Course Syllabus

PHIL 110 Online Syllabus.doc

Course Information

Section: 61068

Instructor: Carlos Brocatto

Schedule: Monday – Thursday 9am -1:30pm

Location: D-201

Instructor Contact Information

E-Mail: brocatto­_carlos@sac.edu

Office: D-415

Phone: (714) 564-6536 

Course Description

College-level critical thinking and writing. Promotes self-awareness, independent thinking, and improved academic expression. Examines philosophical methods of reasoning and composition, and the uses of informal logic and criticism in personal life, college, work, and democratic society.

Prerequisite: English 101 or English 101H with a minimum grade of C.

A bit about me: My name is Carlos Brocatto, but please just address me as Carlos. I have planned to change the world with my education and each of you can help me to meet this goal by applying what you learn in this course. I'm not kidding. Why not reach for the stars? I like to relax in all sorts of ways like fixing coffee, listening to records (punk, hip hop, jazz and country mostly, some classical), and reading fiction, history and philosophy. I also tinker with a bass guitar from time to time...

Course Overview

The main objective of this class will be to understand the fundamentals of critical thinking by developing the ability to identify, understand, and critically analyze simple and complex logical arguments. We will learn to assess the strength of information we gather and how to effectively employ it through argumentation. One immediate benefit of this class will be an improved ability to read and write essays that respond to specific questions through clearly stated theses and cogent claims that support them. An added benefit will be the ability to apply what we learn to the lives we lead by cultivating and addressing issues in our communities.

Required Texts

1. Lewis Vaughn, Writing Philosophy: A Student’s Guide to Reading and Writing Philosophy Essays, 5^th Edition (New York: Oxford University Press, 2018). [WP]
2. Lewis Vaughn, The Power of Critical Thinking, 3^rd- 5^th (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010-18). [PCT]
3. Michelle Kuo, Reading with Patrick: A Teacher, A Student, and a Life-Changing Friendship (New York: Random House, 2018). [RP]

Additional course documents and supplementary materials will be available under "Course Materials."

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Identify, reconstruct, and analyze logical arguments, including conclusions, premises, and implicit assumptions, within a wide variety of written works. 
• To apply, in both written and oral form, critical thinking concepts and techniques to contemporary issues related to society, politics, law, science, medicine, and education.
• To identify common reasoning errors and cognitive biases that lead to faulty argumentation.
• To write effective argumentative essays in which original, thoughtful, strongly developed critical positions are presented in a clear, methodical, well-structured manner. 

Assignments, Grades and Policies

Course Points

Class Participation                 16

Homework                              24

Term Paper Project                20

Midterm Exam                        20

Final Exam                             20

Total Points Possible              100

Grading Scale

A         90 – 100          points

B         80 – 89            points

C         70 – 79            points

D         60 – 69             points

F          0 – 59              points

Please note that every point is equal to a grade percentage point for this course; in other words, every single point counts toward your final grade.

Class Participation

Each student is expected to complete every assignment/task for this class. In order to get full credit for participation, all tasks for each module must be completed on time. Points are deducted when tasks are missed, or incomplete, or when a student has been respectful toward others (see the entry on Netiquette in "Course Materials"). 

Discussions and Quizzes

There will be six discussions and six quizzes which will consist of special topics and selected exercises either as online discussions or from The Power of Critical Thinking and/or reading notes All work submitted for this course will require application of critical thinking skills such as identifying fallacious argumentation and demonstrating competency in proposition logic. There will be four homework assignments worth five points each. 

Term Paper

This assignment will be divided into two parts and instructions will be provided three weeks in advance of the first due date. The first part of the project concerns the construction of a detailed summary outline for planned work and is worth four points. The second part consist of an argumentative essay. Part two will consist of an analytical summary. The term paper will call for an original summary analysis and will be judged according to coherence, clarity (including grammar/spelling), structure, argumentative strength, and originality. All work is to be typed, double-spaced, and five to six pages in length. Detailed instructions on how to construct a philosophy essay will be presented via PowerPoint, course texts, and in-class lecture. The second part is worth six points and the completed term paper will be worth a combined total of ten points. Both parts of the assignment must be completed by their respective due dates in order to receive any credit for this assignment.

