Philosophy 110
Section 6
Critical Thinking and Composition
Schedule #22569, Student Services West, (SSW)Room #2500
Anthony Gagliardi/Spring 2016
Tuesday-Thursday 9:30 -10:45 am
Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and
leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Description from 2015-16 Undergraduate Bulletin:
Passing this course satisfies the Intermediate Composition and Critical Thinking
requirement for General Education (I.3) Critical Thinking and Composition (3) [GE]
Prerequisites: Satisfaction of the English Placement Test and Writing Competency
requirements and Africana Studies 120 or American Indian Studies 120 or Chicana or
Chicano Studies 111B or English 100 or Linguistics 100 or Rhetoric and Writing Studies
100 or 101. Proof of completion of prerequisites required: Test scores or verification of
exemption; grade report or copy of transcript.
Introduction to critical thinking and writing. Evaluation and development of correct
reasoning and effective style and organization in argumentative writing. Correct
deductive and inductive reasoning. Fallacies. Critical appraisal of evidence. Construction
of rebuttals and counterarguments.
Contact Information:
Room 441, Arts and Letters Building.
Dept. phone: (619) 594-5263.
Email: anthonygagliardi90@gmail.com
Office Hours, January 21- May 12: @ Arts and Letters, Room: 441
4 -5:30 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays
Other meetings can be made by appointment at a mutually convenient time.
 These times may be subject to change.
Required Texts and Materials:
- Morrow R. David, Weston Anthony. A Workbook For Arguments.Hackett Publishing
Company, Inc. , 2011.
- 3 Large Blue Books
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- There will also be material posted on Blackboard that the students will be responsible
for.
(A large amount of paper and pens/pencils will be required every meeting)
Note: renting books is acceptable. In addition to these texts, there may be short readings
distributed in class or posted on Blackboard. Students will also read and evaluate other
students’ work during the semester.
Objectives: The concerns of this course will be toward developing your critical thinking
and composition skills. We will start by acquainting you with the basics of what is
important in strong argumentation. Critical thinking will be explored with questions
about the nature of beliefs compared to reasons. Employing the knowledge of argument
structure and form with the sensitivity to bias, together we will develop good strategies
for thinking critically about and composing arguments.
Constructing rebuttals, counter arguments and counter examples is not only important
for being able to show why another’s argument is not satisfying but is also vital for
defending and constructing the best version of your own argument. Another part of our
objective this semester is to develop some strategies and skills for construction of
purposeful counter argumentation. With this argumentative foresight, you will be able to
defend attacks against your position and therefore make your argument a stronger one.
The topics we will use to discuss and develop our critical thinking skills can be greatly
influenced by students and their philosophical concerns.
Outcomes: (Assessments in parentheses) By the end of the course, the students will be
able to do the following;
- Recognize the difference between arguments based solely in belief and arguments
based in reason (quizzes, exams)
- Define basic argument structures and forms and why they are used (quizzes)
- Recognize the different formats that arguments can be found in (film discussions,
essay, exams)
- Describe deductive argumentation (quizzes, exams)
- Recognize weak argumentation and fallacies (quizzes, exams)
- Compose counter arguments and examples (exams, essay)
- Create clear, concise, and strong argumentation (exams, essay)
- Take a position on an issue and make a reasonable argument for that position
within the context of a written paper, employing the framework developed by the
course. (exams and essay)
Quizzes: (20 Pts.) There will be many in class quizzes given throughout the semester
mostly with the purpose of keeping fresh the material we have covered in previous
meetings. Some will be in the form of short written assignments and some will be
multiple-choice questions. Each will be worth one point.
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Exams: (50 Pts. Total) There will be three exams in this course. Two during the regular
semester and a department required final. The first two exams will be multiple-choice,
matching and short essay response. The first two exams will be worth 20 points each.
* Department Required Final: (10 pts.) The philosophy department has required
that all 110 students write an in-class argumentative essay. You will receive the
prompt and more details for this essay later in the term. It will take the form of a
final exam. This exam will measure your ability to construct an argument, not
necessarily your knowledge of the specific topic that the prompt will relate to.
You will have practiced this type of essay style response throughout the class.
This exam will be worth 10% of your final grade.
