculty and used for assessment purposes

 

TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES: By using the information technology systems at MCC (including the computer systems and phones) you acknowledge and consent to the conditions of use as set forth in the Metropolitan Community College Procedures Memorandum on Acceptable Use of Information Technology and Resources.  It is your responsibility as a student to be familiar with these procedures.  The full text of the Procedures Memorandum may be found at the following website:    http://www.mccneb.edu/itprocedures.htm

 

 

 

 

EDUCATIONAL SERVICES PROGRAM AREA IDENTIFICATION:

Program Area:  Communication and Industrial Technology

            Dean:  John Mangini

               Academic Dean’s office phone:  (402) 738-4011

 

SECTION IV:  INSTRUCTOR RESPONSIBILITIES

 

METHODS OF INSTRUCTION: This course will be a combination of lecture, discussion, and class exercises.

           

METHODS OF ASSESSING STUDENT PROGRESS:

Student progress will be assessed by in-class examinations. There will be five exams given during the semester. Materials asked on exams are covered thoroughly in class. Problems on the exams are often examples taken from the textbook. The final exam is comprehensive.

 

CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING FINAL COURSE GRADE: Each of the exams will constitute 20% of the final course grade. The Final course grade will be calculated as follows: 100-90% - A; 90%-80% - B; 80-70% - C; 70-60% - D; below 60% - F.

 

MAKE-UP TEST PROCEDURES: A missed exam can only be made up under dire circumstances (and with good documentation). See the instructor for details. The final exam given on August 11th cannot be made up.

           

MAINTENANCE OF STUDENT RECORDS: Records are maintained by the instructor and are available for review by the student at any time immediately before or after class. Exams will be returned during the next class.

 

SECTION V: SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS:

           

June 9th: Critical Reasoning/Claims and Credibility/Begin Chapter 4

                        Semantic vs. Syntactic Ambiguity

 

June 16th: Fallacies and Other Rhetorical Devices (Ch 4) and Exam #1

 

June 23rd: Psychological and Related Fallacies (Ch 5)

 

June 30th: More Fallacies (Ch 6) and Exam #2

 

July 7th: Categorical Logic (Chapter 8)

 

July 14th: Categorical Logic and Exam #3

 

July 21st: Truth-Functional Logic (Chapter 9)

 

July 28th: Truth-Functional Logic

 

August 4th: Truth-Functional Logic and Exam #4

 

August 11th: Inductive Logic (Chapter 10) and Final Exam