Midterm & Final Exams

Each exam consists of essay questions and exercises from our text. The midterm will cover all material worked through by the time of the exam. The Final is cumulative. Comprehensive study guides will be provided for each exam.

Late Essays and Make-up Exams

Unless there is a valid excuse (e.g., medical emergency, fatality, etc.), no late work will be accepted and no make-up exams will be made available for this class.

Plagiarism and Cheating

Plagiarizing or cheating on any assignment will result in a “0” for that assignment, and possible failure of the course. Anyone caught plagiarizing or cheating may also be subject to college disciplinary sanctions. Further guidelines on plagiarism will be provided with the instructions for the first essay assignment.

Students with Disabilities

Your success in this course is important to me. Santa Ana College and I are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all individuals with disabilities. If you have a disability that may have some impact on your ability to do well in this course, I encourage you to speak with me as soon as possible. Also, please contact Disabled Students Programs & Services so that we can all collaborate on your classroom observations in a timely manner. DSP&S is located in VL-203, and their phone number is 714-564-6264. The DSP&S office requires documentation of your disability in order to receive reasonable accommodations. If you do not have documentation, they will work with you to acquire it. I look forward to supporting you to meet your learning goals.

It is the disabled student’s responsibility to contact the course instructor at the beginning of the semester to discuss potential plans when classroom evacuations are necessary. 

Course Adds and Drops

The deadline to turn in all documents needed to add the course to the Admissions Office is Sunday, 9/8; you cannot enroll in this course for any reason if you miss this deadline. The deadline to drop this course without a “W” on your transcript is Sunday, 9/8; the deadline to drop this course with a “W” on your transcript is Sunday, 11/18. It is not, however, the instructor’s responsibility to drop you from the course; if you wish to drop, it is your responsibility to do so.

Reading Assignment Schedule

Module topics are in italics while important dates and assignments are indicated in bold type. All assigned reading should be completed prior to the day indicated. Students are also directed to read ahead especially in the case of the Armstrong and Aslan texts which supplement class lectures.

Module 1: Critical Thinking, The Critical Attitude & Social Responsibility

• Introductions, Syllabus, Plato’s Euthyphro (C)
• Plato’s Euthyphro (C)
• PCT pp. 3-19

Module 2: Labor Day

• Plato’s Euthyphro (C)
• PCT pp. 30-47
• WP pp. 3-20

Module 3: Education, Obstacles to Critical Thinking; Reasons for Belief & Doubt

• PCT pp. 109-146
• Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglas I-VII

Module 4: Making Sense of Arguments

• PCT pp. 58-102; WP pp. 21-42
• Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglas VIII-Appendix

Module 5: Faulty Reasoning

• PCT pp. 155-182; WP pp. 88-98
• Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglas First Lecture on Liberation

Module 6: Deductive Reasoning & Translating Arguments

• PCT pp. 193-215
• Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglas Second Lecture on Liberation

Module 7: Propositional Logic, Midterm Review

• WP pp. 55-87; Term Paper Assigned
• PCT pp. 218-229, Group Work, Midterm Review

Module 8: Review

• Review for Midterm Exam

Module 9: Inductive Reasoning

• PCT pp. 264-310
• The Fire Next Time 3-13

Module 10: Explanations

• PCT pp. 319-361
• The Fire Next Time 15-47

Module 11: Judging Scientific Theories

• PCT pp. 367-416
• The Fire Next Time 47-82

Module 12: Term Paper Drafts

• The Fire Next Time 82-106
• Malcolm X’s The Ballot or The Bullet

Module 13: Moral arguments & Reading with Patrick

• PCT pp. 422-443
• WP pp. 107-130
• Reading with Patrick Introduction & pp. 3-133

Module 14: Reading with Patrick

• Reading with Patrick 134-208 

Module 15: Term Paper Workshop

• Reading with Patrick 209-279

Module 16: Review

• Review for Final Exam

Note: This schedule is tentative and subject to change if classroom circumstances warrant.