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Course Description: In our lives, we
encounter many who try to persuade us not with emotion, but with reasoned argument.
Arguments can cover an incredible range of topics from why you should see the
latest movie to why you should quit smoking to whether or not a country should
go to war. Arguments are made everyday by us, our friends, teachers, the media,
medical experts, and many others. Some arguments are better than others--but
why? How can we spot bad reasoning and improve it? This class will pursue answers
to the following basic questions: What is the difference between an opinion
and an argument? What makes an argument strong or weak? What criteria can we
use to evaluate the arguments we hear from others and how can we construct good
arguments of our own? The course will provide students with tools that should
help them think critically and carefully. Students will be required to read
and analyze arguments. They will also be required to evaluate and construct
arguments on various topics in homework and examinations.
Course Objectives: Ideally, by the end
of this course students should gain the following skills:
Familiarization. Gain a good sense of what is at stake in issues of course.
Comprehension. Be able to comprehend the issues raised in the text and in class.
Critical analysis. Be able to criticize arguments by pointing out where they
lack evidence, make an unreasonable leap, hold a false assumption, etc.
Demonstration of the above through writing.
Verbalization. Be able to summarize a philosophical issue, without notes, using
your own words. Be able to criticize a position this way.
Conversation and Debate. Be able to discuss issues in a focused and informed
way with others in the class. This will involve listening closely to their points,
then responding in a way that moves the discussion ahead.
Required Texts:
A Practical Study of Argument With Infotrac
5th ed. by Trudy Govier
Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing; 5th edition (January 2001) ISBN: 0534519768
The Argument Culture: Stopping America's War
of Words by Deborah Tannen
(Publisher: Ballantine Books; February 1999) ISBN: 0345407512
It is also STRONGLY suggested that you start reading regularly a good newspaper--such
as the Denver Post, The Rocky Mountain News, The New York Times, The Wall Street
Journal, etc. and magazines such as The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, Harper’s,
The Economist, The Nation, The New Republic. Homework assignments will require
such resources.
Course Requirements:
Participation--15%
Homework assignments (writing plus 6)-- 20%
First exam
-- 30%.
Final take home exam
---35%
Attendance + Participation: Intellectual inquiry requires verbal discussion
as much as written argument. There will be ample opportunity for active and
well prepared participation, which I value and which will affect the final grade.
"Participation" includes the following kinds of things: attendance, ability
and willingness to contribute to class discussion and group activities, e-mail
dialogue, etc. It is possible that an occasional "pop quiz" (testing only the
most basic familiarity with the readings) will be factored into this portion
of the grade. Since lectures and even points made in discussion will find their
way into the exams, not attending the class will have a significant negative
impact on your grade. Attending will also be a major help to your ability to
participate.
Homework:
Homework #1—Short Writing: You must write ONE short reaction paper on
a chapter in the Tannen book, The Argument Culture. You can do it for either
class we discuss the book, but you must write about what we’re talking
about THAT day. The purpose of this assignment is to help you clarify your understanding
of the readings and to help you think critically about the issues. This should
be TWO THIRDS TO ONE PAGE typewritten. It should discuss your critical reaction
about some specific issue which you find compelling in the readings.
Homework exercises: There are 9 possible opportunities to do a homework. YOU
HAVE TO DO 6 HOMEWORKS (graded). You may choose to do any 6 of the 9 homeworks
possible. Your total number of graded assignments for this portion of your grade
will be 5--the lowest grade (#6) will be dropped. Homeworks will be graded.
Missing homeworks will receive a zero.
Examinations: Exams may include mixed multiple-choice, short-answer, and short
essays. The final exam will be take-home and comprehensive.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is a form of stealing. It occurs when an author uses
the words or ideas of others as if they were the author’s own original
thought. (It may include word-for-word copying, interspersing one’s own
words with another’s, paraphrasing, inventing or counterfeiting sources,
submitting another’s work as one’s own, neglecting quotation marks
on material that is otherwise acknowledged.) Plagiarism is often unintentional.
It can be avoided by always acknowledging one’s debt to others by citing
the exact source of a quotation or paraphrase. Since plagiarism is such a serious
violation of academic honesty, the PENALTY for it will be an AUTOMATIC “F”
FOR THIS COURSE. The CU handbook has a more complete description of plagiarism
and academic dishonesty.
Grades: I use the plus/minus system. Values for those letters, as well as the
policies regarding other grades such as Incomplete, are available in the CU
Academic Policies and Regulations section of the handbook.
Contact Information
Phone : 303-556-8558
E-mail: hilde@yahoo.com; Website: http://davidhildebrand.org
Office and Hours: Plaza M108; Hours TTh, 215-330 and by appointment.
Purpose: I strongly encourage you to participate by dropping by during office
hours. We can talk about the class readings and lectures, exams and papers,
your progress, or just philosophy in general. Note: If you are a student with
a disability, I will make myself available to discuss appropriate academic accommodations.
Before accommodations will be made, you may be required to provide documentation.
Students with disabilities will be accommodated. Students with disabilities
are required to register disabilities with the UCD Disability Services Office,
and are responsible for requesting reasonable accommodations at the beginning
of the term.
