Goodbye to Yesterday...

Your grades are now posted. Enjoy your summer!

Final Exam

Just a reminder that the final exam is Wednesday, May 13th in our normal classroom (Madison 311) at our normal class time (noon). You will only have 50 minutes to take the test, so be sure to show up on time.

Homework #3

Homework #3 is due at the beginning of class on Friday, May 1st. Your assignment is to choose an ad (on TV or from a magazine or wherever) and evaluate it from a logic & reasoning perspective.

• First, briefly explain the ad. If you don't want to summarize it yourself, you can attach it if it's from a newspaper or magazine, or transcribe it if it's a commercial on TV.
  
• Then, explain the argument that the ad offers to sell its product.
• Finally, list and explain the mistakes in reasoning that the ad commits.

Group Presentations

Here are the group assignments for our presentations. If you're not in a group yet, let me know as soon as possible so we can get you in one.

Team Weed (Wednesday, 5/6/09)
Harry, Jim, Lil, Nathaniel, Rishawn

Team Wal-Mart (1st on Friday, 5/8/09)
Chris, Jeremy, Kirsten, Michael, Sharai, Terry

Team Vegetarian (2nd on Friday, 5/8/09)
Blake, David, Nicole C., Nicole W., Will

Also, I mentioned this in class, but just in case...

Attendance is mandatory for the group presentations on Wednesday (5/6/09), and Friday (5/8/09). It's the only time I'll be a stickler for it. Basically, I want you to show respect for the other groups presenting.

If you don't attend on either the days your group isn't presenting (and your absence isn't excused), your own personal presentation grade will drop. Each day you don't attend will lower your grade by a full letter grade.

One last thing: be sure to keep the presentations under 15 minutes. A 10-minute presentation is ideal, so we can have time for a short question-and-answer session afterward.

Homework #2

Homework #2 is due at the beginning of class on Monday, April 6th. The assignment is to answer Problems 1-18 (except DON'T do #6, #7, #9 or #12) in Exercise 4-1 on pages 86-88 of our textbook. Don't worry about explaining why the argument commits the fallacy. Also, these arguments don't just commit fallacies from chapter 4. Some commit fallacies from chapter 3.

(If you read this, write "Why is anything anything?" at the bottom of your homework to receive some extra points on the assignment.)

Midterm Reminder

Just a reminder: The midterm is this Friday (March 27th). It's worth 15% of your overall grade, and will cover everything we've done in class so far. We'll be reviewing for the midterm in class on Wednesday, so I'll be giving you details about the test then.

BE THERE.

Midterm & Paper Rescheduled

We decided in class to move the due date of the paper back to Friday, March 13th.

Also, we're pushing the midterm back to Friday, March 27th.

Finally, here are some tips (one and two) on writing philosophy papers.)

Another Snow Day!

Class is canceled today, Monday, March 2nd, because of the snow. In fact, all day and night classes at Camden County College are canceled.

Please go sledding! Take pictures!! SHOW THEM TO ME!!!

Possible Paper Articles

Here are some links to good articles you could use for your paper on explaining and evaluating an article's argument:

Bad Stereotyping
race & gender = insufficient info

The Idle Life is Worth Living
in praise of laziness

In the Basement of the Ivory Tower
are some people just not meant for college?

The Financial Crisis Killed Libertarianism
if it wasn't dead to begin with

Consider the Lobster
David Foster Wallace ponders animal ethics

Who Would Make an Effective Teacher?
we're using the wrong predictors

Loyalty is Overrated
adaptability & autonomy matter more

FBI Profiling
it's a scam, like cold reading

Singer: How Much Should We Give?
just try to think up a more important topic

The Dark Art of Interrogation
Bowden says torture is necessary

Can Foreign Aid Work?
Kristof says it has problems, but we should use it

Against Free Speech
but it's free, so it must be good

You Don't Deserve Your Salary
no one does

What pro-lifers miss in the stem-cell debate
love embryos? then hate fertility clinics

Is Worrying About the Ethics of Your Diet Elitist?
since you asked, no

Is Selling Organs Repugnant?
freakonomicists for a free-market for organs

Should I Become a Professional Philosopher?
hell 2 da naw

Blackburn Defends Philosophy
it beats being employed

Paper Guidelines

New Due Date: Wednesday, March 11th Friday, March 13th, 2009

Worth: 5% of final grade

Length/Format: Papers must be typed, and must be between 300-600 words long. Provide a word count on the first page of the paper. (Most programs like Microsoft Word & WordPerfect have automatic word counts.)