Essay: (30 Pts.) For the essay, students will be asked to choose any controversial topic
and take a stance on that topic. The essay must be at least 5 pages long but no more than
8. Possible topics and a more detailed description of the essay assignment will be given in
week 5. The essay will not be a summary of the issues but a formal argument supporting
your position on that topic. The essay must include at least 1 academic source. These
sources should be utilized to back up your position. A bibliography will be required for
the essay. I will require hard copies of the essay to be turned in.
Extra Credit: (TBA Pts.) Throughout the semester there will be a few opportunities for
extra credit. They will be announced later in the semester. The extra points earned will be
added to your total points at the end of the semester.
* You will not be able to earn higher than 100 points in the class.
Attendance: Attendance is required.
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 2 weeks of classes so that any
necessary accommodations may be made. Failure to notify the instructor before 4
September alleviates the instructor’s obligation to provide any accommodation.
Religious Observances
The University Policy File includes the following statement on Absence for Religious
Observances: By the end of the second week of classes, students should notify the
instructors of affected courses of planned absences for religious observances. Instructors
shall reasonably accommodate students who notify them in advance of planned absences
for religious observances. California Education Code 89320 states: The Trustees of the
California State University shall require that each state university, in administering any
test or examination, to permit any student who is eligible to undergo the test or
examination to do so, without penalty, at a time when that activity would not violate the
student's religious creed. Please notify me by the end of the second week of classes if you
plan to be absent for religious observance.
Make Up Exams: They will be given as long as proper notice and documentation are
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provided. It is up to the student to provide the instructor with appropriate notice to
reschedule the exam. Note: Quizzes cannot be made up. (You must be in class to get the
points.)
Late Submissions: Late submissions (without legitimate documentation) will be docked
5% the first day they are late, and 10% every day thereafter for one week. If the
assignment is more than a week late, it will receive a zero. (If your work is going to be
late, let me know why. Maybe I will be in a giving mood if your excuse is good enough!)
*An Exception: In class quizzes can’t be made up without proper documentation. (No
non-documented excuse will be good enough for these. You must be in class to get the
points.)
Grades: Scores for all assignments will be made according to the guidelines in the SDSU
2015-2016 Undergraduate Bulletin. That is, 4.0 = A; 3.0 = B, and so on. Note that a
grade of 4.0 (A) signifies the work is exceptional and innovative; 3.0 (B) signifies that
the work is acceptable and done at the level above average ; 2.0 (C) signifies that the
work is acceptable; 1.0 (D) signifies that the work is not acceptable for credit; 0 (F)
indicates a failing grade. ( 0 = no submission, i.e., you did not turn it in, or you turned it
in more than a week late, and you get zero points). Quizzes will be graded with a checkminus (0 Pts.) or check-plus (1- Pt).
The final grade is computed by averaging all assigned and graded work; once a numerical
score is determined, the instructor considers factors such as attendance, participation,
effort, etc., in deciding whether to raise (never lower) a student’s final grade above the
numerical score. Honest participation will always help your grade in this course!
Plagiarism: Students may learn how to avoid plagiarism by completing an on-line
tutorial sponsored by Love Library at: http://infotutor.sdsu.edu/plagiarism. The tutorial
takes about 20-30 minutes to complete. The library also offers help with citation styles.
Go to: http://library.sdsu.edu/guides/sub.php?id=258.
All students are expected to follow the administrative rules and standards of
conduct detailed in the San Diego State University Catalogue. Students are
expected to submit only their own work on papers. It is the student’s responsibility
to know and observe all the SDSU rules concerning academic integrity and
plagiarism. Students should become familiar with the SDSU Academic Senate
Policy on Plagiarism found at http://senate.sdsu.edu/policy/pfacademics.html.
Here are some highlights:
Student Disability Services: I strive to make the environment of my class safe and
comfortable. If you are a student with a disability (or believe you may have a disability)
and believe you will need accommodations for this class [e.g., additional time for an
exam, sign language interpreter, oral texts rather than printed ones], 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
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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. Students who
have concerns that might prevent them from otherwise doing well in this course should
discuss this with the instructor so that arrangements may be made to accommodate their
conditions. If you need this service, you should use it. It is your right as a student at
SDSU.
My Pledge: I have an open door policy. If there is anything you feel that you need for
success in this course, please let me know. I am here to facilitate a pleasant and
informative learning experience. It is my job to make this class an environment in which
everyone feels safe sharing. Sharing your thoughts and ideas as clearly as possible and
being able to provide support for those thoughts is a large part of what this course will try
to develop. Class discussion is a large part of this course. My only demand is that we all
share and contribute respectfully. Let us remember that everyone has the right to their
opinion, but at the same time each of us is responsible for way we share that opinion. I
look forward working with all of you.
