Critical Thinking syllabus

In this course students will learn to think well and analyze information. The
course begins with learning to recognize the parts of an argument and later covers
how to arrange those parts. Students will learn some methods of finding
information from electronic data bases. Students will demonstrate knowledge of
proper methods of citing sources. Students will practice thinking skills,
identifying arguments, differentiate between good and bad arguments, take and
state a position on a controversial subject, and argue for and against a position.
Students will perform several writing exercises, each exercise leading up to a full
position paper.
Syllabus for Critical Thinking
Philosophy 125

Phil125 Page 2
Cuyamaca College
Philosophy 125 – Critical Thinking
Spring 2015
Section Number: 5642
3 Units  Room F716  Tuesday 6:00pm-8:50pm
Instructor: Dale S. Hull
Office: None:  Office Hours: None. I am generally on campus Tuesday afternoons by
5:30pm before class, and I am on campus Wednesday afternoons before Phil 110 at 6:00
pm. Or by appointment.
Cell Phone: 619-890-0009 (If it is important, this is the best way to get in touch with me.
You may also text me.)
Email Address: Xenophenes@Juno.com This is also a great way to get in touch with me.
I check email most weekdays around 5:30am. I check email sometime during the day on
weekends. You can expect a response to your email within 24 hours of my receiving it.
Course Length: Regular Semester (16 weeks).
Course Description: In this course students will learn to think well and analyze
information. The course begins with learning to recognize the parts of an argument and
later covers how to arrange those parts. Students will learn some methods of finding
information from electronic data bases. Students will demonstrate knowledge of proper
methods of citing sources. Students will practice thinking skills, identifying arguments,
differentiate between good and bad arguments, take and state a position on a
controversial subject, and argue for and against a position. Students will perform several
writing exercises, each exercise leading up to a full position paper. Class time will be
lecture and student interaction. Class participation is required.
Major Topics: There are several topics which will be discussed during this course. They
are: What is critical thinking?, Linguistic components of arguments, The elements of
arguments, Inductive reasoning, Authority, (Library Research), Causality, the Media,
Deductive reasoning, Analogy, Marketing and Advertising, Ethics and Moral Decision
Making, Oral Arguments, Science, Knowledge Evidence and Errors in Thinking, and
Fallacies.
Prerequisites: None
Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) / Course Objectives
Students will be able to:
1) Recognize components of arguments, types of arguments and soundness of arguments
2) Distinguish correct from fallacious forms of reasoning
3) Analyze and critique both inductive and deductive arguments
4) Construct arguments in symbolic forms
5) Recognize and evaluate patterns in extensive arguments likely to be encountered in
moral reasoning, casual arguments, explanations and psychological inducements
6) Utilize techniques for enhancing critical reading and writing skills.

Phil125 Page 3
It is my hope that you will find this course completely relevant to your lives and that you
will go spend the rest of your lives pursuing Truth and Rationality, or in other words
Critical thinking, with your friends.
Classroom Expectations
1) There are several reading assignments throughout the semester. It is required that you
do the assigned reading for each class (see page 6-8 of syllabus). I will not simply review
the reading and class discussion will presume that you have done the reading. (I would
recommend that you read the book in its entirety the first weekend and then reread the
assignment before the scheduled class where we will discuss that reading). Please note
that you are expected to participate in the discussions.
2) We will discuss critical thinking ideas (philosophical ideas) together. I have
constructed the course with this firmly in mind. Every class session will involve class
discussion. I will generally lead the debate, but sometimes it'll be you who will be
holding forth, sharing and defending your thoughts will the rest of us. I expect that you
will be polite and kind – so that even the shyest among us can feel comfortable – and that
you will have the confidence to express our thoughts and to listen in a respectful and
thoughtful manner.
TEXTS
Required:
A Rulebook for Arguments 4th edition written by Anthony Weston. Available in
the bookstore. It is about nine dollars.
GRADED WORK
Exams: There are no exams for this course.
Written Assignments: There are several Assignments to be completed in this course: 16
take home exercises, 11 in-class exercises; 3 short essays (each about 2-5 pages); 5
rewrites of those short essays; and 1 longer paper (about 5-10 pages). Some of the work
will be done in class; some will be done outside the classroom. Brief information about
these assignments is given below; more detailed information will be given in class.
Exercises: 16 short writing take home exercises will be assigned. There are 11 in-class
exercises. There are 9 'Read The Paper' (RTP) exercises to be completed in class, and
there is 1 class survey (worth 10 points). Take home short writing exercises will be due at
the beginning of the next class meeting after they were assigned. If any students add this
course after the first week (January 27), this exercise will be due in the next scheduled
class after receiving a copy of this syllabus. Each of these assignments will receive a
grade between 1 and 10. Additional information is below in the section titled
'Attendance.'

