P Hilos 7 Syllabus- Revised 9-10-19 PDF

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PHILOS 7 — Logic and Critical Thinking — Fall 2019 Section 3250: TuTh, HSS 150, 8:00am-9:20am Section 3251: TuTh, HSS 150, 9:30am-10:50am INSTRUCTOR: Ali Mohsen, Ph.D. [email protected], (310) 434-4653 (voicemails are forwarded to my email) Office hours: HSS 387 Mon-Thurs 1pm-2pm (or by appointment) COURSE DESCRIPTION What does it mean to think well? Critical thinking is a diverse set of reasoning skills, which we will explore through four modules: MYTHOS (ideology critique), LOGOS (facts and logic), PATHOS (power relations), and POLIS (organizing). Each of these interrelated ways of thinking contribute to a well-rounded thinking practice, “leveling up” our abilities to perceive, analyze, interpret, and act in authentic and informed ways. In this way, critical thinking is a response to the problems posed by uncritical thinking or letting others think for us: “Uncritical thinking derives its beliefs, norms, and values from existing thought and social practices, while critical thought seeks alternative modes of thought and behavior from which it creates a standpoint of critique.” (Douglas Kellner’s Introduction to One-Dimensional Man by Herbert Marcuse) By thinking critically we concern ourselves with the goals of our actions—the why—and not just the means—the how. Thus, central to thinking well is detecting how ideology can distort our understanding of true and false, right and wrong, and our place in the world. Knowledge, skills, and disposition for reading and writing for civic agency in the digital age. Includes: argument composition and evaluation, ideology critique, cognitive biases, intersectionality, and collaborative projects. Instruction includes "flipping the classroom" with ePortfolios, design thinking, gamification, and coordination with the SMC Public Policy Institute’s Symposiums and Forums. COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES  Compose and evaluate well-reasoned and supported inductive arguments.  Collaborate to compose an argument for a declaration or public document.  Interpret texts to identify and critique ideological biases.  Apply interdisciplinary and intersectional analyses to explain positions and problems.  Develop a portfolio to demonstrate critical thinking skills. COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:     

Distinguish between inductive and deductive arguments, and varieties of each. Determine validity and soundness of deductive arguments. Determine strength and cogency of inductive arguments. Reconstruct ordinary language arguments into standard inductive and deductive structures. Apply decision procedures for deductive validity and inductive strength to arguments relating to issues of current social significance.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR PHILOS 7:  Demonstrate academic responsibility and integrity.  Demonstrate through oral and/or written work knowledge of the course content: the validity, soundness, strength and cogency of inductive and deductive arguments.  Demonstrate proficiency in the research, analytical, and communication skills necessary to present, orally and/or in writing, compelling and original arguments that employ inductive and deductive techniques (e.g. introductory symbolization of ordinary language, identify Informal fallacies etc.) to determine validity, soundness, strength and cogency of arguments.