Course Calendar (Required readings and assignment
due dates)
Readings are to be done before the scheduled class week. They are the only homework in
the course besides the one essay and studying for exams. PLEASE DO THE
READINGS. Based on enrollment, the calendar may change to accommodate enough
time for practical sessions for everyone. The instructor reserves the right to add to these
readings if necessary. Any additions to this list of readings will be provided on
Blackboard or handed out by the instructor.
1st week Jan. 21
Thurs: Syllabus review and the most important lesson of the entire course
2nd week Jan. 26th and 28th
Tues: Get your book! Introduction Pgs. XVII- XX
Thurs: General Rules Pgs. 3-15
3rd week Feb. 2nd and 4th (Feb. 2nd – last day to add/drop)
Tues: General Rules Pgs. 16-32
Thurs: Generalizations Pgs. 38- 61
4th week Feb. 9th and 11th
Tues: Fallacies Pgs. 222- 247
Thurs: Arguments By Analogy Pgs.72-83
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5th week Feb 16th and 18th
Tues: We will watch Ethos …The prompt/instructions for the essay will be handed out
this day of class!
Thurs: Film discussion session
6th week Feb. 23rd and 25th
Tues: Review
Thurs: First Exam!
7th week March 1st and 3rd
Tues: Argumentative Essays Pgs. 182- 202
Thurs: Sources Pgs. 87-103
8th week March 8th and 10th
Tues: Causes Pgs. 106-121
Thurs: Definitions Pgs. 250-260
9th week March 15th and 17th
Tues: Deductive Arguments Pgs. 124-127
Thurs: Deductive Arguments Pgs. 128-155
10th week March 22nd and 24th
Tues: Watch Cowspiracy in class
Thurs: Film discussion session
11th week Spring Break No Class!
Tues: Enjoy your break
Thurs: Enjoy your break
12th week April 5th and 7th
Tues: Extended Arguments Pgs. 156-181
Thurs: Review for exam 2
13th week April 12th and 14th
Tues: SECOND EXAM!
Thurs: Inspiration: a reading assignment on Blackboard
14th week April 19th and 21st
Tues: Watch Straight Outta LA in class
Thurs: Film discussion session
15th week April 26th and 28th
Tues: TBA
Thurs: TBA
16th week May 3rd and 5th
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Tues: Questions and concerns about essay. We will spend the entire session as your final
opportunity to ask me specific questions about your essays.
Thurs: LAST DAY OF CLASS … Final Wrap up … ESSAY DUE! ( MAY 5th)
The Final Exam for this course will be from 8 - 10 am on May
12th.
Rubrics for all written assignments
Philosophy 110 – Fall 2015
To earn an F (0), you do not turn in the exercise or you turn it in very late.
To earn a D (1.0) or lower, you do not turn in a complete exercise:
you fail to meet the minimum conditions.
To earn a C (2.0) or lower, you have met these minimum conditions:
You responded to all or most of the assignment, though not all correctly.
There are several grammatical or spelling errors in your work.
To earn a B (3.0) or lower:
You respond correctly to the entire assignment.
Your responses are relatively free from grammatical and spelling errors.
You use examples to illustrate your responses in a clear way
You use outside material (if appropriate) to add to your work.
To earn an A (4.0), you fulfill the above conditions as well as some of the following:
Your work is without error or cannot easily be improved.
Your responses address the specific assignment but also relate to a larger picture.
You use very original or interesting examples to support your responses in a very clear
way.
Helpful Contact Information
 Writing Center
http://writingcenter.sdsu.edu/
Students can go here for assistance with their written assignments.
 Library
http://library.sdsu.edu/
Students should have access to a wide variety of articles through the library.
 Other contacts
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Student Health Services
http://shs.sdsu.edu/index.asp
Counseling and Psychological Services
http://studentaffairs.sdsu.edu/cps/index.html
Phone: (619) 594-5220
San Diego Access and Crisis Line
Phone: (888) 724-7240
SDSU Police
Phone: (619) 594-1991
Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities
http://studentaffairs.sdsu.edu/srr/index.html
SDSU Veterans Center
http://arweb.sdsu.edu/es/veterans/index.html