Logic

Course Description

Philosophy, literally "friend of wisdom," is a two-fold activity. Initially we think of the "reflective" discipline that attempts to address life’s big questions about ourselves and our world, but there is also a "doing" component concerned with developing the ability to think critically and evaluate various responses to philosophical problems. This course focuses on the "doing" aspect, encouraging students to develop the critical thinking skills necessary to evaluate a wide variety of information.

"Logic is the study of the methods and principles used to distinguish good (correct) from bad (incorrect) reasoning" (Copi, 2). Since life in the "information age" of the 21st century demands that we sort through large quantities of data, some valuable - some worthless- it is necessary to acquire the critical thinking skills that allow us to easily distinguish the quality of information coming through various media channels (TV, radio, Internet, stock quotes, financial reports, proposals, grants, etc.). Logic teaches rudimentary reasoning skills that will help you refine your decision-making and information-sorting skills. This class requires at least two hours of study for every one hour spent in the classroom. Students will be expected to attend regularly and participate in class discussions.

Course Competencies

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

• Apply formal language skills.
• Recognize and evaluate arguments.
• Construct clear, effective arguments.
• Analyze the linguistic structure of statements to derive implications.
• Apply problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
• Develop creative strategies for reasoning through complex arguments.
• Utilize evidence to support sound views.
• Apply critical thinking skills to the employment interview, selling a product or piece of work, bidding for projects, and writing grants and making presentations.