PHIL 1125 - Thinking Critically About Contemporary Issues
3 Credits
An introduction to basic principles of informal logic and critical thinking. Emphasis on different kinds of arguments, methods of argument evaluation, and the analysis of arguments as they arise in various contexts such as political debate, advertising, science, law, and ethics. Each course will include a focus on some contemporary issue chosen by the instructor.
Major Content Areas
Analyze and evaluate inductive reasoning (25%) Common Fallacies (15%) Analyze and evaluate deductive reasoning (25%) Focus on specific contemporary issue from a philosophical/critical perspective (35%)
Learning Outcomes
Identify and articulate the main elements of arguments (premises and conclusions) in various contexts, as well as hidden assumptions Develop and demonstrate the ability to distinguish good argumentation from bad argumentation Identify and articulate common mistakes in reasoning (i.e. fallacies) Analyze and evaluate arguments from various contexts Demonstrate the ability to distinguish between inductive and deductive reasoning and the standards of evaluation relevant to each
Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MNTC) Goals
02 - Critical Thinking 09 - Ethical/Civic Resp
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