Below: Course Description | Grades & Requirements | Calendar
REQUIRED TEXT: A Guide to Good Reasoning, David C. Wilson, McGraw-Hill & Student Solutions Manual.
ONLINE RESOURCES: Discussion Forums (http://courses.alma.edu/)
DESCRIPTION: This class provides an informal introduction to logic with a focus on its application to the evaluation of arguments and other would-be persuasive discourse (e.g., advertising and propaganda). Our emphasis is on reasoning in the wild. Students will learn to recognize, clarify, and evaluate arguments culled from a variety of "real world" sources (newspaper editorials, advertising copy, song lyrics, etc.) and to formulate arguments of their own. Topics include meaning, truth, deduction, consistency, validity, induction, ambiguity, vagueness, fallacies, and statistics. (See calendar below for approximate dates and details.)
GRADES WILL BE BASED ON
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ASSIGNMENT
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DUE DATES & EXPLANATIONS
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VALUE
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4 Tests
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see scheduled dates below
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3/4 of course
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Class Participation |
as scheduled
(optional)
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1/4 of course
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Final Examination
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none
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none
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Alma College Academic Integrity Policy
http://www.alma.edu/offices/studentaffairs/section1.php#Academic Integrity
My classroom is rated R: lectures & discussion may include adult themes and language.
APPROXIMATE COURSE CALENDAR
Class regularly meets 1:00-4:00 Tuesday in SAC309 (note exceptions below) |
| MONDAY |
TUESDAY: 1-2:20 |
TUESDAY: 2:30-3:50 |
WEDNESDAY |
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Sept. 4
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Reasoning & Arguments (W1): 1-28
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What Makes an Argument (W2): 28-64
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Sept. 6
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Sept. 11
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Clarifying Arguments (W3): 67-80
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Clarifying Arguments (W3): 80-89
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Sept. 13
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Sept. 18
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Streamlining (W4): 90-108
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Streamlining (W4): 108-116
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Sept. 20
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Sept. 25
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Specifying (W5): 118-134
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Specifying (W5): 134-148
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Sept. 27
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Oct. 2
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Structuring (W6): 149-164
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Test 1
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Oct. 4
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Oct. 9
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Evaluating (W7): 167-180
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Fallacies (W8): 182-206
& Probability: handout
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Oct. 11
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Oct. 16
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fall break
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fall break
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Oct. 18
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Oct. 23
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Truth (W9): 209-244
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Deduction (W10): 247-271 |
Oct. 25
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Oct. 30
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Test 2
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If-then Arguments (W11): 272-283 |
Nov. 1
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Nov. 6
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If-then Arguments (W11): 284-309
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Either-or Arguments & More (W12): 310-323
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Nov. 8
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Nov. 13
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Either-or Arguments & More (W12): 323-340
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Test 3 |
Nov. 15
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Nov. 20
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Induction (W13): Frequency Arguments : 343-365 |
Inductive Generalization (W14):366-376 |
Nov. 22
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Nov. 27
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Inductive Generalization (W14): 377-401 |
Arguments from Analogy (W15): 402-407 |
Nov. 29
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Dec. 4
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Arguments from Analogy (W15): 412-424
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Test 4
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Dec. 6
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Dec. 11
Finals Week
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Dec. 12
Finals Week
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Dec. 12
Finals Week
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Dec. 13
Finals Week
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Final Examination Schedule:
http://www.alma.edu/services/registrar/exams.php
Alma 2006-7 Academic Calendar
http://www.alma.edu/services/registrar/calendar.php
