Critical Thinking, PHI 1103-005:

Discussion Groups are scheduled to meet Thursdays, 12:30-1:45 at the following locations:

Michael Arvanitopoulos	SOC 131
Sudarsan Padmanabhan	FAO 196
Elisabeta Sarca	FAO 248

Critical Thinking

University of South Florida

PHI-PHI-1103 (5)

TR 12:30-1:45, BSN 1201

Dr. David Spieler

FAO-213 (x9839)

T 11:30-12:30 & R 12:30-1:30

dspieler@chuma.cas.usf.edu

Students who anticipate the necessity of being absent from class due to participation in a major religious observance must provide notice of the date(s) to the instructor, in writing, by the second class meeting.

Textbooks

Moore & Parker, Critical Thinking, 6th ed.

Spieler, Selections from Thinking Logically I

Objectives

Students will be evaluated on their ability to do various kinds of problem-solving, to translate ordinary language into symbolic notation, to judge syllogisms by Venn Diagrams and Salmon's Rules, to judge truth-functional arguments by the indirect method of assignings truth-values and by the rules of deduction, to identify informal fallacies, and to both understand and apply definitions.

Requirements

Four written examinations will be offered--the grades on the highest three will be counted. Dr. Spieler will lecture in BSN 1201 on Tuesdays as well as the first Thursday. The three TeachingAssistants will be in charge of the small groups on Thursdays. Attendance, participation, homework, etc. for the lecture sessions are expected (though not required); however, attendance, participation, homework etc. for the small groups are required. Bring your USF ID to every exam!

Grades

The lowest of one's four test grades will be dropped. The other three grades will count 30% each.

Make-up exams are discouraged. The final 10% will come from one's attendance, participation, homework, etc. in the small groups. Dr. Spieler may make small adjustments (upward) in one's final grade according to performance at lecture sessions.

90--100% A

80---89% B

70---79% C

60---69% D

00---59% F

Schedule

1. T Aug 29 Statements & Arguments

Moore & Parker, Chapter 1

Problem-Solving

Handout

2. R Aug 31 Statements & Arguments

Moore & Parker, Chapter 1

Definitions, Ambiguity, & Vagueness

Moore & Parker, Chapter 2

Problem-Solving

Handout

3. T Sept 05 Assessing Claim Content & Source Credibility

Moore & Parker, Chapter 3

Problem-Solving

Spieler-->Read pp. 203-212

Work pp. 212-221 (1-5)

4. R Sept 07 SMALL GROUPS (Assignments TBA)

Problem-Solving

Spieler-->Work pp. 212-221 (6-10)

5. T Sept 12 Persuasive Techniques

Moore & Parker, Chapter 4

Problem-Solving

Spieler-->Work pp. 212-221 (11-15)

6. R Sept 14 SMALL GROUPS (Assignments TBA)

Problem-Solving

Spieler-->Work pp. 212-221 (16-20)

7. T Sept 19 Informal Fallacies

Moore & Parker, Chapters 5 & 6

Spieler, pp. 181-202

Problem-Solving

Spieler-->Work pp. 212-221 (21-26)

8. R Sept 21 SMALL GROUPS (Assignments TBA)

Informal Fallacies

Moore & Parker, Chapters 5 & 6

Spieler, pp. 181-202

Problem-Solving

Spieler-->Read p. 221

Work pp. 221-237 (1,3,5,7)

9. T Sept 26 Informal Fallacies

Moore & Parker, Chapters 5 & 6

Spieler, pp. 181-202

Explanations

Moore & Parker, Chapter 7

Problem-Solving

Spieler-->Work pp. 221-237 (9,11,13,15)

10. R Sept 28 FIRST EXAM

11. T Oct 03 Understanding Arguments

Moore & Parker, Chapter 8

Categorical Logic

Moore & Parker, Chapter 9

Spieler, pp. 60-62 & 69-78

Problem-Solving

Spieler-->Read pp. 238-240

Work pp. 240-242 (1-4)