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INSTITUTIONAL LEARNING OUTCOMES: Santa Monica College students will…  Acquire the self-confidence and self-discipline to pursue their intellectual curiosities with integrity in both their personal and professional lives.  Obtain the knowledge and skills necessary to access, evaluate, and interpret ideas, images, and information critically in order to communicate effectively, reach conclusions, and solve problems.  Respect the inter-relatedness of the global human environment, engage with diverse peoples, and acknowledge the significance of their daily actions relative to broader issues and events.  Take responsibility for their own impact on the earth by living a sustainable and ethical life style.  Demonstrate a level of engagement in the subject matter that enables and motivates the integration of acquired knowledge and skills beyond the classroom. CANVAS Official course business, including course emails and announcements, the posting of assignments, the distribution of supplemental materials, the submission of written assignments, reading quizzes, and the posting of grades, will be conducted online via Canvas. Should you have a problem, Canvas has 24-hour tech support: (855) 712-9770. REQUIRED MATERIALS  iClicker Reef Subscription (www.iclicker.com/pricing) OR iClicker + student remote: 978-1498603058  Our Declaration, Danielle Allen: 978-1631490446  Being Wrong, Kathryn Schulz: 978-0-06-117605-0  Don’t Even Think About It, George Marshall: 978-1-63286-102-3  White Fragility: why it’s so hard for white people to talk about racism: 978-0-8070-4741-5 iCLICKER REMOTES FOR CLASSROOM POLLING I’m excited that our class will be using a cloud-based student response software by iClicker. This technology will help you share what you think, collaborate with classmates, and review course material after class. Additionally, we will use iClicker to grade attendance and participation.  You may use either the iClicker remote or the iClicker mobile app.  Please register and sync your iClicker device before the date marked on the calendar at the end of this doc ument.  Please register using your SMC email address and your SMC student ID number.  To register the remote, go to iclicker.com/students and follow the instructions listed on the website. The standard price is $44.99 for a new remote, but you can find one for as low as $32.  To register the mobile app, download the iClicker Reef Student app from the Apple or Android marketplace and follow the directions. There is a free 2-week trial, and after that it costs $14.99 for 6 months of service. iClicker Troubleshooting: You can find the answers to many of your questions on the iClicker student support site https://community.macmillan.com/community/iclicker-support/iclicker-student-support). If you continue to experience issues, please contact tech support via phone (866-209-5698) or email ([email protected]). Live support is available Monday-Thursday from 6am-8pm and Friday from 6am–6pm. GRADING Attendance/Participation (iClicker) Canvas Discussions and Quizzes Define “critical thinking” 3 Argumentative Essays (800 words each) ePortfolio (Personal Introduction, Avatar Thought Experiment, Intersectional Self-Reflection, Dialogue Script, and 2 Best Essays) Team Project (PR Campaign) Team Collaboration: Our Declaration (Essay #4)

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Grades are determined strictly by the number of points earned. A = 90-100%; B = 80-89.9%; C = 70-79.9%; D = 60-69.9%; F = 59.9% and below

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ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION  You are allowed 3 absences—Each additional absence is a 10-point deduction  I drop students who miss 4 consecutive classes.  In-class participation, which requires attendance, accounts for 10% of your final grade.  Earn +1 participation point by responding to all of the poll questions. Earn +1 for correct answers, and .5 for responding , resulting in a 1.5 total possible points per poll question. HONOR CODE Don’t cheat! Plagiarism is the practice of taking someone else’s ideas and passing them off as your own. Always cite your sources. Please plan ahead and check this syllabus regularly in order to keep track of important due dates. Read how to avoid plagiarism. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS The safety of students at SMC is a priority. Please note that emergency procedures are posted in this classroom and every classroom. Also, procedures for various emergencies are delineated on the SMC website. SPECIAL ACCOMODATIONS I am committed to meeting the needs of all class participants and fostering an inclusive learning environment. Please speak with me and/or Disabled Student Services early and often to arrange class-related accommodations. If you have any kind of disability, whether apparent or non-apparent, learning, emotional, physical, or cognitive, and the class format is not working for you then please contact me, so we can discuss reasonable accommodations for your access needs. It is never too late to request accommodations—please email me or drop by during office hours. DSPS is located in the Admissions/Student Services Complex, Room 101: (310) 434-4265 and (310) 434-4273 (TDD). NAMES AND PRONOUNS There is a long history of dialogue and activism concerning how we address one another with names and pronouns. Class participants will refer to one another by the name they prefer (with the proper pronunciation) and the gender pronouns that correspond to their gender identity. Please inform me of your name’s proper pronunciation as well as names or pronouns not included in the class roster. I encourage you to introduce yourself after class, via email, or during my office hours.