Phil125 Page 4
Short Essays (papers): The student will write 3 essays that state and defend a position.
Each paper is expected to be about 2-5 pages long. Each short essay (paper) is worth
two exercises (i.e. 2-20). Information about the first position paper is found below, and
more instruction about the others will be given in class. Due dates for these papers are:
February 10, April 28, and May 12.
For the first position essay (Due February 10), each student is required to write an essay
(about two to five pages, double spaced typed (word processed)) supporting any
controversial position. Examples of possible topics include whether abortion should
remain legal, whether animals have rights, whether gay marriage should be legal, whether
affirmative action is just, whether people have souls, or whether the United States should
leave Iraq now. In this paper, the student should be sure to state what is the position taken
and defend that position.
Rewrites: Students will have five chances to rewrite the first essay, but each rewrite will
be made according to specific instructions given in class. The dates for these rewrites are:
February 24, March 3, March 17, March 31, and April 14. Rewrites 1, 2, 3, and five are
worth one exercise (i.e. 1-10). Rewrite 4 is worth two exercises (i.e. 2-20).
Long Position Paper: The long position paper will present arguments for and against a
position presented in the paper. These arguments may be summarized, compared,
contrasted, and evaluated. Students are expected to use at least two outside sources for
this paper, and the paper is expected to have a least five pages of text (this does not
include a title page, notes, bibliography, etc.) Besides presenting both sides of the
position, the student will defend one side against the other and argue that one side is more
cogent. This paper is due at the beginning of class on May 19. Some instructions about
the format will be given later in the semester. This paper is worth five times a normal
exercise (i.e. 5-50).
Take home writing exercises are due the following class day, no exceptions. For other
writing assignments, see the due dates listed on the calendar. A late penalty of 3 points
per day will be subtracted from the essays (not the exercises) received after the assigned
due date. A student may turn in an assignment for credit before the due date. In assigning
credit to any assignment, although a student's reasoning ability usually will determine the
major portion of the score, other factors such as style, grammar, spelling, etc. will be
considered.
Information For Written Assignments: These are expected to be well written, and
TYPED. You must put your name on each page, and the pages should be numbered.
Pages must be mechanically attached before coming to class. A staple is preferred, but a
paper clip will suffice. The instructor will not read any page that is not numbered (except
for the first page) or that doesn't have the student's name on it; he will not read beyond
the first page if the pages following it are not attached to it with a staple or paper clip.
These are standard practices which you normally should follow for every class.