Assignment:
1) Pick an article from a newspaper, magazine, or journal in which an author presents an argument for a particular position. I will also provide some links to potential articles at the course website. You are also free to choose any article on any topic you want, but you must show Sean your article by Friday, March 6th, for approval. The main requirement is that the author of the article must be presenting an argument. One place to look for such articles is the Opinion page of a newspaper. Here’s a short list of some other good sources online:

• The New Yorker
• Slate
• New York Review of Books
• London Review of Books
• Times Literary Supplement
• Boston Review
• Atlantic Monthly
• The New Republic
• The Weekly Standard
• The Nation
• Reason
• Dissent
• First Things
• Mother Jones
• National Journal
• The New Criterion

(for even more sources, check out the left-hand column of Arts & Letters Daily)

2) In the essay, first briefly explain the article’s argument in your own words. What is the position that the author is arguing for? What are the reasons the author offers as evidence for her or his conclusion? What type of argument does the author provide? In other words, provide a brief summary of the argument.
NOTE: This part of your paper shouldn’t be very long. I recommend making this about one paragraph of your paper.

3) In the essay, then evaluate the article’s argument. Overall, is this a good or a bad argument? Why or why not? Check each premise: is each premise true? Or is it false? Questionable? (Do research if you have to in order to determine whether the author’s claims are true.) Then check the structure of the argument. Do the premises provide enough rational support for the conclusion? If you are criticizing the article’s argument, be sure to consider potential responses that the author might offer, and explain why these responses don’t work. If you are defending the article’s argument, be sure to consider and respond to objections.
NOTE: This should be the main part of your paper. Focus most of your paper on evaluating the argument.

4) Attach a copy of the article to your paper when you hand it in. (Save trees! Print it on few pages!)

TIP: It’s easier to write this paper on an article with a BAD argument. Try finding a poorly-reasoned article!

Quiz You Once, Shame on Me...

The first quiz will be held at the beginning of class on Wednesday, February 18th. You will have about 25 minutes to take it. There will be a multiple choice section, a section on evaluating deductive arguments, a section on evaluating inductive & abductive arguments, and a section where you provide examples of specific kinds of arguments and statements. Basically, it will look like a mix of the homework and group work we've done in class so far.

The quiz is on what we have discussed in class from Chapters 1 and 2 of the textbook. Specifically, here's what will be covered on the quiz:

• arguments in general
• deductive args (valid & sound)
• fancier deductive args
• statements: contradictions, tautologies, contingencies
• inductive args
• abductive args (inferences to the best explanation)

The quiz is worth 7.5% of your overall grade. Feel free to insult me in the comments for putting you through the terrible ordeal of taking a quiz.

Homework #1

In case you didn't get a copy of it in class, here's Homework #1. It's due at the beginning of class on Monday, February 9th.


DIRECTIONS: Provide original examples of the following types of arguments (in premise/conclusion form), if possible. If it is not possible, explain why.

1. A valid deductive argument with one false premise.

2. An invalid deductive argument with all true premises.

3. An unsound deductive argument that is valid.

4. A sound deductive argument that is invalid.


MULTIPLE CHOICE: Circle the correct response. Only one answer choice is correct.

5. If a deductive argument is unsound, then:
a) its conclusion must be false.
b) its conclusion must be true.
c) its conclusion could be true or false.

6. If a deductive argument is unsound, then:
a) it must be valid.
b) it must be invalid.
c) it could be valid or invalid.

7. If a deductive argument is unsound, then:
a) at least one premise must be false.
b) all the premises must be false.
c) all the premises must be true.
d) not enough info to determine.

8. If a deductive argument’s conclusion is true:
a) then the argument must be valid.
b) then the argument must be invalid.
c) then the argument could be valid or invalid.

9. If a deductive argument is sound, then:
a) its conclusion must be true.
b) its conclusion must be false.
c) its conclusion could be true or false.

