PHL222 Critical Thinking

Spring Semester, 2012

Dr. Dennis M. Weiss

Office: HUM 154

Office Hours:  MWF 12:00 - 1:00, Th 2:00 - 3:00, and by appointment

Office Phone: 815-1513

Course Syllabus

Course Description

Critical thinking is simply the careful, deliberate determination of whether we should accept, reject, or suspend judgment about a claim--and of the degree of confidence with which to accept or reject it. We will consider the various methods, techniques, and precautions that will enable us to listen and read carefully, to evaluate arguments, to look for and find hidden assumptions, and to trace the consequences of a claim. Our ultimate goal is to enable ourselves to make wise decisions about what to believe and what to do.

Why study critical thinking? Why is critical thinking important?

David Brooks, New York Times columnist: "Studying the humanities improves your ability to read and write. No matter what you do in life, you will have a huge advantage if you can read a paragraph and discern its meaning (a rarer talent than you might suppose). You will have enormous power if you are the person in the office who can write a clear and concise memo."

Edward B. Rust Jr., chairman and CEO of State Farm Insurance Companies, observes that "at State Farm, our employment exam does not test applicants on their knowledge of finance or the insurance business, but it does require them to demonstrate critical thinking skills" and "the ability to read for information, to communicate and write effectively, and to have an understanding of global integration."

And then there is Google, which more than any other company has sung the praises of humanities students and intends to recruit many of them. "We are going through a period of unbelievable growth," reports Google’s Marissa Mayer, "and will be hiring about 6,000 people this year — and probably 4,000-5,000 from the humanities or liberal arts."

For more on the value of critical thinking and the humanities, see "Fear of Being Useful."

Textbook

A Practical Study of Argument, Seventh Edition, Trudy Govier

Grading

Please Read: My Grading Philosophy

 

3 Exams @ 100 points each 300 points
Homework 100 points
Op-Ed Project 300 points
Class Participation 100 points
Cultural Activities 20 points
Total Available Points 820 points

Exams

There will be three exams given during the semester, covering the material from the textbook. Exams will include problems similar to those encountered in the textbook exercises as well as extended writing assignments. Exams may be given in class or as take-home exams.

Becoming an Op-Ed Writer

Throughout the semester we will be reading and critiquing op-ed articles from major newspapers, news magazines, and web sites. In order to hone your critical thinking and reading skills and engage in local, national, and international conversations on significant issues, I will ask you to prepare by the end of the semester a portfolio of three op-ed pieces. In order to familiarize your self with op-ed writing, during the first week of class you should subscribe to one or more of the newsletters available at OpinionSource.

Homework

Regular assignments will be made from the chapter exercises of the textbook and should be done prior to coming to class. These assignments will be discussed in class. At the end of class I will collect each assignment and note that you have completed it. At the end of the semester I will award up to 100 points for homework, deducting five points for each assignment you failed to turn in.

Class Participation

In her article "Feminist Epistemology" Naomi Scheman argues that it is misleading to think of epistemic agency as ideally exercised in solitude. Knowing and coming to know, Scheman contends, are social and interactive. "They are things we do, and things we are appropriately held responsible for doing, in social and cultural settings that variously help and hinder our doing them well." I wholeheartedly agree with Scheman that knowing is a practice that ideally occurs in a social setting. Each of us is responsible for participating in a variety of communities of knowers and it is a responsibility we ought to take seriously. Our class is one such community, a community in which we must actively participate in the social practice of knowing. To encourage your participation in this community of learners and to encourage you to come to class prepared to discuss that day’s issues, at the end of the semester, you will receive a grade based on your class participation throughout the semester. The grade you receive will be based on, among other things, your regular attendance, your improvement over the course of the semester, and, to the greatest extent, your willingness to contribute in a meaningful way to the daily class discussion. Other indices of an engaged student include:

Please consult the Class Participation Rubric for information on how your class participation will be graded.

E-Mail Addresses

You are expected to have an active York College e-mail address and to check it regularly during the semester. I will send e-mail only to your ycp.edu address. If you wish to use other addresses, such as private internet service provided addresses, you should set up your YCP address so that it automatically forwards your mail to that address.

Attendance

While I won't be taking roll in class each day, your homework will provide me with a record of your attendance. Attending class is a key factor in college success. Not only does regular attendance help you succeed, it also helps the class work well and succeed. As my class participation guidelines make clear, a classroom is a community of learners in which we are all engaged in mastering material. It's far easier to do that when everyone attends regularly. When you fail to attend class, you lose points for your missed homework and your class participation grade suffers. Additionally, if you miss the equivalent of one's week's classes, your final grade may be lowered by one-half grade (.5). If you miss the equivalent of two weeks of classes, your final grade may be lowered by one full grade. If you miss any class, please be responsible for getting class notes, assignments, etc. from another student in class. It may help to have available telephone numbers or e-mail addresses of one or two classmates.

Activities outside of regular class hours

As part of the regular course requirements, you will be expected to occasionally participate in events outside of the regular class hours. You may be asked to watch videos on your own time and attend evening events. Additionally, as part of the English and Humanities Department's efforts to encourage student participation in college cultural activities, I will ask that you attend two events during the semester. More information concerning this will be provided in class. Following your attendance, you should write a brief 250 word reflective analysis of the event you attended. This must be turned in within one week of the date of the event. You will receive 10 points for each of the two events you attend and write-up.

Electronic Submissions

Please note that I do not accept electronic submissions of assigned work. You are responsible for insuring that I receive a hardcopy of your work by the assigned deadline.

Laptops in the Classroom

Your use of a laptop in class is a privilege and not a right. You are required to bring your readings to class and some of these readings are available electronically. I have no objection to your bringing your laptop to class in order to access the readings electronically or take notes during class (thereby cutting down on printing costs). You should know, however, that a number of studies have indicated that students who use laptops in class often perform poorly in comparison with students who do not. Laptops also are a source of constant distraction which take away your focus from the class and diminish your engagement with the course. For this reason, if I feel that your laptop use is undermining your engagement in the course or if I discover that you are using your laptop for other than class purposes, your laptop privileges will be immediately and permanently revoked for the rest of the semester.

Your Responsibilities

You should explore the following links so that you better understand the standards that we will adhere to in this course.

It is your responsibility to remain apprised of all assignments and any changes in the syllabus or grading policies. I reserve the right to make changes to class policies and the syllabus as I deem necessary. I expect that you will be in class daily, having prepared your work and ready to discuss the material. 

You should obtain the names and contact information from several of your fellow classmates so that you have someone to contact if you must miss class. You should not depend on either e-mailing or phoning me to learn what you missed in class or find out your assignment for the following class. 

You should strictly observe the following policies:

I have prepared some material to help you in reading and writing philosophy. If you are having difficulty with your class readings or writing assignments, you might wish to review the following material.

How to Read Philosophy

Writing Philosophy Essays

If you are interested in exploring philosophy on the web further, you might begin with the links I have collected on the following web page:

Philosophy Links

Studying Philosophy at York College

 

Syllabus