PHIL 2200 Syllabus PDF

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Syllabus for the Philosophy course Critical Reasoning...

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Course Information This course is delivered asynchronously online; it is accelerated in pace. Course Credit Exclusion: AP/MODR 1770. Course Description Critical reasoning is an important skill that can be transferred to your other courses and life’s work. It enables you to avoid being duped, to see the heart of arguments and positions, to understand how your biases, and the biases of others, influence argumentation, and to be able to evaluate competing views to determine which is strongest. With these skills in mind, we spend the majority of time in this course examining the nature and structure of arguments, how they are composed, and how they can be analyzed. We accumulate several “tools” that can equip you to engage in arguments - whether with your family, coworkers, sales people, etc. In addition to being a skill in analysis and comprehension, a good arguer also understands that argumentation is a human interactive process that involves people, their feelings, goals, belief systems, values, egos, and personalities. We examine these aspects of argumentation too, with reference to recent work in Argumentation Theory. Being a strong critical thinker is a main ingredient in becoming a “competent layperson” - an individual who has the confidence to engage in discussions about issues that s/he may not have expertise but has the skills to engage in a fruitful discussion.

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Course Learning Objectives • Understand and diagram simple and complex arguments by breaking them down into conclusion-premise form • Supplement arguments by revealing underlying assumptions in consideration with relevant contexts • Recognize and respond to obstacles to cogent thinking and reasoning • Evaluate the strength of arguments • Determine argument schemes and/or fallacies • Deliver a strong argument • Write critically and argumentatively Course Format/Organization All lectures, tasks, assignments, and meetings will be held online through the course eClass site. To be as accessible as possible, this course does not require you to log on and complete tasks and assignments and lectures at specific times. As it is an ASYNCHRONOUS course - you can choose when to log on to keep up with weekly material. You must log on frequently to keep up with this accelerated course. The course site will go live on Monday May 10, and course details will be available: syllabus, schedule, and virtual text rental.

Weekly content will be made available on Wednesday afternoons: May 12, May 19, May 26, June 2, June 9, June 16.

Webinars (60 minutes) will be facilitated on Mondays at 2:30 pm: May 17, May 31, June 7, June 14, June 21. If you cannot attend a webinar – they will be recorded when possible. It is your responsibility to review webinars.

All assignment deadlines fall on Wednesdays. Due by noon.

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Technical requirements for taking the course A higher internet speed is important to stream lecture material. In order to fully participate in this course students should have access to electronic devices that have video and microphone access. There will be weekly 60-minute webinars on Mondays at 2:30 p.m. EST, as well as virtual office hours, using Zoom. Here are some useful links for student computing information, resources and help: Student Guide to Moodle Zoom@YorkU Best Practices Zoom@YorkU User Reference Guide Computing for Students Website Student Guide to eLearning at York University To determine Internet connection and speed, there are online tests, such as Speedtest, that can be run.] Office Hours Zoom virtual office appointments are available with the instructor and teaching assistant. Information will be on eClass. Required Course Text / Readings There is one required text in the course. A link to a virtual rental is available in the course site. All other material will be made available (at no cost) on e-Class. Concise Guide to Critical Thinking (2nd ed.) Lewis Vaughn Oxford University Press

Weighting of Course Course Component Participation*

Weight 10%

Quizzes**

30%

Argumentative Assignment* (Team assignment) Critical Essay

30% 30%

Due Best 4 out of 5 (May 10, 26, June 2, 16, 23) Best 3 out of 4 (May 26, June 2, 9, 23) Part 1 due June 2 Part 2 due June 15 June 23

*You will be arranged into teams for purposes of smaller forums for participation. Participation prompts will open on Wednesdays. You have until the following Wednesday (noon EST) to complete the task. Posts made after the deadline will