Phil125 Page 5
Below are common mistakes for which your grade will suffer if you make them. Please
proof read your papers before you hand them in. Better still, have someone else –
friend, roommate, relative – proof read them for you. Remember, when your paper is
graded, what counts is not what you meant, but what you wrote. (The English Writing
Center B167 is an excellent resource for students.)
Misspellings: yes, spelling counts. Since most people have computers (and not
typewriters) to write, and since most computers have spell checkers, there is very little
excuse for misspelled words. In fact, there is no excuse whether you use a computer or
not. Do not rely on your computers spell checker to be sure there are no errors.
“Thus sentience get passed my spill chequer.”
Sentence Fragments: most English sentences have both a subject and a verb. Words
ending in “ing” (i.e. a gerund) give many people trouble. “Meaning that you should be
careful about gerunds” is NOT a sentence. Unless your writing is especially stylized that
you can omit a subject or a verb, please make sure that each sentence has both a subject
and verb that agree with each other. This brings us to the next error.
Agreement: in English, as in most languages, subjects and verbs must agree with each
other. For example, we might say, “Philosophy sucks,” but we never say, “Philosophy
suck.” Other parts of speech must agree too, so pronouns must agree with their
antecedents. “An individual must write well or else they seem to be unintelligent,” is not
a well written sentence since “An individual is a single subject and “they” refers to a
plural antecedent which doesn't exist in that sentence. (One way to test for agreement is
not to use the pronoun and see what you get: “An individual must write well or else an
individual seem to be unintelligent” is wrong.)
Punctuation: the most common errors is either too many commas or not enough.
Generally, commas separate otherwise complete sentences joined with a conjunction
(e.g., “and,” “but”), and they are also used to separate dependent clauses from main
sentences. “I think, and I exist” (with comma) and “I think and exist” (no comma)
illustrate the fist point. “If you think, you must exist” illustrates the second point. Many
college level dictionaries have grammar guides as a preface or appendix; you are
encouraged to use one.
General Sense: many people know what they're thinking when they write, but somehow
they don't quite write what they think. Read your sentences one at a time (and even out
loud) to see if your sentences make sense. Do they make sense to you?
Miscellaneous: things like homonyms, abbreviations, and contractions really confuse
many people. Common errors include confusing then and than; except and accept; their,
there, and they're; its and it's; our and are; your and you're; we're and were. Remember,
an apostrophe doesn't always indicate the possessive (genitive) case; it often denotes a
contraction (that at least one letter has been removed). In fact, no apostrophe is this
section indicates possession. (E.g., “it's” = “it is “ not belonging to it”.)

Phil125 Page 6
Attendance: Attendance is expected, and absence does NOT excuse a student from
handing in an assignment (if one is due that day) or from the material covered in the
missed class(es). If fact, attendance is used in figuring out each student's final grade. A
student earns 7.5 points for each class attended for a maximum of 120 points. A few
absences, along with the attendant work, will probably cause a person's grade to
slip, so be warned in advance. If it is true that learning occurs as a result of interactive
experience, full credit should not be expected if one does not at least allow for the
possibility of that experience. This means that generally absences cannot be made up,
however, the out of class work can be competed and turn in during the next class period.
(Please note that there may be exceptions to this policy due to an emergency. The
instructor reserves all rights as to determine what constitutes an emergency.)
Note Well! Partial absence can be assigned for students who come late or leave early
(thus a student who leaves early or comes late may earn only ½ a mark for that day).
Also Note: Being in the classroom is not a sufficient condition for attending. Appearing
to sleep, to read newspapers, to listen to an i-pod, etc., even while being in class, may
count as a absence. Obviously attendance is very important to the instructor and will
make a difference in the students grade.
Please note that it is the policy of Cuyamaca that students may be dropped at the
professor's discretion if one or more class periods are missed.
Please note that if the student needs to withdraw for any reason, then it is the
responsibility of the student to officially withdraw from the course! The instructor
will not do it for the student.
Special Circumstances
If any of you have special needs related to the assignments, and/or class sessions, please
see me before or after class, e-mail me, or call me on my cell phone to discuss the matter
with me. Essays, and papers may also be turned in early by putting it in my box. You can
rely on my complete confidentiality with regard to any private conversations.
Academic Honesty/Dishonesty Policies
Academic honesty is taken very seriously here at Cuyamaca College. If you are caught
cheating in any manner such as plagiarism, or copying from other students' papers etc.
then you will receive an '0' for that assignment. For further information about this policy
please see the Cuyamaca College Catalog 2014-15 page 33 number 4a-g.

