PHIL 110-Critical Thinking: Syllabus

 

Critical Thinking and Writing_PHIL110_Santa Ana College_2018 Intercession.pdf

PHIL 110: Critical Thinking and Writing

Santa Ana College, Intersession 2018 

 #44200

Mon – Thurs:  6:00 – 10:30 P.M.

 Room: HUM 123

Instructor: Jesse D. P. Slavens

Slavens_Jesse@sac.edu                                                                                   

 

                                                                                                                

Office Hours: I will be available to meet with students prior to class. I will not be available to meet with students for more than a few minutes after class. I recommend you make an appointment at least 24 hours before a meeting. Priority will be given to students who have made an appointment.

 

Email: I am happy to communicate by email if you cannot make it to office hours. Emails will be answered within 24 hours. What this means for you is that I may not read your email until the next day if you send it during office hours and I am meeting with a student, or if you send it after office hours. It is strongly recommended that any important emails be sent as early as possible.

 

Canvas: This course will utilize the Canvas course site. I will regularly post announcements, reading assignments, study questions and other course material on the course website. Additionally, important exam and assignment dates will be posted on the Canvas calendar – including any changes to assignment dates.

 

Course Description

This course is an introduction to the techniques of argument analysis, evaluation, and construction as applied to essay writing. The course includes such topics as standard form and argument patterns; deduction, validity, and soundness; truth-functional arguments, truth-tables, and natural deduction; quantificational arguments; categorical syllogisms and Venn Diagrams; truth; induction, strength, and cogency; sampling arguments, causal arguments, statistical syllogisms, analogical arguments, and explanatory arguments; the probability calculus; formal and informal fallacies; and definition, language, and meaning; thesis statements, the writing of coherent, well-developed essays, and grammar, punctuation, and orthography.

 

 

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate understanding of formal and informal fallacies in language and thought.
2. Analyze and employ logical and structural methods such as inductive and deductive reasoning, cause and effect, and logos, ethos, and pathos.
3. Compose thesis-driven arguments to suit a variety of situations, including interpretation, evaluation, and analysis, and support them with a variety of appropriate textual evidence and examples.

 

 

Required Course Resources

 

Textbooks:

Vaughn, The Power of Critical Thinking, 5^th edition

Martinich, Philosophical Writing, An Introduction, 4^th edition

These textbooks are available at Don Bookstore:  https://www.donbookstore.com/donbook/

 

Additional Readings

Additional readings (from newspapers, magazines, blogs, and other sources) will be required throughout the course. These readings, or links to these readings, will typically be posted on Canvas, but may also be handed out in class. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to contact the instructor to see if any additional readings have been assigned.

 

Supplies:

You are responsible for supplying SEVEN (07) #825-e Scantron forms for the assessments. It is your responsibility to bring these forms to class for the semi-weekly assessments. Not having a Scantron form may result in you not being able to complete the assessment. No make-up assessment exams will be given for this reason.

 

Every student needs to have a supply of 3x5” notecards available in class.  

 

 

**Please read the following Course Requirements and Course Policies carefully. By taking this course you agree to abide by ALL of the Course Requirements and Course Policies outlined herein. If you do not agree to abide with any course requirement or policy you must drop the course immediately.**

 

 

Course Requirements

 

Readings

Critical thinking requires the careful reading analysis, and assessment of challenging texts. Accordingly, in order to have a successful class for both instructor and student, it is essential that all assigned material is read and carefully studied before class. Each student is expected to participate actively during class (see “Participation” below) and this includes being able to answer questions about the readings, as well as participate in small group discussions related to the readings. Reading the assigned material once is not sufficient! It is highly recommended that the student read the material once, and then read the material a second time making detailed notes. Reading questions will be provided for some readings to help the student think about the material.

 

Participation

Critical thinking is not the mere learning of information but is fundamentally the acquisition and practice of systematic thinking. This means that critical thinking cannot be acquired without use. Therefore, we will be practicing critical thinking skills in class. In addition to writing, we will use critical thinking in discussion about assigned readings, films, and videos. Such critical discussion is an essential part of this course. Accordingly, every student is expected to actively participate in class assignments, discussion, and small groups.

 

One goal of this course is to learn how to apply critical thinking tools and skills to a wide variety of issues, especially important and controversial social issues. Students may find some of these issues, or the views expressed regarding these issues, offensive, disturbing, or otherwise upsetting. As a student in the course, you have the right to excuse yourself at any time from the course or a segment of the course if the material of discussion is upsetting. Please inform the instructor of your reasons for leaving at your convenience. I also encourage any student to talk to me about how the course can be considerate and welcoming to all students and reasonable views.  

 

You cannot participate if you are not present. Thus, regular attendance is necessary for receiving full participation credit. Regular absences (see “Absence Policy” below) will count against the student’s total participation points.

