PHIL 105.001 – How to Reason and Argue: An Introduction to Critical Thinking

Instructor: Zach Thornton. This course meets MTWRF 9:45 – 11:15 a.m. via remote synchronous (RS) instruction.

As a human being you are rational, meaning that you can form judgements based on logic and objective standards of reason. However, many of us fail to make full use of this capability. Cognitive psychology has discovered numerous biases and heuristics present in our ordinary thought that cause us to deviate from these rational standards. While these biases and heuristics allow us to make judgements about the world quickly and easily, these judgements are frequently wrong or ill-founded.

This class is an introduction to how to think critically. This means that you will learn the basics of how to rationally evaluate patterns of thought in yourself and others, and how to make arguments that live up to our highest standards of rationality.