4/26/2024 8:09:00 PM	PHIL 5 Course Outline as of Spring 2003	Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  PHIL 5	Title:  CRITIC THINK/WRITE
Full Title:  Critical Thinking/Writing
Last Reviewed:1/23/2023

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	3.00	Lecture Scheduled	3.00		17.5 max.	Lecture Scheduled	52.50
Minimum	3.00	Lab Scheduled	0		6 min.	Lab Scheduled	0
		Contact DHR	0			Contact DHR	0
		Contact Total	3.00			Contact Total	52.50
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  105.00

Total Student Learning Hours: 157.50

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade or P/NP
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly: 

Catalog Description:

The application of the principles of critical thinking to the writing of argumentative essays. Critical reasoning skills are presented and practiced in the context of the construction and the critique of numerous written, extended arguments.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:
Course Completion of ENGL 1A

Recommended Preparation:

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

The application of the principles of critical thinking to the writing and analysis of extended, argumentative essays.

(Grade or P/NP)
Prerequisites:Course Completion of ENGL 1A
Recommended:
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:CSU;UC.
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:	Spring 1991	Inactive:
Area:	B	Communication and Analytical Thinking
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	A3	Critical Thinking		Fall 1991
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	1B	Critical Thinking - English Composition		Fall 1981
CSU Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Spring 1991	Inactive:
UC Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Spring 1991	Inactive:
C-ID:

Certificate/Major Applicable: Major Applicable Course

COURSE CONTENT

Outcomes and Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1.  The students will read extended arguments (diversity of perspective

   and culture will be reflected in the selection of these arguments) and

   write clear, coherent and well organized critical essays analyzing

   and evaluating those arguments. In those critical essays, successful

   students will:

     A. Identify and describe the main conclusion or thesis of the

        argument being critiqued, and demonstrate an understanding

        of its significance.

     B. Identify and paraphrase the main supporting premises for the

        conclusion and the arguments in support of those premises.

     C. Identify vagueness, ambiguity, emotive language and other

        rhetorical elements of the argument, as appropriate.

     D. Make explicit any unstated premises and/or conclusions in the

        argument, as appropriate.

     E. Employ the correct techniques for evaluating the deductive

        and/or inductive structures of the component arguments within

        the larger argument.

     F. Determine and discuss the relevance of premises to conclusions,

        as appropriate.

     G. Detect and describe logical fallacies that may occur in the

        argument.

     H. Evaluate the acceptability of any unsupported statements of

        fact or opinion in the argument, as appropriate.

     I. Perform a summary evaluation of the overall argument.

2.  Students will also construct several essays in which they formulate

   and defend their own positions on topics of controversy. In these

   essays, successful students will:

     A. Select an appropriate topic.

     B. Formulate a clear and defendable conclusion.

     C. Conduct library research on the topic, as appropriate.

     D. Develop strong arguments which are based upon sound

        inferences from clear and acceptable premises. Arguments

        should be free from invalidity, inductive errors, irrelevance

        and logical fallacies.

     E. Anticipate and critique the strongest counter-arguments.

     F. Express their ideas clearly, precisely and unambiguously.

     G. Organize their essays, paragraphs and sentences logically

        and coherently.

     H. Provide the appropriate documentation, as necessary.

Topics and Scope

Topics and sequences vary but a typical course involves the following:

1.  Presentation of the concept of "argument" and its various

   components (e.g. issue, conclusion, premise, assumption), and

   discussion of methods of identifying these components; practice

   in paraphrasing arguments.

2.  Discussion of clarity in language use; how to recognize unclear

   language and how to improve the clarity of one's own writing.

3.  Description of rhetorical features of argument evaluation (e.g.

   ambiguity, connotation, denotation, euphemism, slanting) and

   practice identifying these features in essays.

4.  Description of the various types of argument (e.g. deductive,

   inductive, syllogism, generalization, analogy, causal argument)

   and practice identifying them in essays.

5.  Presentation and written application of methods for evaluating

   arguments (e.g. validity, soundness, cogency, relevance, logical

   fallacy).

6.  Description and written application of methods for evaluating each

   of the various types of argument.

7.  Description and written application of methods for determining the

   acceptability of claims of fact, value, opinion, etc.

8.  Discussion and written application of methods for selecting

   argumentative essay topics and conclusions.

9.  Discussion and written application of methods for developing and

   presenting relevant support for a conclusion.

10. Practice identifying and responding to the strongest objections to

   one's position.

11. Development of skills in organizing an argumentative essay clearly,

   logically, and coherently by the appropriate use of essay components

   (e.g. introduction, transitions, conclusions, summaries, logical

   relationships between sentences in a paragraph, logical relationships

   between paragraphs in the overall essay).

12. Development of appropriate library research and documentation skills.

13. Practice revising the essay to improve its clarity, coherence,

   accuracy, cogency and logical progression.

Assignments:

Assignments vary, but students will write a minimum of 5000 words divided

into at least five essays.

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.

Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.		Writing 70 - 90%
Term papers
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 5 - 20%
Homework problems
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.		Skill Demonstrations 0 - 0%
None
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.		Exams 5 - 25%
Multiple choice
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 0 - 0%
None

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

THE POWER TO PERSUADE:  A RHETORIC AND READER FOR ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING,

by Sally DeWitt Spurgin, 3rd edition, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs,

N.J., 1994.

CURRENT ISSUES AND ENDURING QUESTIONS: A GUIDE TO CRITICAL THINKING AND

ARGUMENT WITH READINGS, 4th edition, St. Martins Press, Boston, 1996.

CURRENT ISSUES AND ENDURING QUESTIONS by Sylvan Barnett and Hugo Bedau,

  6th ed., Bedford/St. Martins 2002.

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