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not be graded. These same teams will be used to complete the Argumentation assignment. **Quizzes will open on Wednesdays and close at noon on the following Wednesday. If you miss a quiz, it will not be reopened for any reason once it expires. Quizzes are timed and the clock starts ticking once you start the quiz. There are no second attempts. Quizzes will vary in terms of the number of questions and format (though most will be multiple choice and approximately 12 questions). Specific instructions will be provided on each quiz. Submitting assignments on time Expected academic performance includes students not only completing assignments, but completing them on time. We find ourselves in unprecedented times though, so please see adapted policies: • If you don’t complete a participation task during the required week, you don’t earn participation grades. There will be an extra participation opportunity in the term to replace a missed participation or low grade. This means you have 5 chances to meet 4 participation requirements. • If you miss a quiz, you earn a zero grade. There will be an extra quiz to replace a missed quiz or low grade. This means you have 4 chances to write 3 quizzes. • There will be no late penalty for submitting an assignment late. Rather, you’ll have a window of time after the deadline where you can submit an assignment up to a week late (you will not receive any feedback, just a grade, if you submit an assignment late). These policies do not apply to Participation and Quizzes. Review each assignment’s instructions for specific relevant deadlines. Grades • Grades are posted on Moodle. • Your official grade is posted by the Registrar once the term is over. • Final Grades are not negotiable. In order to ensure you earn the grade you want or need, in addition to the tips above, you are encouraged to use the Discussion Forum on Moodle, make virtual appointments to discuss material and your ideas, or engage in any Bonus opportunities should they arise during the term. • For a description of York University’s grading scale, see the relevant undergraduate calendar at: http://calendars.registrar.yorku.ca Email/Message Guidelines: • Please limit e-mails or messages to personal issues that arise. All other inquiries about course material, or assignments, can be made on the Moodle Discussion Forum, or during weekly synchronous Zoom sessions. • You can expect an answer to a forum message or email within 24 hours, unless it is the weekend.

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Assistance with Writing - http://www.yorku.ca/laps/writ/ It takes time and practice to become a better writer. Invest some time into your writing skills while you are enrolled in York courses. The Centre for Academic Writing (CAW) is located in South Ross 311. You might be interested in: (a) one-onone assistance with a writing instructor regarding an assignment you are working on (by appointment only, book online); (b) a 15 minute drop in session where you can ask quick question(s) about a writing assignment (see website for days/times); or (c) its general writing workshops (book online). You are paying for these services through your tuition, so take advantage of these opportunities when you can. Given current circumstances, the center offers online services. Assistance with Special Needs - https://accessibility.students.yorku.ca It is important that students with special learning needs, requiring accommodations of any sort in connection with their successful completion of a course, contact the appropriate office(s). A good place to start is with the Counselling and Disability Services (CDS) on campus (Room N110 of the Bennett Centre for Student Services). It’s also important to notify instructors of any concerns as close to the course’s start as possible. You can do this by providing all your instructors with the form the CDS gives you. Making relevant arrangements significantly in advance will help ensure proper accommodations right from the beginning of the course. When I receive an accommodation letter I will request a short meeting to review how accommodations can be used in this course. Ultimately, your success in this course is important to me. Academic Integrity You have committed plagiarism when you use someone else’s ideas and present them as your own. This could take several forms: cheating on a test; letting someone cheat off you during a test; having someone write your paper; copying parts or all of the paper off the internet; buying a paper; summarizing ideas from any source without properly citing this source. For further information on plagiarism see: http://www.yorku.ca/spark/academic_integrity/index.html It is your responsibility as a student to be informed about academic integrity. No level or form of plagiarism will be tolerated. Penalties for plagiarism range from a grade of zero on the specific assignment, to failing the course, to having an official note of academic dishonesty on your university record. When in doubt, please ask about any questions you have regarding Academic Integrity. IMPORTANT COURSE INFORMATION The Senate Committee on Curriculum & Academic Standards Web site provides an important read, the: STUDENT INFORMATION SHEET. The Student Information Sheet includes: • York’s Academic Honesty Policy and Procedures/Academic Integrity Website • Access/Disability • Ethics Review Process for Research Involving Human Participants

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• Religious Observance Accommodation • Student Conduct Standards Additional information: • Academic Accommodation for Students with Disabilities • Alternate Exam and Test Scheduling • Grading Scheme and Feedback Policy The Senate Grading Scheme and Feedback Policy stipulates that (a) the grading scheme (i.e. kinds and weights of assignments, essays, exams, etc.) be announced, and be available in writing, within the first two weeks of class, and that, (b) under normal circumstances, graded feedback worth at least 15% of the final grade for Fall, Winter or Summer Term, and 30% for ‘full year’ courses offered in the Fall/Winter Term be received by students in all courses prior to the final withdrawal date from a course without receiving a grade (see the policy for exceptions to this aspect of the policy http://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/legislation/senate/gradfeed.htm “Final course grades may be adjusted to conform to Program or Faculty grades distribution profiles.” If Term Test will be held outside of regularly scheduled class time, include announcement of day, date and time here (e.g., Saturday, October 28, 2006, 10 am to 11:30, room TBA). • "20 % Rule" No examination or test worth more than 20% of the final grade will be given during the last two weeks of classes in a term, with the exception of classes which regularly meet Friday evenings or on the weekend (Saturday and/or Sunday at any time). (Approved by Senate, November 28, 1996)

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