PHIL 110: Critical Thinking and Composition
Fall 2014
Schedule # 28887
Section 8
Tuesday and Thursday
11:00 AM-12:15 PM
Engineering 425
Course Description
This course is an introduction to critical thinking and writing. It is about argumentative writing
and everything that should accompany argumentative writing: the evaluation and development of
correct reasoning, effective style and organization, correct deductive and inductive reasoning,
fallacies, the critical appraisal of evidence, and the construction of rebuttals and counterarguments.
Instructor
Emily Holguin
eholguin@rohan.sdsu.edu
Office Hours
Arts and Letters 430
Tuesdays 12:45 PM-1:45 PM (or by appointment)
25 August - 10 December
This syllabus is intended as a guide. Circumstances can change, and it is possible that this
syllabus might too. You will be given fair notice of any changes that occur.
General Education
This course satisfies the Intermediate Composition and Critical Thinking requirement for general
education. You may find more information regarding this requirement in the San Diego State
University general catalog, under the Communication and Critical Thinking requirements. See
http://arweb.sdsu.edu/es/catalog/2013-14/086-098_GradReq.pdf.
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Outcomes and Assessments
This course is about thinking critically and arguing well. Students will learn how to do the
following:
1. Outline arguments in premise-and-conclusion form
2. Distinguish between reliable and unreliable premises
3. Properly use evidence and examples
4. Properly use analogies
5. Define important terms
6. Properly cite sources
7. Develop causal arguments
8. Identify and use the different types of deductive arguments
9. Identify the major fallacies
10. Argue for and against common positions
Students will be assessed of these outcomes through various exercises:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Five homework assignments (the majority of these are from A Workbook for Arguments)
Six quizzes
One short (2-3 page) essay
A midterm exam
One longer (3-5 page) essay
A final exam
Required Texts
Morrow, David, and Anthony Weston. A Workbook for Arguments: A Complete Course in
Critical Thinking. Indianapolis: Hackett, 2011.
Email
The best way to reach me, outside of class and office hours, is through email.
You will receive emails from me through Blackboard. To ensure that you receive emails from
Blackboard, please check that the email you have provided the university is correct. As some
email systems block Blackboard emails as spam, it is pertinent that you either remedy this or get
a SDSU email account. To get an SDSU email account, go to http://wwwrohan.sdsu.edu/newstudacct.shtml.
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Organization
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Classes are held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:00 AM-12:15 PM in E 425.
On some days, you will be expected to complete homework assignments and/or readings
from the textbook. Please see the course calendar for specific dates.
Unless otherwise stated, assigned readings should be completed before class.
You should bring your book to class every day.
Grades
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Participation
Homework Assignments
Quizzes
Essay 1
Midterm Exam
Essay 2
Final Exam
10%
10%
20%
10%
10%
20%
20%
1. Participation (10%): Participation is an important part of this class. Participation
includes attendance, but it is not limited to this. Active engagement (e.g. paying attention,
asking questions, taking notes, etc.) is also necessary in order to do well in this category.
2. Homework Assignments (10%): There will be five credit/no credit homework
assignments throughout the semester. Each assignment is worth two percent of your
grade. Late homework is not accepted.
3. Quizzes (20%): There will be six pop quizzes throughout the semester. Each of these is
worth 4% of your grade (the lowest grade is dropped). There will be no make-up quizzes,
unless you have some sort of legitimate and documented excuse for missing class (e.g. a
doctor’s note).
4. Essay 1 (10%): In this 2-3 page paper, you will take a stance on an issue and use
strategies from the book to argue your case effectively. A list of possible topics, along
with an in-depth description of the assignment, will be provided two weeks before the
essay is due. You may choose a subject that is not on the list, but I must approve the topic
at least one week before the paper is due. Late papers are accepted, but each day that a
paper is late will result in the loss of one letter grade. Emailed papers are not accepted.