Phil125 Page 7
Grades: Any graded work will receive one of 11 possible marks: (0), 1-10. A '0' means
the assignment is missing. A score of 1-10 will be assigned based upon a standard 10
point scale. A '5' is an 'F' while a '6' is a 'D' and etc... The standard grade assigned to any
particular assignment will be an '8.' This assumes that the assignment is completely done
and shows competence in the material covered. A '9' or a '10' will be assigned if the
assignment is completely done and exceptional competence is shown. In other words, if
you 'wow' me, then you will receive a '9' or a '10.' ( Please note that I do occasionally
assign half points. So, for example, it is possible to earn a '7.5' on an assignment.)
The maximum number of points a student may earn in the course is 660 points (no
absences, all work receiving “10” marks). Please note that the total points could be
changed due to some assignments being skipped, or more being added. (This is
unlikely unless there is a major catastrophe.)
The final grades are assigned by number of points based upon the following scale. An 'A'
is an 'excellent' grade and is between 100% and 88%. A 'B' is 'good' grade and is between
87% and 78%. A 'C' is an 'average' grade and is between 77% and 68%. A 'D' is 'less
than average' and is between 67% and 58%. A 'F' grade is 'failing' and is 57% or lower.
Most students should expect a grade between a “A” and “C-.” In fact, the scale is
designed so that a student who attends all the classes and earns an “8” mark on each
assignment will easily be in the “B” range.1 Since an “A” grade signifies excellence, and
since excellence is rare, students should know that it is likely that some, but not all, will
earn this grade. Still, it is possible to achieve an “A” and I hope that everyone will
receive that grade.
Points Grade Percent
660-578 A 100-88%
577-511 B 87-78%
510-445 C 77-68%
444-379 D 67-58%
378-000 F 57-00%
Based on a student's total class performance, the cut-off grades listed above may be
lowered but not raised at the instructor's discretion.
Cell Phones, things that beep, or go boom, etc.: Common courtesy would have people
turn off the ringers on their electronic devices before the class starts. Please do so.
Thanks.
1 The actual score calculated using math (OMG. Not math. I was a humanities major. I still have to use
math?!?!? NO.... ), was 554 points.

Phil125 Page 8
Reading Assignments, Session Topics and Important Dates: January 27 to June 4.
Please note that due dates for exercises can be changed as needed. For example, in week
five the inclass exercise sometimes becomes a take home exercise.
The due dates for all essays has never been changed and will probably not be
changed.
All reading are from A Rulebook for Arguments 4th edition written by Anthony
Weston. Available in the bookstore.
Week1 Jan27 Syllabus; introduction. Weston xi-xiv.(EX#1,EX#2)
Week2 Feb3 Terms; definitions. Weston 81-86.(EX#3)
Jan26-Feb6 Program Adjustment period.
Feb6 Last day for refund. Last day to drop without a 'W.'
Feb6 Last day to add this class.
Week3 Feb10 Sentences; propositions. (EX#4, InCl#1, RTP#1 )
*** FIRST ESSAY DUE***
Week4 Feb17 Arguments. Weston xi-xiv (review); 1-7.(EX#5,
InCl#2)
Week5 Feb24 Induction; Authority Weston 9-17; 23-30.(EX#6, EX#7
Library Trip (Meet at Library at 6pm) InCl#3, RTP#2)
***FIRST REWRITE DUE***
Feb27 Last Day to Apply For P/NP
Week6 Mar3 Causality and The Media Weston 31-36.(EX#12, InCl#4,
***SECOND REWRITE DUE*** RTP#3)
Week7 Mar10 Deduction. Weston 37-47; 49-57.(EX#8, EX#9,
InCl#5, InCl#6)
Week8 Mar17 Analogy. Weston 19-22; 43-44. (EX#10,
***THIRD REWRITE DUE*** InCl#7, RTP#4)
NO CLASS!!! Spring Break!!! Week of March 24 to March 28. Spring Break!!!
Week9 Mar31 Marketing and Advertising (EX#13 and InCl#8,
***FOURTH REWRITE DUE*** RTP#5)
Week10 Apr7 Ethics and Moral Decision Making (EX#14 and InCl#9)

Phil125 Page 9
Week11 Apr14 Oral Arguments, and Science (What is it?) Weston 67-72.
***FIFTH REWRITE DUE *** (EX#15, InCl#10, RTP#6)
Week12 Apr21 Knowledge, Evidence and Errors in Thinking!(EX#16, InCl#11,
Week13 Apr28 Fallacies. Weston 23-30(review);73-79.
***SECOND ESSAY DUE*** (EX#11, RTP#7)
Week14 May5 In Class Work/Second Essay Returned. Please Come!!!
Week15 May12 In Class work (RTP#8)
***THIRD ESSAY DUE***
Week16 May19 In Class work. (RTP#9, In Class Survey)
***LONG POSITION PAPER DUE***
Finals Week Tuesday May 25 through Monday June 1.
There is no final exam in this class.
Grades Due Thursday June 4.

Critical Thinking syllabus

More Related Content

What's hot

Viewers also liked

Similar to Critical Thinking syllabus

Recently uploaded

Critical Thinking syllabus