PHIL 105 : Critical Thinking
Arts
2020 Semester One (1203) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
- Reasoning with Certainty: We explore the principles of argumentation and how we might represent and analyse arguments. We will learn to analyse and evaluate deductive arguments, and understand their limitations.
- Reasoning with Doubt: Building on our understanding of deductive arguments, we will analyse and evaluate non-deductive arguments, including weighing competing arguments and causal reasoning. We will identify good and bad arguments, and and the kinds of arguments common in everyday life.
- Reasoning in Different Disciplines: We apply our newly acquired reasoning tools to investigate the inner workings of specialised contexts for reasoning, such as: science, morality, law, medicine, engineering, business, creative arts, or logic.
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 2: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 4: | Communication and Engagement |
| Capability 5: | Independence and Integrity |
Learning Outcomes
- Evaluate arguments (Capability 1.2 and 2.1)
- Construct reasoned, strong, arguments using acceptable evidence. (Capability 1.1 and 2.3)
- Provide perspectives and critiques of reasons from diering world-views. (Capability 2.2)
- Recognise and interpret mental dispositions, assumptions, biases and heuristics that can aect your reasoning. (Capability 1.2 and 5.2)
- Write arguments expressing ideas and reections on and using critical thinking. (Capability 4.1, 4.2 and 5.1)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Discussions | 10% | Individual Coursework |
| Assignments | 30% | Individual Coursework |
| Final Exam | 60% | Individual Examination |
| 3 types | 100% |
Module
Workload Expectations
This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.
Lecture stream: 2 hours of lectures, a 1 hour tutorial, 3 hours of reading, watching videos and thinking about the content, 1 hour of discussion writing and reading, and an average 3 hours on assignment preparation. The assignment preparation is expected to be in weeks 4, 7, and 10.
Online stream: 6 hours of reading and thinking, including watching lecture recordings, plus 1 hour of discussion and an average of 3 hours on assignment preparation. The assignment preparation is expected to be in weeks 4, 7, and 10.
Other Information
This course has lecture and online streams. They have the same workload, assessment, and resources. You can freely switch between the two streams during semester. Some self-motivation and organisation is required to thrive in the online stream.
Digital Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information,
look at this Canvas page (https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894),
which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
Feedback from previous cohorts has changed the assessment, pace, and topic choices in the course. Most weeks includes some content generated by students. We continually draw upon the collective experience and wisdom of our students as well as our staff, in developing and fine-tuning this course.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.