CRITICAL THINKING Syllabus
RELP 1166 Spring 2006 MWF12:00-12:50 ADM 303
Section 5603
Dr. Seth Holtzman
office: 308
Administration Bldg,
hours: MW
3-5; Th 10-11 (if no meeting); TTh 2-3; & by
appointment
phones: 637-4229 office; 636-9666 home; 637-4428 secretary
email: sholtzma@catawba.edu
Course summary:
This course is
an introduction to critical thinking; it approaches reasoning in an informal way,
versus formal symbolic logic. We will
examine the nature of reasoning as we employ it in ordinary ways. Since we reason with our minds, it stands to
reason that we should understand the mind.
So, we will also consider the structure and workings of the mind. Class format will be mostly lecture. We will work some problems. There will be some guided discussion. You
will have a variety of reading assignments and kinds of work. Only
one of RELP 1155 and 1166 can meet the Humanities general education requirement.
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Expected learning outcome A successful student should be able
to understand: |
Means of Assessment Demonstrated by success on:: |
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what critical thinking is |
Homework, midterm, paper, final exam |
|
the nature of the critical mind |
Homework, midterm, and final exam |
|
why critical thinking is needed |
Homework, midterm, and final exam |
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how we learn to think critically |
Homework, midterm, and final exam |
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what critical thinking requires of us |
Midterm and final exam |
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the mind’s structure and functioning |
Homework, midterm, and final exam |
|
liberal
education and its goal of shaping intellectual character |
Homework, midterm, paper, final exam |
Requirements and grading:
1) Attendance is required. During class, I may elicit some material from
you. So you must keep up with the
readings, that day's class, and the ongoing course. Be mentally active and prepared. Class
participation can raise your final grade by up to 1/3 of a grade.
2) Homework will include problem sets
and short writing assignments. I do not
accept late homework assignments; do not turn them in. TOTAL
of homework: 20% of your grade.
3) A cumulative midterm exam, tentatively on March 3rd,
testing your understanding of the readings, issues and problems from the
course. If you miss the exam, you must
contact me immediately. If you know you’ll
miss it, contact me beforehand ASAP. I
do not guarantee you a make-up exam. 25% of your grade.
4) A
3-4 page analytical paper on an assigned topic, due April 12, with optional
rewrite. 25% of your grade.
5) A comprehensive final exam, 30% of your grade. Wednesday, May 3rd, 3:00pm
Requirements for written work include these:
Responsiveness to the Assignment
Fulfill the purpose of the assignment directly and completely.
Content
Display an understanding of the subject. Make good use of relevant
concepts, distinctions, positions, and reasons from course readings, lecture or
discussion. Organize your ideas to arrange
them logically and clearly. Support main
points by substantial, relevant details.
Your work should be well reasoned.
Your claims and reasons should be consistent. Anticipate and address any reasonable
objections.
Execution
Use precise words and well-constructed sentences that
clearly represent the writer’s reasoning.
Adhere to conventions of grammar, capitalization, spelling, and
usage. The writing style should be appropriate
to the academy. Your
work should be clearly written, its claims precise, its structure clear, with
an explicit overall direction. It should
be intelligible to an interested student.
Citations and
Documentation
Clearly differentiate your own material from
source material. When using material not
your own, or not common knowledge, document the source of the information using
a standardized (i.e., MLA or APA) method or other method allowed by their
instructor.
Other requirements: in time, typed, paginated, tidy (stapled/bound),
standard margins/fonts, and dark print. Failure
to meet these requirements will hurt your assignment grades. Papers should have a cover page with your
name, course name/number, date, my name, and title.
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Grades can and should measure achievement only.
: "A"
"B" Good mastery B+ 87-89 B 83-86 B- 80-82
“C” Satisfactory achievement C+ 77-79 C 73-76 C-
70-72
“D” Less than satisfactory
achievement D+ 67-69 D 63-66 D- 60-62
“F” Unsatisfactory achievement
A+ is not a possible final course grade.
Texts:
1) Critical Reasoning &
Philosophy, by M. Andrew Holowchak
2) Handouts that I will provide.