Work pp. 242-245 (5)

12. R Oct 05 SMALL GROUPS (Assignments TBA)

Categorical Logic

Moore & Parker, Chapter 9

Spieler, pp. 60-62 & 69-78

Problem-Solving

Spieler-->Read pp. 246-249

Work pp. 249-256 (1-10)

13. T Oct 10 Categorical Logic

Moore & Parker, Chapter 9

Spieler, pp. 60-62 & 69-78

Problem-Solving

Spieler-->Work pp. 249-256 (11-17)

14. R Oct 12 SMALL GROUPS (Assignments TBA)

Categorical Logic

Moore & Parker, Chapter 9

Spieler, pp. 60-62 & 69-78

Problem-Solving

Spieler-->Work pp. 249-256 (18-27)

15. T Oct 17 Categorical Logic

Moore & Parker, Chapter 9

Spieler, pp. 60-62 & 69-78

Problem-Solving

Spieler-->Read pp. 257-259

Work pp. 259-268 (1-4)

16. R Oct 19 SMALL GROUPS (Assignments TBA)

Categorical Logic

Moore & Parker, Chapter 9

Spieler, pp. 60-62 & 69-78

Problem-Solving

Spieler-->Work pp. 259-268 (5-8)

17. T Oct 24 Categorical Logic

Moore & Parker, Chapter 9

Spieler, pp. 60-62 & 69-78

Problem-Solving

Spieler-->Work pp. 259-268 (9-12)

18. R Oct 26 SECOND EXAM

19. T Oct 31 Truth-Functional Logic

Moore & Parker, Chapter 10

Spieler, pp. 116-124

Problem-Solving

Spieler-->Work pp. 259-268 (13-16)

20. R Nov 02 SMALL GROUPS (Assignments TBA)

Truth-Functional Logic

Moore & Parker, Chapter 10

Spieler, pp. 116-124

Problem-Solving

Spieler-->Work pp. 259-268 (17-19)

Read pp. 269-275

Work pp. 275-292 (1-2)

21. T Nov 07 Truth-Functional Logic

Moore & Parker, Chapter 10

Spieler, pp. 116-124

Problem-Solving

Spieler-->Work pp. 275-292 (3-6)

R Nov 09 No Class--Veteran's Day

22. T Nov 14 Truth-Functional Logic

Moore & Parker, Chapter 10

Spieler, pp. 116-124

Problem-Solving

Spieler-->Work pp. 275-292 (7-10)

23. R Nov 16 SMALL GROUPS (Assignments TBA)

Truth-Functional Logic

Moore & Parker, Chapter 10

Spieler, pp. 116-124

Problem-Solving

Spieler-->Work pp. 275-292 (11-13)

24. T Nov 21 Truth-Functional Logic

Moore & Parker, Chapter 10

Spieler, pp. 116-124

Problem-Solving

Spieler-->Work pp. 275-292 (15,17)

R Nov 23 No Class--Thanksgiving

25. T Nov 28 Truth-Functional Logic

Moore & Parker, Chapter 10

Spieler, pp. 116-124

Problem-Solving

Spieler-->Work pp. 275-292 (18,20)

26. R Nov 30 THIRD EXAM 27. T Dec 05 Probability

Spieler, pp. 157-179

Problem-Solving

Spieler-->Work pp. 275-292 (24,26)

28. R Dec 07 SMALL GROUPS (Assignments TBA)

Probability

Spieler, pp. 157-179

Problem-Solving

Spieler-->Work pp. 275-292 (28,30)

29. R Dec 14 FINAL EXAM (1:00-3:00)

Elisabeta Sarca, Sudarshan Padmanashan, and Michael Arvanitopoulos are our Teaching Assistants this semester.

Purchase Thinking Logically I at PRO-COPY, 5219 E. FOWLER, 988-5900. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.