Date Column

Calendar is Subject to Change! Check Your Email Regularly! What to Read, Watch, and Prep Before Class Assignments/Reminders Column

Week 1: Introductions Tu 8/27 Introduction to Critical Thinking: The Subject & Course  Why “flip” the classroom?  Norm setting and “good/bad faith”  Goals and Ends Th 8/29 Graffiti Wall, Name Stories, and Goals  What is the most pressing public problems?  What is corrupting the youth?  What is Youth Empowerment?  What is critical thinking and what’s it good for?

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After class, make an entry in your Critical Thinking Notebook (CTN). Check out the Digital Library for this course and start reading! Select at least one of the four required books and read for an hour before class.

Week 2: Introductions Tu 9/3 Introductions – Who is at the table? Let's introduce ourselves and get to work understanding how to use the peer review process. In small groups, read posts aloud, and write useful peer feedback in replies to the posts in the online discussion. The key is offering useful feedback rather than meaningless praise. Please reply in comments with useful feedback for at least 3 other students. How will we show up?

Th 9/5

What is “critical thinking” for? [Why?] Read: Danielle Allen, What is education for?  What is the best way to close the equity gap and why?  Distinguish public (civic) and private (economic) goals.  What are the 3 core tasks of civic agency?  Identify Allen’s main argument by grievances, principles, and conclusions.

Week 3: What is Critical Thinking For? Tu 9/10 Catch up day

iClickers start today! Personal Introduction Compose and post your personal introduction – (1) Start with your name, (2) share a life goal. (300 words) Your initial post is due Monday, 9/2, 11:59pm. You must post before seeing other students' replies. All replies due by Wed. 9/4 9/8: Last day to withdraw to receive a refund AND last day to withdraw to avoid a “W” Online quiz on Allen’s essay Writing prompt: What’s your takeaway for your definition of “critical thinking” that you might you employ in your definition?

Online quiz on Plato Task: Be prepared to discuss your take-away, from Plato’s Apology, for your definition of “critical thinking.” In what sense are you a “Socratic” thinker? Are you a “Gadfly”?

Th 9/12

What is “critical thinking” for? Read: Plato’s Apology & “Allegory of the Cave”  How to use a text to define a concept.  Identify the ARGUMENT in the text.  What distinguishes Socrates as a critical thinker?  How does Plato frame Socrates in his “Allegory of the Cave”? Watch: Why Socrates Hated Democracy

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Online quiz on Plato Task: Be prepared to discuss your take-away, from Plato’s Apology, for your definition of “critical thinking.” In what sense are you a “Socratic” thinker? Are you a “Gadfly”?

Week 4: What is Critical Thinking For? Tu 9/17 What is “critical thinking” for? Read/Listen: The Declaration of Independence  What distinguishes this document as exemplary critical thinking?  Who is “we the people”?  What is the argument of the Declaration? [Grievances + Principles]  What made this collaboration successful?  What about slavery? How is that history present today?  What distinguishes Allen’s reading? Read: Danielle Allen, OD, Part I – Origins, (pgs. 27-44)

Th 9/19

What is “critical thinking”? Define “critical thinking” using assigned sources:  Dictionaries  Encyclopedias  Classic texts  Public Documents  Contemporary Essays Read: Critical Theory, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2005 and Informal Logic, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2017. [For the roots of critical thinking in Western traditions.]

Assign Project #1 Teams Quiz on the Declaration (Allen, pp. 27-44) Be prepared to discuss: What’s your take-away, from the Declaration, for your definition of “critical thinking”? Consider this takeaway: given the likelihood of implicit bias in your perspective, adopt a “wrongology” or a “growth mindset.” PORTFOLIO Define the Concept “Critical Thinking” based on these 3 course texts and your perspective: (400 words) (1) Plato’s Apology (2) Declaration of Independence (3) Danielle Allen’s “What is Education For?”

…more coming soon!

“Final Exam” Schedule (ePortfolio Sharing Discussion) Section 3250 (8am) will meet Tuesday, 12/10 from 8-11am Section 3251 (9:30am) will meet Thursday, 12/12 from 8-11am

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