Course Syllabus
Santa Ana College
The mission of Santa Ana College is to inspire, transform, and empower a diverse community of learners.
Philosophy 110: Critical Thinking Syllabus (Online)
Printable Course Syllabus:
Course Information
Section: 71185
Instructor: Carlos Brocatto
Instructor Contact Information
E-Mail: brocatto_carlos@sac.edu
Office Location: D-415; Office Phone: (714) 564-6536
Office Hours: M 12:30-1:30pm; T 12-2pm; W 12:30-1:30pm & 5-6pm
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 and banjo 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 (all texts will be provided for free through Canvas):
The bold acronym following each listed text indicates how it will be referenced throughout the course.
- Lewis Vaughn, Writing Philosophy: A Student’s Guide to Reading and Writing Philosophy Essays, 5th Edition (New York: Oxford University Press, 2018). [WP]
- Elijah Chudnoff, Guide to Philosophical Writing, (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2007). [GPW]
- Fredrick Douglas & Angela Davis, Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglas, (San Francisco: City Lights Publishers, 2009). [DD]
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 130
- Quizzes
- Discussions
- Exercises
- Term Paper Project 30
- Outline
- Midterm Exam 20
- Final Exam 20
Total Points Possible 200
Grading Scale
A 180 – 200 points
B 160 – 179 points
C 140 – 159 points
D 120 – 139 points
F 0 – 119 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 from assignments due to erroneous or lazy responses, when tasks are incomplete, or when a student has been disrespectful toward others (see "Netiquette" in "Course Materials").
Discussions and Quizzes
There will be online discussions and quizzes throughout the course (see Course Calendar) which will consist of special topics and select exercises from The Power of Critical Thinking and/or assigned reading and lecture notes. All work submitted for this course will require the application of critical thinking skills such as identifying fallacious argumentation and demonstrating competency in propositional logic.
Term Paper
This assignment will be divided into two parts and instructions will be provided 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. The second part will consist of an argumentative Term Paper and will call for an original summary analysis to will be judged according to coherence, clarity (including grammar/spelling), structure, argumentative strength, and originality. The term paper is to be typed, double-spaced, and five to six pages in length. Detailed instructions on how to construct a philosophy term paper will be presented via PowerPoint, course texts, and in-class lecture notes. 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 course materials. 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 Work and Make-up Exams
No work will be accepted late without prior consent from the instructor. No make-up exams will be made available.
Extra Credit
Any extra credit assignments that may be completed throughout the semester officially counts toward the final grade once all course assignments listed on the syllabus (see "Assignments, Grades and Policies" above) have been successfully attempted. Work is considered “successfully attempted” when completed and submitted on time.
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.
Philosophy 110 – Critical Thinking - Course Schedule
I have divided the course into 16 Modules, each representing a week of the semester. The content for all modules, starting with Module 2, will open on Mondays at midnight. For example, Module 2 will open Monday September 2nd, Module 3 will open Monday September 9th, and so on.
The idea is that students will be able to identify chunks of work they need to complete in a given order within a specific timeframe. Once the Term Paper is assigned it will correspond to supplemental reading materials that will be made available under "Course Materials" beginning October 7th.
Course Schedule:
|
Module |
Topics |
Assignments |
Assessment |
Due Dates |
|
1
|
Introduction to Critical Thinking |
|
|
Sept. 1st 11:59pm |
|
2
|
Standardizing & Diagraming Arguments |
|
|
Sept. 8th 11:59pm |
|
3
|
Good & Faulty Reasoning Available Sept. 9th
|
|
|
Sept. 15th 11:59pm |
|
4
|
Evaluating Fallacious Arguments Available Sept. 9th |
|
|
Sept. 22nd 11:59pm |
|
5
|
Propositional Logic Translations Available Sept. 23rd |
|
|
Oct. 6th 11:59pm |
|
6
|
Propositional Logic Truth Tables Available Sept. 23rd |
|
|
Oct. 13th 11:59pm |
|
7
|
Term Paper Assignment Available Oct. 7th
|
|
|
Quiz due Oct. 13th 11:59pm |
|
8
|
Midterm Examination |
Midterm Review & Examination Week |
|
Oct. 20th 11:59pm |
|
9
|
Inductive Arguments |
|
|
Oct. 27th 11:59pm |
|
10
|
Explanations |
|
|
Module 10 work and Term Paper Outlines due Nov. 3rd 11:59pm |
|
11
|
Judging Scientific Theories |
|
|
Nov. 10th 11:59pm |
|
12
|
Pseudoscience |
Kryptozoology& Parapsychology |
|
Nov. 17th 11:59pm |
|
13
|
Critical Pedagogy |
|
|
Nov. 24th 11:59pm |
|
14
|
Moral Reasoning |
Lectures on Normative and Applied Ethics (Selected Readings) |
|
Dec. 1st 11:59pm |
|
15
|
Critical Thinking in Morality & the Law |
Applied Ethics (Selected Readings) |
|
Dec. 8th 11:59pm |
|
16
|
Midterm Examination |
Final Review & Examination Week |
Final Exam - 20pts |
Dec. 12th 11:59pm |
Note: This schedule is tentative and subject to change if classroom circumstances warrant. Participation / Homework points are earned when all assignments are attempted.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|