Spring 2004 Registration Deadlines and Responsibilities for CLAS Students
• CLAS students must always have an accurate mailing and e-mail address:
http://www.cudenver.edu/registrar
• Students are responsible for completing financial arrangements with
financial aid, family, scholarships, etc.
• 15 January (5:00 pm) Payment Plan deadline for students
registering by 2 January 2004.
• 22 January Last day to be added to the wait-list for
a closed course.
• 26 Jan – 4 Feb Students are responsible for verifying
an accurate Spring 2004 registration via web SMART
• 29 January (midnight) Last day to add courses via
web SMART system.
• 4 February (5:00 pm) Last day to add 16 week structured
courses. Treated as an absolute deadline.
4 Feb add deadline does not apply to independent study, internships, and late-starting
modular courses.
Consult the Academic Calendar for details on registration/payment deadlines:
http://www.cudenver.edu/registrar
Date
Reading Schedule
Readings and Assignments
January
20 Introduction to Course -- in class debate/discussion
22 Tannen, chapters 1 and 2
Short paper on Tannen due
27 Tannen, chapters 7 and 9
Short paper on Tannen due
29 CHAPTER 1
Definition and Functions of Arguments
February
3 NO CLASS
5 CHAPTER 2
Standardizing Argument Structure
10 CHAPTER 2
HOMEWORK #1 DUE: CHAPTER 2:
SET 1, p. 40, A7, A12, A14; SET 2, p. 49, A9, B1
12 CHAPTER 3
Developing Good Arguments (ARG)
17 CHAPTER 3--Homework #2 due: Chapter 3: Exercise 1: 2, 3,
13 Exercise 2: 2, 5, 7, 8
Extra credit: Analyze/standardize the argument found here.
19 CHAPTER 4 Looking at Language
24 CHAPTER 4
Homework # 3 due: Exercise 1 (p. 114 ff.): 3,4; Exercise 2a (sets on
p. 129ff.): 1,2,8,9,10,18; Exercise 2b: 2,4,9
26 CHAPTER 5
Premises: Acceptable, Unacceptable
March
2 CHAPTER 5
Homework #4 due: Exercise 1, Part A: 1,2,3,5; Part B: 3, 7. Exercise 2, Part
A: 2,3.
4 Unscheduled
9 CHAPTER 6
Relevance, Irrelevance, related Fallacies
11 EXAM 1 IN CLASS
15-20 Spring break
23 CHAPTER 6
Homework #5 due: Chapter 6: Exercise1 PartA: 2, 3, 8, 10; Exercise1 PartB
2,3,11; Exercise2: 2, 11
From this point forward, please note adjusted schedule which is different from your paper syllabus. The exam date will not change.
30 CHAPTER 7
Categorical Logic, Venn Diagrams
April
1 CHAPTER 7
Homework # 6 due: Chapter 7: Exercise 1: 1, 3, 8, 11; Exercise2 Part
A 4, 6, 13; Exercise3 #1, 3, 5 but just do (a) the translation to categorical
form, don't do [b] (evaluate validity).
Practice page
for testing validity of categorical syllogisms is here.
6 CHAPTER 9
Inductive Generalizations, Arguments
8 CHAPTER 9 Homework # 7 due: Chapter 9: Exercise 1, Part A:
4; Part B: 1; Part C: 2; Exercise 3 Part A: 4, 8, 11; Part B: 4,5,8, 11
Extra credit assignment--Due by Thursday 4/15-- (if you get a higher grade on this, I
will replace your lowest remaining homework grade with this one):
Analysis of spoken argument: Listen to segment (Real Audio) called
"Right, Wrong, And the Wisdom to Know the Difference?" In this
interview, philosophy professor Peter Singer at
Princeton University discusses his book The President of Good & Evil: The
Ethics of George W. Bush (Dutton, 2004) and evaluates the
President's views from a
philosophical standpoint.
In your analysis, do the following:
(1) list 5 topics that Dr. Singer discusses that pertain to the
President's ethical approach to governing. (2) Formulate (using
separate, numbered lines for premises, sub-conclusions, and
conclusions) three arguments made by Singer. (3) Analyze one of the
arguments using the ARG conditions and explain whether you think it is
a cogent or not-cogent argument. If any fallacies are committed,
mention which ones. Must be typed.
The link to the discussion is here.
13 CHAPTER 10
Analogical Arguments
15 CHAPTER 10:
Homework # 8 due: chapter 10:
Exercise 1 part A (note: for this one, just state primary subject and analogue): 3,6;
Exercise 1 part B: 2,5,13
20 CHAPTER 11
Conductive Arguments
22 CHAPTER 11
Homework # 9, chapter 11:
Exercise 1 :1,3,4. THIS HW WAS POSTED LATE AND WILL BE DUE BY BY 4/27
27 CHAPTER 12
Applications: analyzing longer works
29 Argument and Visual Persuasion (activity to be announced)
May
4 Review for take-home exam
6 Course wrap-up, evaluations;
TAKE HOME DISTRIBUTED, due AT THE VERY LATEST by noon, May 11 to the Philosophy Department office, Plaza m-108.
NOTE: The final exam has a number of longer articles, with different political "angles", that you can choose to analyze as extra credit. If you wish, you may substitute the piece located HERE for choice #1 on the exam.
Please note: All course requirements are subject
to change at the discretion of the instructor.