Course Schedule

*This schedule is tentative and will probably change a lot*

September 9  
Introduction to class | (no reading)
Critical Thinking & Understanding Arguments | (no reading)

September 16   
Understanding Arguments: Argument Workshop| read pages 165-184
Evaluating Arguments | read pages 185-191

September 23

no class (woo?)

September 30

Deductive Args: Valid & Sound | read pages 237-247
Deductive Args: Evaluating Validity | read pages 247-261

October 7 
Inductive Arguments | read pages 200-213

Analogies & Causal Args | read pages 214-227; Homework #1 due

October 14  
QUIZ #1; Inductive Args wrap-up
Thursday: Scientific Reasoning (Abductive Args) | read pages 366-383 | FUN MONDAY #1: Proof

October 21  
Scientific Arguments: Evaluation (murder mystery) | read pages 384-394
Thursday: Fallacies: Equivocation, Division, Composition | read pages 131-136) 

October 28
Fallacies: Ad Hominem, Force, Pity, Popular Appeal | pgs. 137-144; Presentations #1 & #2
Fallacies: Ignorance, Circular, Straw Man, Red Herring | pgs. 144-150; Presentations #3 & #4; Homework #2 due

November 4
Fallacies: Authority, Dilemma, Slippery, & Naturalistic | pgs. 150-159; Presentations #5 & #6

Tuesday: Review for Midterm Exam | (no reading)

November 11

MIDTERM EXAM
Cognitive Biases: Perception, Memory, Hearsay | read pages 95-102

November 18 
Cognitive Biases: Confirmation Bias, Statistical Reasoning | read pages 102-113
Cognitive Biases: I’M-SPECIAL-ism | read pages 113-117

November 25 
Cognitive Biases: Social Biases | read pgs. 118-123

Cognitive Biases: wrap-up | no reading | FUN MONDAY #2: Counteracting Biases

December 2  
QUIZ #2; Intellectual Honesty intro | read pages 1-12; | FUN MONDAY #3: Life Plan

Intellectual Honesty: Charity | read pages 13-19; Homework #3 due

December 9

Intellectual Honesty: Humility, Open-Mindedness | pgs. 20-29
Advertising & News,  review for Final Exam | read pages 309-319, 323-330; PAPER due

Final Exam
Monday, December 16, 7:00-9:00 p.m.