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5. Midterm Exam (10%): There will be a midterm exam. It will have multiple choice and
true or false questions, as well as one essay question. Review materials will be provided
one week in advance. There will be no make-up exams, unless you have some sort of
legitimate and documented excuse for missing class (e.g. a doctor’s note).
6. Essay 2 (20%): In this 3-5 page paper, you will argue the opposite of whatever stance
you took in the first essay. For instance, if your first essay is about why green is better
than blue, then your second essay should maintain that blue is better than green. This
assignment might prove to be difficult, but the ability to see both sides of an issue is a
strength that you should learn. This essay will be due at the beginning of the last class
session. Late papers are accepted, but each day that a paper is late will result in the loss of
one letter grade. Emailed papers are not accepted.
7. Final Exam (20%): There will be a cumulative final exam. It will have multiple choice
and true or false questions, as well as one essay question. Review materials will be
provided one week in advance. There will be no make-up exams, unless you have some
sort of legitimate and documented excuse for missing class (e.g. a doctor’s note).
Grading Criteria for Essays:
Your goal is to address the prompt by taking a position for or against some claim. You want to
identify your position and to explain why your position makes sense.
To Earn an F, you do nothing or your paper does not fulfill any of the conditions listed below.
To earn higher than a D, your paper meets all of these conditions:
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Your name or other form of identification is on each page.
Your paper is stapled or securely fastened.
You identify your main point (thesis statement), though not so clearly.
You offer some reasoning—though not so good or not so clearly—to support this thesis.
To earn a C or higher, your paper must meet all of these conditions:
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
You clearly define special and/or new terms.
You use appropriate terms to identify concepts and ideas in context.
Your thesis statement is clearly and identifiably expressed.
You offer some sort of evidence and/or reasons to support your thesis.
Your writing is relatively free from spelling and grammatical errors.
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You use language that is appropriate for formal writing.
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5
To earn a B or higher, your paper must fulfill all of these conditions:
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Your position is well supported by valid or strong argumentation.
You use at least one original example (your own) to illustrate points that are either your
own or someone else’s (if ideas are someone else’s, you must give them credit).
You acknowledge some alternative position to your own.
You follow an acceptable style guide like Chicago, MLA, or APA.
To earn an A, your paper meets at least one of these conditions:
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Your work is interesting to read (e.g. your style is easy to follow or humorous or you use
very original or new examples to support your point).
Your work either suggests a new idea and/or it applies concepts in a novel way.
You support your thesis with solid argumentation.
You state an alternative position and state why your position is stronger.
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.
Academic Misconduct: Cheating and Plagiarism
You should be familiar with—and follow—all SDSU rules regarding academic integrity and
plagiarism. Please see: http://senate.sdsu.edu/policy/pfacademics.html.
Classroom Etiquette
As there is no way for me to ensure that you are using your electronic devices for purposes
relating to the class, I ask that you refrain from using these during class time. In other words,
please do not use cell phones, iPads, computers, etc. during class. If you do need to use an
electronic device (like recording equipment) because of a disability, please let me know. This is
always acceptable.
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You should arrive to class on time and stay for the whole session. (Please keep in mind that
quizzes are not always given at the beginning of class.)
Attendance
By university policy, students who must miss a class meeting due to a scheduled religious
holiday and/or participation in an SDSU sponsored event (athletics, marching band, etc.) must
inform the instructor within the first two weeks of classes so that any necessary accommodations
may be made. Failure to notify the instructor before 9 September alleviates the instructor’s
obligation to provide any accommodation.
Administrative
8 September is the last day to add or drop classes (11:59 PM deadline).
Course Schedule
This schedule is intended as a guide. Some lessons might take less than the allotted time, and
some might take more. Because of this, some due dates may change. (Due dates will never be
moved ahead, only pushed back.)
