Philosophy 110: Introduction to Critical Thinking
Section 4 #22560, MWF 11:00am – 11:50am
HH 206
San Diego State University
Fall 2014
Prof. Nikolai Gutierrez
Office: AL 430
Office Hours: MW 12:30pm – 1:30pm
ngutierr@rohan.sdsu.edu
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Welcome to Philosophy 110: Introduction to Critical Thinking. This course
satisfies a portion of the Communication and Critical Thinking requirement (I.3) as one
of the four core sections of undergraduate General Education at San Diego State
University. Students with any further questions about general university graduation
requirements should consult the SDSU General Catalog or see the Office of Advising and
Evaluations in the Student Services West building. Students with any questions about the
undergraduate program in Philosophy may ask me, or stop by the Philosophy Department
Office in Arts and Letters 446 and get more information from Secretary Kimberly
Kennelly or Prof. Robert Francescotti (undergraduate advisor in Philosophy) in Arts and
Letters 438.
Learning Outcomes:
The aims of this course are as follows. By the end of the semester, students should
be able to demonstrate/recognize:
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Sound understanding of what an argument is, including the identification of the
various parts of an argument (premise, conclusion, etc).
An understanding of the difference between deductive and inductive reasoning,
and be able to examine arguments in day to day interaction and identify them as
such.
An understanding of the basic concepts of Logic, including the ability to read
basic symbolic notion and manipulate them through several fundamental Rules of
Inference, and identify several common logical fallacies.
The ability to apply the above understanding of argument and Logic and create
well-reasoned written arguments, including the ability to assess the strengths and
weaknesses of written arguments and analyze any evidence provided in support
thereof.
The ability to use the above understanding of argument and Logic and analyze a
variety of texts commonly encountered in academic, social, and historical
contexts.
Your success (which is to say, your grade) in this course is contingent upon how well you
can demonstrate to me your mastery of the above objectives. I do not expect (nor require)
you to be the next Aristotle. However, if I observe a clear lack of effort in the class, or a
lack of understanding of the course material, your grade will suffer.
Required Texts
Morrow, David R. and Anthony Weston. A Workbook for Arguments: A Complete
Course in Critical Thinking. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 2011.
Grades
Your grade in the course will be measured by your performance in different areas,
adding up to a total of 200 possible points in the class: nine weekly short assignments (10
points each), one long essay (20 points), an oral presentation (20 points), a midterm exam
and a final exam (30 points each), and overall class participation (10 points).
Short Papers: Throughout the semester, you will be given nine short assignments that
are worth 10 points each. The first one will be handed out on Friday, August 29th, and
due the following Friday, September 5th, at which point I will hand out the second
assignment, which will be due the following Friday, and so on.
Long Paper: There will be one long essay style paper that will be due on October 31st
(the same day as the midterm exam). The length of this paper will be about 4-5 pages,
single-spaced, and is worth 20 points. I will discuss the topic of the paper a week or two
into the semester.
Oral Presentation: After Halloween, you will prepare an oral presentation on a topic of
your choosing, approved by me, to present to the class during the last couple weeks of the
semester before the final exam. This presentation will be worth 20 points.
Exams: There will be two exams this semester, one on Halloween and one during finals
week on December 15th. These exams will be comprehensive, meaning they will test you
on all of the course material up to that point (which is to say, stuff that appears on the
midterm may appear on the final). Both exams will be worth 30 points each. The format
of the exams may include multiple choice questions, short answer questions, and
questions that merit an essay-style response.
Participation: Unlike some courses where the nature of the course allows for students to
just show up and passively record notes off of the whiteboard (or for the students to take
notes vicariously through a tape recorder and not show up at all), Philosophy is a
discipline in which active participation is required in order to succeed. Accordingly, a
portion of your grade (10 points, or 5%) will be based on how well you participate in
class discussions, come to class consistently and on time, meet with me during office
hours, and overall show a general effort in the course.
Classroom Rules and Procedures
Attendance is mandatory for this course. Each student is allowed one excused absence for
the semester. Any absence after that either needs to be cleared with me beforehand or
must have a really compelling reason for not telling me in advance. I also have little
tolerance for cell phones. If there is a call that you absolutely must take, or a text message
that you absolutely must respond to, please step out of the classroom to do so. Laptop
computers are not allowed for any reason except to solely take notes (which there won’t
be a lot of).
By university policy, students who must miss a class meeting due to a scheduled religious
holiday and/or participation in an SDSU sponsored event (such as a sporting event), must
inform the instructor within the first 2 weeks of classes so that any necessary
accommodations can be made. Failure to notify the instructor before September 8th
alleviates the instructor’s obligation to provide any accommodation.
Notice for Students with Disabilities
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this
class, it is your responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473.
To avoid any delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact Student
Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not
retroactive, and that accommodations based upon disability cannot be provided until you
have presented your instructor with an accommodation letter from Student Disability
Services. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Assignment Schedule
August 25: First Day of Classes
August 27: Introduction to Philosophy and Critical Thinking – Read Introduction
August 29: Introduction to Philosophy and Critical Thinking – Read Introduction
September 1: Basic Argument Structure – Read Chapter I
September 3: Basic Argument Structure – Read Chapter I
September 5: Short Assignment 1 due
September 8: Deductive Logic – Read Chapter VI
September 10: Deductive Logic – Read Chapter VI
September 12: Short Assignment 2 due
September 15: More Deductive Logic – Read Chapter VI
September 17: More Deductive Logic – Read Chapter VI
September 19: Short Assignment 3 due
September 22: Inductive Logic (Generalizations) – Read Chapter II
September 24: Inductive Logic (Generalizations) – Read Chapter II
September 26: Short Assignment 4 due
September 29: Inductive Logic (Analogies) – Read Chapter III
October 1: Inductive Logic (Analogies) – Read Chapter III
October 3: Short Assignment 5 due/Paper Topic due
October 6: Exploring Extended Arguments – Read Chapter VII
October 8: Exploring Extended Arguments – Read Chapter VII
October 10: Short Assignment 6 due
October 13: Developing Arguments from Appropriate Sources – Read Chapter IV
October 15: Developing Arguments from Appropriate Sources – Read Chapter IV
October 17: Short Assignment 7 due
October 20: Writing Workshop/Exploring Ideas – Read Chapter VIII
October 22: Writing Workshop/Exploring Ideas – Read Chapter VIII
October 24: Writing Workshop/Exploring Ideas – Read Chapter VIII
October 27: Review
October 29: Review
October 31: MIDTERM EXAM/LONG PAPER DUE
November 3: Fallacies – Read Appendix I
November 5: Fallacies – Read Appendix I
November 7: Short Assignment 8 due
November 10: Setting up an Oral Presentation – Read Chapter IX
November 12: Setting up an Oral Presentation – Read Chapter IX
November 14: Presentation Topic due
November 17: A Priori and A Posteriori knowledge
November 19: A Priori and A Posteriori knowledge
November 21: Short Assignment 9 due
November 24: Presentations
November 26: Thanksgiving Break
November 28: Thanksgiving Break
December 1: Presentations
December 3: Presentations
December 5: Presentations/Review
December 8: Presentations/Review
December 10: ALL ORAL PRESENTATIONS DUE/Review
December 15: FINAL EXAM 1030-1230