10. If a deductive argument is sound, then:
a) it must be valid.
b) it must be invalid.
c) it could be valid or invalid.

11. If a deductive argument is sound, then:
a) at least one premise must be false.
b) all the premises must be false.
c) all the premises must be true.
d) not enough info to determine.

12. If a deductive argument’s conclusion is false:
a) then the argument must be valid.
b) then the argument must be invalid.
c) then the argument could be valid or invalid.

Yes, We Have Class

Camden County College is opening late today, Wednesday, January 28th, because of the snow. All morning classes are cancelled, and the college is opening at noon. Unfortunately, that means our class is NOT cancelled today.

Sorry!

Email Subscriptions

So why does this course have a blog? Well, why is anything anything?

A blog (short for “web log”) is a website that works like a journal – users write posts that are sorted by date based on when they were written. You can find important course information (like assignments, due dates, reading schedules, etc.) on the blog. I’ll also be updating the blog throughout the semester, posting interesting items related to the stuff we’re currently discussing in class. I used a blog for this course last semester, and it seemed helpful. Hopefully it can benefit our course, too.

Since I’ll be updating the blog a lot throughout the semester, you should check it frequently. There are, however, some convenient ways to do this without simply going to the blog each day. The best way to do this is by getting an email subscription, so any new blog post I write automatically gets emailed to you. (You can also subscribe to the rss feed, if you know what that means.) To get an email subscription:

1. Go to http://ccclogic09.blogspot.com.

2. At the main page, enter your email address at the top of the right column (under “EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION: Enter your Email”) and click the "Subscribe me!" button.

3. This will take you to a new page. Follow the directions under #2, where it says “To help stop spam, please type the text here that you see in the image below. Visually impaired or blind users should contact support by email.” Once you type the text, click the "Subscribe me!" button again.

4. You'll then get an email regarding the blog subscription. (Check your spam folder if you haven’t received an email after a day.) You have to confirm your registration. Do so by clicking on the "Click here to activate your account" link in the email you receive.

5. This will bring you to a page that says "Your subscription is confirmed!" Now you're subscribed.

If you are unsure whether you've subscribed, ask me (609-980-8367; slandis@camdencc.edu). I can check who's subscribed and who hasn't.

Course Details

Logic & Reasoning
Camden County College, Blackwood Campus
Philosophy 121, Section 02
Spring 2009
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
Noon – 12:50 p.m. in Madison Hall, Room 311

Instructor: Sean Landis
Email: slandis@camdencc.edu
Phone: 609-980-8367
Course Website: http://ccclogic09.blogspot.com

Required Text
Logic and Contemporary Rhetoric, 10th edition (Howard Kahane & Nancy Cavender)

About the Course
We are presented with arguments for all sorts of conclusions all the time, on topics as serious as abortion or the death penalty and as trivial as who the Phillies best player is or whether Letterman is funnier than Leno. How can we tell good arguments from bad ones?

This course focuses on understanding and evaluating arguments. We’ll first learn how to identify the components and structures of arguments. We’ll then learn how to pick apart the bad reasoning found in some arguments by going over logical fallacies, which are the different ways an argument can go wrong. We’ll also discuss psychological impediments that can throw us off. These are the ways most people naturally are led to reason incorrectly.

Armed with these evaluative tools, we’ll then explore our arguments for what we believe, and revise or strengthen them based on proper reasoning. The course’s main goal is to develop a respect for arguments and reasoning as an important, if not the most important, tool toward figuring out the truth.

Grades
90-100% = A
80-89% = B
70-79% = C
60-69% = D
below 60% = F

Midterm: 15%
Final: 25%
Quizzes (2): 7.5% each (15% total)
Oral Report: 15%
Short Paper: 5%
Group Projects (3): 3% each (9% total)
Other Homework (3): 4% each (12% total)
Attendance/Participation: 4%

Exams: The midterm tests everything covered during the first half of the course, and will last the full period (50 minutes). The final exam is cumulative: it tests everything covered throughout the whole course. The final will last 50 minutes and will be held during finals week.

Quizzes: Quizzes aren’t cumulative. Quiz #1 tests everything covered during the first 4 weeks of class, and quiz #2 tests everything covered after exam #1 (weeks 7 through 9). Quizzes will last 20 to 25 minutes, and be held at the beginning of class on the scheduled day.

