CE5435: Informal Logic

School Continuing and Professional Education
Department Code LEARN
Module Code CE5435
External Subject Code 100337
Number of Credits 10
Level L4
Language of Delivery English
Module Leader Dr Michelle Deininger
Semester Autumn Semester
Academic Year 2022/3

Outline Description of Module

Is your MP attacking ad hominem, ‘begging the question’ or sliding down a ‘slippery slope’?  How worrying is a positive test for philosophicuscriticologicius?  Develop your ability to critique others’ reasoning and improve your own while solving puzzles, pondering paradoxes and analysing arguments.  No previous knowledge of philosophy or logic required.

On completion of the module a student should be able to

By the end of the period of learning, the typical student will be able to:

  • demonstrate an understanding of core elements of the course material;
  • identify key strengths and weaknesses in reasoning;
  • understand relevant empirical findings and their implications;     ;
  • apply abstract conceptual tools to discussions in philosophy and other disciplines;
  • use these tools to analyse material from non-academic sources, such as political debates.

Intellectual Skills:

By the end of the period of learning, the typical student will be able to:

  • analyse the structure of an argument;
  • critically evaluate an argument;
  • compare and contrast different positions on an issue;
  • adjudicate disputes.

Discipline Specific (including practical) Skills:

By the end of the period of learning, the typical student will be able to:

  • analyse an argument;
  • distinguish content from logical form;
  • use selected philosophical  and logical vocabulary appropriately in a range of contexts.

How the module will be delivered

This course is taught in 9, two-hour sessions, delivered on a weekly basis.

 

There will be a mixture of lectures and seminars, the precise proportion to be determined by the needs of the students enrolled. The seminar element may include debate, discussion, group activities, presentations and readings. Additional reading material will be recommended and a reading list will be supplied. If appropriate, other materials such as documentaries may also be included. Course handouts will be provided as appropriate.  The seminars will encourage the development of knowledge and understanding of the ideas and concepts discussed in the course. Intellectual skills will be encouraged through participation in class discussion, reading and coursework.

 

Skills that will be practised and developed

Academic Skills:

By the end of the period of learning, the typical student will have:

  • found relevant resources in the library and online;
  • assessed the reliability of different sources of information;
  • demonstrated a critical approach to academic texts.

 

Transferable/employability Skills:

By the end of the period of learning, the typical student will have shown that s/he can:

  • recognise, analyse and criticise arguments;
  • explain and defend a view clearly and concisely whether orally or in writing;
  • respond constructively to disagreement;
  • evaluate claims in terms of clarity, cogency and coherence;
  • formulate critical questions.

How the module will be assessed

In-class exercises    20%        Exercises   Various

Take-home exam      30%    Take-Home Exam  Approx. 1 week   Set by week 5/6 and submitted in week 7

Analysis of 1,000-1,200 words   50%   Argument Analysis     Set by week 5/6 and submitted after end of course

Assessment Breakdown

Type % Title Duration(hrs)
Written Assessment 100 Coursework N/A

Syllabus content

We will be concerned with the nature of different kinds of reasoning, the criteria appropriate to evaluating them and typical patterns of strengths and weaknesses in human thought.

Classes will incorporate a wide variety of materials to illustrate the application of theoretical concepts.

These may include philosophical texts, legal cases, political discourse, advertisements, newspaper articles, online discussions, fiction, empirical work in the human sciences, especially psychology, cartoons, puzzles and other sources.

The following list of sample topics illustrates the kind of subject matter which may be discussed but the specific issues selected will vary.

Logical concepts

  • Arguments
  • Varieties of arguments (e.g. deductive, inductive, conductive, abductive)
  • Logical form
  • Validity & soundness
  • Fallacies
  • Quantification & scope (e.g. ‘all’, ‘some’, ‘none’)

 

Logical Tools

  • Semantics & syntactics (e.g. truth/falsehood vs. provability)
  • Simple symbolisation, truth-tables & tableaux

 

Language

  • Ambiguity & equivocation
  • Vagueness, fuzziness etc.
  • Self-reference
  • Language vs. logic

 

Empirical work

  • Human heuristics
  • Cognitive biases (e.g. the effect of content on human reasoning, the impact of how questions are asked or facts are stated on human judgements and preferences, differences in human abilities to evaluate probabilistic and statistical information depending on method of presentation)
  • Affective & social influences on human reasoning (e.g. Asch)
  • Common manipulations (e.g. institutional communications, propaganda, advertising, phishing)

 

Philosophical issues

  • Problems
  • Puzzles
  • Paradoxes

 

Probability & statistics

  • Pitfalls in probabilistic reasoning (e.g. base rates & Bayes)
  • Statistical claims & arguments

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