Date
T 8/26
TH 8/28
Topic
Introduction
Rule 1: identify premises and conclusion
T 9/2
Rule 2: develop your ideas in a natural order
(premise-and-conclusion form)
TH 9/4
Rule 3: start from reliable premises
Rule 4: be concrete and concise
Rule 5: build on substance, not overtone
Rule 6: use consistent terms
Rules 1-6: putting it all together
T 9/9
TH 9/11
Rule 7: use more than one example
Rule 8: use representative examples
Readings and Assignments
Class syllabus
Pages 3-8
Exercise Sets 1.1-1.2 (even
numbers only)
Pages 8-14
Exercise Sets 1.1-1.2 (even
numbers only)
Pages 16-32
Exercise Sets 1.1-1.2 due
Pages 32-37
Pages 38-53
7
T 9/16
TH 9/18
T 9/23
TH 9/25
T 9/30
TH 10/2
T 10/7
TH 10/9
T 10/14
TH 10/16
T 10/21
TH 10/23
T 10/28
TH 10/30
T 11/4
Rule 9: background rates may be crucial
Rule 10: statistics need a critical eye
Rule 11: consider counterexamples
Overview of rules 7-11
Rule 12: analogies require relevantly similar
examples
Rule 13: cite your sources
Rule 14: seek informed sources
Citation styles
How to avoid plagiarism
Rule 15: seek impartial sources
Rule 16: cross–check sources
Rule 17: use the web with care
Rule 18: causal arguments start with correlations
Rule 19: correlations may have alternative
explanations
Rule 20: work toward the most likely explanation
Rule 21: expect complexity
Rule 22: modus ponens
Rule 23: modus tollens
Rule 24: hypothetical syllogism
Rule 25: disjunctive syllogism
Rule 26: dilemma
Overview of rules 22-26
Rule 27: reductio ad absurdum
Rule 28: deductive arguments in several steps
Rule 29: explore the issue
Rule 30: spell out basic ideas as arguments
Rule 31: defend basic premises with arguments of
their own
Rule 32: consider objections
Rule 33: consider alternatives
Grammar day
Midterm review
MIDTERM EXAM
Rule 34: jump right in
Rule 35: make a definite claim or proposal
Rule 36: your argument is your outline
Rule 37: detail objections and meet them
Pages 54-63
Exercise Sets 2.3-2.4 (even
numbers only)
Pages 63-71
Exercise Sets 2.3-2.4 Due
Pages 87-90
Pages 90-105
Pages 106-115
Exercise Set 5.3 (even
numbers only)
Pages 124-126
Exercise Set 5.3 due
Pages 126-141
Exercise Sets 6.1-6.2 (even
numbers only)
Pages 141-155
Exercise Sets 6.1-6.3 due
Pages 156-175
Pages 175-181
TBD
ESSAY 1 DUE
Pages 182-193
Pages 194-203
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T 11/11
TH 11/13
Rule 38: get feedback and use it
Rule 39: modesty, please!
Rule 40: reach out to your audience
Rule 41: be fully present
Rule 42: signpost your argument
Rule 43: offer something positive
Rule 44: use visual aids sparingly
Rule 45: end in style
VETERANS DAY
Some common fallacies
T 11/18
Some common fallacies
TH 11/20
Rule D1: when terms are unclear, get specific
Rule D2: when terms are contested, work from the
clear cases
Rule D3: definitions don’t replace arguments
Argument mapping
THANKSGIVING
Grammar day
Review: TBD
LAST DAY OF CLASS
Review: TBD
FINAL EXAM
TH 11/6
T 11/25
TH 11/27
T 12/2
TH 12/4
T 12/9
TH 12/16
Pages 204-221
NO CLASS
Pages 222-243
Exercise Sets 10.1 and 10.3
(even numbers only)
Pages 222-243
Exercise Sets 10.1 and 10.3
(even numbers only)
Pages 250-261
Exercise Sets 10.1 and 10.3
due
Pages 262-277
NO CLASS
TBD
ESSAY 2 DUE
10:30AM-12:30PM