Oral Report: This will be a group project presented in front of the class at the end of the semester. Each group of 3-5 students will research a topic and present a 10- to 15-minute oral presentation on it to the rest of the class.

Short Paper: There will be a short papers (250-500 words each) on understanding and evaluating an argument.

In-Class Group Projects: In addition to the group project and a lot of informal group work, there are three in-class group projects due at various times throughout the semester.

Other Homework: There will be three total homework assignments. Each one is due at the beginning of class the day they are due.

Attendance/Participation: Most of this will be based on your attendance. If you’re there every class, you’ll get full credit for your attendance grade. In addition, informal group work can impact your grade.

Extra Credit: There will be some optional extra credit assigned throughout the semester.

Classroom Policies
Academic Integrity: Cheating and plagiarism (using someone else’s words or ideas without giving credit to the source) will not be tolerated in the class. Students found guilty of either will definitely fail the exam or assignment—and possibly the entire class.

Excused Absenses: Make-up exams, quizzes, in-class projects, and oral reports will only be rescheduled for any excused absences (excused absences include religious observance, official college business, and illness or injury – with a doctor’s note). An unexcused absence on the day of any assignment or test will result in a zero on that assignment or test.

Important Dates
January 20th: Last day to drop a course & receive a 100% refund.
February 3rd: Last day to drop a course & receive a 50% refund.
February 10th: Last day to sign up to audit a course.
April 23rd: Last day to withdrawal from Fall Classes.

Course Schedule

January 21—23
Wednesday: Introduction to class (no reading)
Friday: Logic Intro (no reading)

January 26—30
Monday: Understanding Arguments (1.1-1.6) (group work)
Wednesday: Evaluating Arguments (2.1-2.2)
Friday: Arguments: Deductive (2.3) (group work)

February 2—6
Monday: Evaluating Deductive Args (no reading)
Wednesday: Fancier Args & Statements (2.4.-2.5)
Friday: Arguments: Inductive (2.6-2.8); Homework #1 due

February 9—13
Monday: Arguments: Abductive (no reading) (group work)
Wednesday: Fallacies (3.1-3.2)
Friday: Fallacies (3.3); Quiz #1 (and group work)

February 16—20
Monday: Fallacies (3.4-3.6)
Wednesday: Fallacies (finish chapter 3); Group Project #1 (in class)
Friday: Fallacies (4.1-4.3)

February 23—27
Monday: Fallacies (4.4; 4.6)
Wednesday: Fallacies (4.7) (group work)
Friday: Fallacies (finish chapter 4)

March 2—6
Monday: Fallacies (5.1-5.3); Homework #2 due
Wednesday: Fallacies (5.4-5.7)
Friday: Fallacies (5.7-5.9) (group work)

March 9—13
Monday: Fallacies (finish chapter 5); Group Project #2 (in class)
Wednesday: Review for Midterm (no reading); Paper #1 due
Friday: MIDTERM

March 16—20
SPRING BREAK! (no class) (woo?)


March 23—27
Monday: Psychological Impediments (6.1-6.3)
Wednesday: Psychological Impediments (6.4-6.6)
Friday: Psychological Impediments (6.6-6.9)

March 30—April 3
Monday: Psychological Impediments (group work)
Wednesday: Cognitive Biases (handout)
Friday: Cognitive Biases (handout); Group Project #3 (in class)

April 6—10
Monday: Intellectual Honesty (3.3, 3.7, 4.5)
Wednesday: Intellectual Honesty: Charity (handout)
Friday: Intellectual Honesty: Ignorance (group work)

April 13—17
Monday: Intro to Writing Essays (9.1-9.2); Quiz #2
Wednesday: Writing Essays (9.3-9.4)
Friday: Writing Essays (finish chapter 9); Homework #3 due

April 20—24
Monday: Evaluating the Source: Ads (10.1-10.3)
Wednesday: Ads (10.4-10.5)
Friday: Evaluating the Source: News (11.1-11.4)

April 27—May 1
Monday: News (11.5-11.8)
Wednesday: Reliability of Experts (handout)
Friday: Prepare for group presentations (no reading) (group work)

May 4—8
Monday: group presentations (no reading)
Wednesday: group presentations (no reading)
Friday: group presentations (no reading)

May 11—13
Monday: review for Final Exam (no reading)
Wednesday: FINAL EXAM (12:00--12:50)