 

Participation will account for 10% of the student’s final grade.

 

 

Homework

Homework will be assigned regularly throughout the semester. Homework will include a variety of different assignments, including chapter questions, take home questions from class, analyzing and assessing arguments from newspapers and blogs, watching videos and reconstructing arguments.

 

Homework must be brought to class on the day it is due. Except for legitimate and verifiable emergencies, homework may NOT be turned late, or by email, or dropped in my faculty box.

 

Unless stated otherwise by me, homework MUST BE TYPED. Handwritten homework will not be accepted.

 

Assessments

Instead of quizzes or exams, medium-length “assessments” will be given throughout the four-week term.  Except for the first week, two assessments will be given each week for a total of seven (07).  Assessments may include: 1. True/False and multiple-choice questions recorded on a Scantron (#825-e); or 2. Short answer or short essay questions.

 

Take-home Essays

There will be FOUR essay assignments throughout the term. TWO essays will be short-form (≤ 5 pages) and TWO essays will be long-form (8 - 10 pages). Because of the short length of the intercession term, ALL of your essay assignments will be posted before the assignment date on the course website. I strongly recommend that you review the assignments as soon as possible and begin selecting your topics and planning your papers.  

 

All essays must be typed in 12-point Times New Roman font with standard (1 inch) margins. Page length refers to a complete page of text (20 lines of text per page).

 

Short-form Essays:  These essays will 2-5 pages in length and will consist in the careful analysis and interpretation of or reporting on a controversial view in the news or philosophy.  Short-form essays comprise 10% of your grade.  

 

Long-form Essays:  Each long-form essay assignment consists of an essay and in-class peer review. You will receive a grade only for the essay portion of the assignment. Long-form essays comprise 30% of your grade. If you are missing or do not receive credit for a peer review, 5% will be deducted from your essay grade.

• Only completed essays which meet the minimum page length and standards of a college-level essay will be given a letter grade. No credit will be given for incomplete essays or any essay which fails to meet the nominal standards of a college-level essay. (These standards include spelling, grammar, basic coherence, structure, format requirements, and evidence of proofreading.) Your grade will be a product of evaluating the structure, clarity, precision, and concision of your essay as well as the quality of analysis and argumentation.

 

• Peer reviews are required and will be graded “Credit/No Credit.” Peer reviews will be done in class. Credit will be given for thorough, careful reviews which provide constructive feedback. Credit will not be given for any review that is incomplete, misses obvious errors or shortcomings of the reviewed essay, or is in any way unprofessional or uncivil.

 

Except for legitimate and verifiable emergencies, extensions or any exception regarding submitting the paper must be made by email at least one week before the paper due date. No “re-writes” will be granted.

 

 

COURSE POLICIES

 

Grading

The course grade (final grade) will be calculated according to the following scale:

            A = 90 - 100     percentage of total possible points

            B = 80 - 89       percentage of total possible points

            C = 70 - 79       percentage of total possible points

            D = 60 - 69       percentage of total possible points

            F =    0 - 59       percentage of total possible points

 

The graded course requirements are weighted as follows:

Participation:                10%

Homework:                  20%

Assessments:                30%

Take-home essays:        40%

 

There are no exceptions to this grading policy. There may be extra credit offered throughout the semester. Special “extra-credit” assignments will not be offered to individual students as substitutions for required assignments. Late assignments or make-up assignments must be in accordance with the requirements stipulated in “Course Requirements” above. In general: Late assignments or make-up assignments will only be granted in the case of legitimate and verifiable emergencies. All other exceptions to submitting an assignment (i.e., final essay or assessment) other than on the scheduled date will require the student to submit the assignment before the scheduled date and request approval from me no later than one week before the scheduled submission date.

 

Attendance

“No shows” will be dropped and their places given to students on the waitlist after the SECOND day of class. Students are required to attend class each day and sign the roll sheet. If for any reason you have not received a roll sheet on a particular day, it is your responsibility to ask me for the roll sheet to sign after class. A student may be absence once, for any reason, without penalty. Any additional absences will count against the student’s participation grade.

 

Do not sign the roll sheet for any other student.

 

Course Disruption

Each student has the right to participate in this class – whether through listening to a lecture, another student’s contribution, or contributing to class discussion – free from disruption. Likewise, I have the right to teach the course free from disruption. Accordingly, no unnecessary disruption of any kind will be tolerated in this course.

 

Unnecessary class disruption includes, but is not limited to: (1) the use of electronic devices including cell phones, tablets and laptops other than for the purposes of taking notes; (2) having non-participatory, off-topic, or private conversations in class; (3) doing work for other courses in class; (4) any noise or behavior that unnecessarily distracts other students or the instructor; (5) arriving late or leaving early. Students who disrupt class will be asked to leave the class session and will be counted as absent.