Read
the assigned passages carefully. Some of the material is easy and accessible on
your first try. Other assignments are
quite taxing and may well require multiple readings. I suggest the following strategy for a
difficult reading: read it once quickly
simply to get the gist; then read it carefully for details, not worrying about
the overall picture; then read it normally, trying to fit the details into the
overall picture.
I
advise you to take at least some notes on what you read, since I will lecture
on only those parts that I consider essential for us to cover in class. You will be responsible for everything in the
assigned readings, whether or not it is discussed in class. Lectures can cover material not in the
readings; this is another reason to attend.
Most
students take very sketchy notes.
Perhaps they think that they cannot both take notes and listen or
perhaps they do not appreciate the value of taking notes. Learn to write while you listen; it not only
can be done, but it enhances your grasp of what is said. Take as many notes as you can, without losing
too much of what is said. Your notes are
an invaluable resource for understanding the course and for the final exam.
Absences and violations:
To help
with attendance--and to learn your names--I will institute a seating chart in
the first few days of class. Pick your
permanent seat; notify me to change it.
I will check attendance from the chart promptly at the start of
class. . If late, you
might be counted absent; if late enough, you do count as absent. Avoid tardiness;
if you are often late (without reason), I will choose to count you as absent. Sleeping
and other forms of mental disconnect in class count as an absence. When absent, you are responsible for missed
assignments and classroom material. Get
notes from a classmate. If you still
have questions, contact me.
No absences
are excused. After 3 penalty-free absences,
which you needn’t explain to me, further absences lower your final grade: for 4-5 total absences, minus 1/3 grade; for
6-8, minus 2/3
grade; for 9-10, minus 1 grade. Missing the class immediately before or after a vacation counts
double. Over 10 absences for
other than an emergency is automatic grounds for an "F" (or an
"I" in some cases), regardless of your grades.
Respect the people and ideas in our
class. I don't care if you bring a drink
or sport a hat or don rags. I do care
that you pay attention to me and to others (so, no cell phones or activated
pagers/beepers/watches), that you are on time and ready to work, that you bring
a positive attitude to class even if you are struggling, and that you contribute
positively to class.
Cheating, working
with someone to complete individual assignments (unless allowed), as well as
falsifying an emergency to skip class or an assignment, all violate the Honor
Code. So does plagiarism, employing a
writer's ideas (and even words) without giving the writer due credit. See me for help about borrowing someone's
ideas or words for your use.
CRITICAL THINKING Schedule of
Topics:
1) What is critical thinking?
“Thinking”
in the broad sense of the term
mental activity that is
“critical”, that critiques, uses reasoning power to judge/appraise
Intellect vs. intelligence
thinking
critically and coming to have a critical mind
a critical mind functions according to a particular set of
values and habits and principles
activity of
a critical mind
Mental activity: Eco, pp.15-20
What is critical thinking (and
isn’t): Nosich, pp.
2-19
The process of learning it: Nosich, pp. 29-30, 32-4
Conceptual accounts: Conceptual theories (C&P), Meno
Activity of a critical thinker: Chafee, pp. 50-85
Questioning: P/E ,
pp.117-20, 124-5, 128-32
Values : P/E, chapter 1
The critical mind: Flowers for Algernon
Topics:
conceptual accounts versus dictionary definitions
Principles: Be responsible to reality. Fulfill your nature as a person.
2) Why
not just accept received or self-judged truth and leave it at that?
Anti-intellectualism: critical
mind seen as dangerous
Misconceptions about
intellectuals and about teaching
Who
says what the truth is?
We’ve
been wrong before
We
encounter problems within what we take to be true
Not
the best way of reaching truth
Open
to manipulation
Examples: Euthyphro problem;
econ in
Anti-intellectualism: Ignorance by Degree, Biased Against Brains,
Hofstadter
Why think critically: Holowchak, pp. 7-9
Statements and relationships:
Holowchak, pp. 53-6;
Johnson, pp.322ff. exercises
Relationships: “Scientific Thought Experiments” pp.29-30
Problems w/i what we take as true:
“A Loint of Paw”, pp. 128-29
Not best way to reach truth:
The 6th Palace
Non-linear
reasoning: C. S. Lewis, pp. 83, 90-1
Linguistic error: Carroll, p.286
Manipulation of language: Euthydemus,
Parmenides
Following
authority: Milgram
Topics: Judgments (Truth-claims/commitments)
Assessment of judgments
Properties and Relationships
Principles: Be correct in one’s commitments. Be consistent
in one’s set of commitments.
