MODES OF REASONING
MODR 1711 6.0
Instructor: Prof. B. Logan
email: blogan@yorku.ca
home page: www.yorku.ca/blogan
In our daily and academic lives, someone is always trying to convince us of
something – to buy their product, believe their claim, accept their position. In this
course we will first come to understand the nature and structure of arguments, and
then we will learn many fallacies, or errors, that arguers may commit in the course
of attempting to persuade us of their point of view. We may then be able to judge
whether or not we should be persuaded.
Then, we will spend considerable time closely examining deductive arguments,
learning four ways to determine validity.
Our focus will then shift to inductive arguments, in particular analogical arguments.
Such arguments form the basis of the doctrine of legal decision making by
precedent or stare decisis. This doctrine stipulates that once a court has arrived at
a decision in a case by applying a principle or rule of law, judges in future cases are
required to adhere to that principle when deciding future cases that are sufficiently
similar in legally relevant respects. To this end, we will make reference to a
number of cases in Canadian and international law that have relied upon this
process of decision making.
Requirements: There will be several in-classes tests and one take-home
assignment.
Required text: Handbook for the Critical Thinker, available from the bookstore.
Schedule of readings and tests is listed below.
May 20
May 25
May 27, June 1
June 3
June 8
June 10-17
June 22
June 24 - July 29
July 2
Aug. 5
Aug. 10
Aug 12,23
Aug. 19
Aug 24
Introduction
Chapter 1 – Is it an Argument?
Chapter 2 – Argument Structure
First Test – 10%
Chapter 3 – Definitions
Chapter 4 – Fallacies
Second Test – 20%
Chapter 5 – Deductive Arguments (No class on July 1;
no classes July 20 and 22)
Take-home Assignment due – 20%
Third Test – 35% (No class on Aug. 3)
Chapter 6 –Inductive Arguments
Chapter 7 - Legal Reasoning
Fourth test – 15%
Make-up tests (any one of the four tests)
As there are time constraints during a summer course, and especially this year due
to the late start, please ensure that you are able to attend every test. If you miss a
test due to medical or work-related travel reasons (and this must be well
documented), one make-up time is scheduled for Aug. 24. Only one test may be
made up, to be written on the specified day (during regular class time).