Introduction
Critical thinking is the careful deliberation process to determine whether some claim or belief is really true. This course provides various tools to improve one’s critical thinking skills. For example, people sometimes hold bad beliefs based on bad reasoning, and this course helps the student to distinguish good from bad arguments. The course also explores the reliability of other sources of belief, such as perception, authorities, or the media. Some basic psychology and sociology of reasoning and belief will be discussed to explain why people come to hold bad beliefs, and the course concludes with a critical discussion of science, the scientific method, pseudoscience, paranormal beliefs, and religion. Students will maintain a journal in which real life examples of the concepts discussed in class are collected and analyzed. Students also present on a group project on a specific topic to demonstrate their improved critical thinking skills.
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Learning
Outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
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Recognize, analyze, and evaluate arguments as they occur in real life
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Detect logical fallacies or the use of any inappropriate rhetorical tactics or emotional appeals in real life arguments
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Distinguish appropriate from inappropriate uses of statistical and causal reasoning
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Spot the presence of any cognitive or social biases behind our beliefs
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Judge the reliability of experts, authorities, or the media
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Apply all critical thinking tools to real life issues in a constructive way
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Class Materials
There is no text book. Class presentations, handouts, and links to relevant web pages will be made available through RPI LMS. A detailed schedule of topics and assignments, can also be found on LMS, as well as your grades.
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Exams/Grading
- Your grade will be
determined by 5 homework sets (worth 40% total), a midterm (worth 20%), a
journal (worth 20%), a final project (worth 15%), and class participation
(worth 5%).
- Attendance is mandatory:
every missed class will cost 1%
- For your final grade,
the following cut-offs will be used: A: 93, A-: 90, B+: 87, B:83, B-:80,
C+: 77, C:73, C-:70, D+: 67, D (Pass): 60.
- The instructor reserves
the right to decide borderline cases based
on exceptional class participation, unrepresentative test performance,
or other such factors.
- Late submissions will
only be accepted in case of documented emergencies for which you will
have to contact the Dean of Students Office (DOSO)
- Students
will receive a mid-semester assessment through RPI LMS, indicating the
student’s grade in the course up to that point.
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Academic
Honesty
Student-teacher
relationships are built on trust. For example, students must trust that teachers
have made appropriate decisions about the structure and content of the courses
they teach, and teachers must trust that the assignments that students turn
in as their own are indeed their own. Acts which violate this trust undermine
the educational process. The Rensselaer
Handbook defines various forms of Academic Dishonesty and you should make
yourself familiar with these. In cases where help was received, or teamwork
was allowed, a notation on the assignment should indicate your collaboration.
Submissions of any assignment that is in violation of this policy will result
in getting a 0 for the assignment. The second violation will result in the
automatic failure of the course. If you have any question concerning this
policy before submitting an assignment, please ask for clarification.
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Classroom
Behavior
It is of crucial
importance to the effectiveness of this course that there is an atmosphere
where students feel free and encouraged to express their ideas and opinions
in order to discuss issues in a productive and fruitful manner. Students will
pay attention to their instructor and classmates, students will not bring
their laptops or other forms of potential distraction to class, comments must
be productive and relevant to the topic at hand, students should not speak
up so much that their classmates are discouraged to participate in the discussion,
and we will adhere to a strict raise-your-hand-and-wait-to-be-called-upon
policy. Finally, at all times students should mutually respect the dignity
of all persons. Words or deeds directed against a person or group, where it
is obvious that the sole intent is to insult or otherwise do them harm in
a thoroughly unconstructive manner, will not be tolerated.
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