3) How
do we learn critical thinking?
Following/modeling
What we do is shaped by our
awareness of how others understand it and do it
Use it or lose it
Garbage in, garbage out
Falsehoods, gullability, dishonesty, sloppiness, antagonism (eg, “shout” shows),
closemindedness, manipulativeness,
weak-mindedness
Discipline
Value
of good thinkers
Choose carefully
Exercising the mind:
Use it or lose it
Arguments: Holowchak, pp. 20-33
Writing:
Holowchak, pp.
91-130
Discipline: Bettelheim,
pp. 98-110
Topics: Justifying/explanatory
reasons
Arguments
Chains of arguments (positions)
Principle: Discover, internalize,
and form a critical mind.
4) What does critical thinking require?
Reflective awareness vs. animal awareness
Critical (rational) examination
Thus intellectual activity is
natural
Will we recognize
that? and will
we do it well or poorly?
Governing one’ s
intellectual activity
No giving in to fear, laziness,
apathy, or frustration
Controlling emotions: Goleman, chpts 3 & 4
Parts
of thought: P/E chapter 4
Diagramming: Holowchak, pp. 37-50
Deduction:
Schwartz, chapter 4
Induction, causal arguments: Schwartz, chpts
11-12
Analogies: Epstein,
chpt 12; Carey, chpt 8
Impediments to
critical thinking: Nosich, pp. 19-29 Overcoming
obstacles:
Ruggiero, chapter 2
Using words any way you like: Carroll,
p.274
Standards: Nosich, pp. 135-69; P/E chpt 5
Laughter,
truth, doubt, authority: Eco, 148-53
Topics: Diagramming + kinds of arguments
Assumptions vs. presuppositions
Principle: Have an
integrated mind.
5) What is the nature of the mind?
Model of mind as a web or field
Wholistic
semantic and logical structure
Ideas generate (or help us discover)
other ideas
Inherent dynamic (“flow”) of the
mind
Natural requirements located in the
contents of the mind
Ethics of thought
Connections among ideas: Frye
Ethics of thought: Clifford
Alternative reasons and conclusions:
B
& K, pp.191-200; Nosich, pp. 60-1
Topics: Generating premises
Reasoning from assumptions or to them
Alternative reasons and conclusions
Generating a position
Principles: Reach appropriate
degree of acceptance for any commitment.
Empower the mind (vs.
have power over it) to function by its inner dynamics.
6) What is the nature of critical activity?
Emotive reasoning
Grasps (felt)
requirements directly, but logical structure only indirectly:
What the next thought
should be; art;
what most reasoning is (must be); risks
Reflective reasoning
Grasps logical structure
directly; what logic necessitates; E.g., formal logic,
Math; can go beyond emotive reasoning alone;
corrective/confirming power
Value
of expression
Confirmation
through agreement
Community of thinkers
Expression and
confirmation: Crito
Refuting:
Epstein, pp.147-54
Fallacies: Holowchak, pp. 82-88; “Love
is a Fallacy”
Topics: Refutation by
analogy
Challenging premises and assumptions, form,
presuppositions
Offering competing arguments
Identifying fallacies
Formal vs.
Informal
Principle: Use reflective
reasoning to assess emotive.
7) Education and the Culture
Critical thought is essential both
for the individual and for the culture
Decision-making,
problem-solving, growth
Critical
thought is essential for democratic political system (citizens vs. subjects)
Needed for common good/public
welfare
Risk
if intellectual character is left to chance
Does a
family and/or community happen to value it and know how to teach it?
Risk
if intellectual character is shaped by governing values other than truth and
good,
such as
self-interest or profit
Liberal education designed to
structure and nurture intellectual character
Education as formalized,
standardized discipline
Critical mastery of
self/culture = freedom
Self ßà world (size, order, intelligibility)
Role
of intellectual
Gaining critical mastery of self/culture: Cultural Slavery or Freedom?
Need for
formalization:
“Science
and Commonsense”
Principle: Define and live a life of one’s own that is
rationally and morally defensible.