 

Food & Beverage Policy and Tobacco Use

Food & beverage are not permitted in the classrooms. Smoking is restricted to areas 20 feet or further from the building.

 

Electronic Devices

The personal use of cell phones for any reason is not allowed in class. Texting or taking calls during class will count as disruptive and the student will be asked to leave immediately and counted as absent. Laptops may be used for note-taking only. I may ask an individual student to put away his or her laptop or generally disallow laptop use at any time if they become disruptive or distracting to any student -- including the student using the laptop.

 

Class Recording

No audio or video recording may be made of any class session or portion of a class session by any means (e.g., cell phone, tablet, video recorder, etc.) without my written permission. Accommodation will be made for students with disabilities; however, these accommodations must be made through the Santa Ana College Disabled Students Program & Services (DSPS: https://www.sac.edu/StudentServices/DSPS/Pages/default.aspx).

 

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

It is the student’s responsibility to familiarize himself or herself with the Santa Ana College Academic Honesty Policies, available here: https://www.sac.edu/StudentServices/AdmissionsRecords/Pages/Academic-Honesty-Policy-.aspx. Cheating and plagiarism of any kind and to any degree may result in an ‘F’ on all or part of an assignment and referral to the dean.

 

Plagiarism is the act of presenting another’s intellectual, artistic, or creative work as one’s own. One may plagiarize from any source, including public access sources (e.g., online encyclopedias), public domain sources, textbook and other students. One plagiarizes when he or she presents as his or her own the words or ideas, in part or whole, of any other author or thinker. Thus, it is not necessary to use the exact words of another author in order to plagiarize. One plagiarizes even if he or she only uses the ideas of another without giving credit.

 

Note well: I have a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism. Any plagiarism whatsoever, on any assignment regardless of point value, will be penalized to the furthest extent allowed under Santa Ana College Academic Honesty Policy. Any assignments, including assessments and papers, which are identical or nearly identical will be considered plagiarized, and both student’s assignments will receive an “F”.

 

If you have any doubts or questions whatsoever about plagiarism, or whether your assignment includes plagiarized material, contact the instructor before you turn in an assignment.

 

TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE

 

 

Topic and Day	Readings
01/02: Introduction: Social Media and Free Speech	Power: Part 1, chapter 1; class readings
01/03: Obstacles to Critical Thinking **SWA-1: Assigned**	Power: Part 1, chapter 2 PW: Chapter 1 and 3
01/04: Arguments – the basics Reading and analyzing philosophy	Power: Part 1, chapter 3 (pp. 59-86) Singer: Singer Solution to World Poverty
01/08: Argument basics (con’t) **SWA-1: DUE** **LWA-1: Assigned**	PW: Chapter 2, parts 1-3
01/09: Diagramming Arguments and Long Arguments	Power: Chapter 3 (pp. 86-101) PW: Chapter 3
01/10: Propositional Logic: Forms and Fallacies	Power: Part 3, Chapter 6 (195-204)       PW: Chapter 8
01/11: Propositional Logic: Checking for Validity	Power: Chapter 6 (205-217) PW: Chapter 4
01/15:  Reasons for Belief and Doubt **LWA-1: DUE**	Power: Part 2, Chapter 4 (109-136)
01/16: Sorting out the News **SWA-2: Assigned**	Power: Part 2, chapter 4 (137-144)
01/17: Fallacies and Persuaders	Power: Part 2, Chapter 5
01/18: Inductive Reasoning	Power: Part 3, Chapter 8
01/22: Inference to the Best Explanation **SWA-2: DUE** **LWA-2: Assigned**	Power: Part 4, Chapter 9 PW: Chapter 5
01/23: Judging Scientific Theories	Power: Part 4, Chapter 10
01/24: Scientific Reasoning (con’t)             Morality and the Law	Godfrey-Smith, on Canvas Power: Part 4, Chapter 11
01/25: Two Moral or Legal Controversies	Readings TBD
January 28: **LWA-2 DUE**

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Important Campus Resources

Student Services

Academic Accommodation

A student who feels he or she may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact Disabled Students Program & Services at (714) 564-6260 or visit DSPS online: https://www.sac.edu/StudentServices/DSPS/Pages/default.aspx. For students who have already been determined eligible for DSPS services, please provide the instructor with the proper form from DSPS in a timely manner, at the beginning of the semester and at least one week prior to the verified and identified need.

 

 

Nealley Library Hours of Operation

Intersession 2018 Hours

January 2, 2018 - January 28, 2018

Monday - Thursday 8:00 a.m - 6:00 p.m | Friday -Sunday: Closed

 

Learning Center

SAC Learning Center offers free academic assistance. They are located in Dunlap Hall

Room D-307.

 

 

 

 

 

“Two things fill the mind with ever-increasing wonder and awe, the more often and the more intensely the mind of thought is drawn to them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.”

                                                                                                                        ––– Immanuel Kant