School of Politics, International Relations & Philosophy  
 
 
PHI-10011 How To Think  
Co-ordinator: Dr Sorin Baiasu    Room: CBB2.016, Tel:33364  
Teaching Team: Mrs Paula  Hughes, Mrs Julie  Street, Dr Sorin  Baiasu, Mr Scott  McGowan, Ms Carys  Hughes, Miss Laura  Barcroft, Mrs Diane  Mason, Mr Robert  Eggett  
Lecture Time: See Timetable...  
Level: 1 Credits: 15 Study Hours: 150  
School Office:
 
 
 
Programme/Approved Electives for
International Relations Dual Honours (Level 1)
International Relations Major (Level 1)
International Relations Minor (Level 1)
International Relations Single Honours (Level 1)
Available as a Free Standing Elective
Yes
Prerequisites
None

Barred Combinations
None
Description

This module is designed to develop and improve skills to enable students to understand and respond appropriately to arguments in general, by focussing on the formal features of arguments such as deductive validity, inductive force and various forms of fallacies. This is crucial preparation for all other courses in the Philosophy Programme, but is also excellent preparation for academic work generally or any endeavour that involves an attempt to convince someone of something.
Aims
1) To guide development in a range of elementary thinking and reasoning skills and to provide students with the basics of skills that are essential for the proper presentation, analysis and criticism of arguments.

2) To improve students general ability to think both clearly and rigorously.

3) To enhance students ability to identify, present, analyse and critically evaluate arguments presented in everyday and academic contexts.

4) To enhance students ability to identify various common fallacies and rhetorical devices.

5) To equip students with the basics of skills that are of paramount importance in philosophy but which are also an indispensable part of good practice in any academic discipline, by introducing them to the basic principles of argument and logic.
Intended Learning Outcomes
Demonstrate precision of thought and expression in the analysis and formulation of complex and controversial problems. will be achieved by assessments: 01, 02, 03
Abstract, analyse and construct sound arguments and to identify logical fallacies. will be achieved by assessments: 01, 02, 03
Evaluate opposing arguments, to formulate and consider the best arguments for different views and to identify the weakest elements of the most persuasive view. will be achieved by assessments: 01, 02, 03
Employ some key logical concepts such as logical form, validity, soundness, induction and quantification. will be achieved by assessments: 01, 02, 03
Apply philosophical skills and techniques to issues arising outside the academy. will be achieved by assessments: 01, 02, 03
Identify underlying issues in a wide range of different kinds of debate. will be achieved by assessments: 01, 02, 03
Demonstrate clarity and rigour in the critical assessment of arguments presented in texts. will be achieved by assessments: 01, 02, 03
Recognise methodological errors, rhetorical devices, unexamined conventional wisdom, unnoticed assumptions, vagueness and superficiality in the arguments of others and respond appropriately. will be achieved by assessments: 01, 02, 03
Study hours
10 hours attendance at lectures
10 hours attendance at seminars
45 hours preparation for lectures
50 hours preparation for seminars
5 hours preparation for summative exercises
30 hours revision for exam
Description of Module Assessment
01: Exercise weighted 15%
Formalisaton and Proof Exercises
This is a set of exercises that will test the student's ability to convert ordinary language sentences into a formal calculus and to understand and apply basic concepts of logic. The exercises will be undertaken at home three quarters of the way through the course and will be marked by the tutor.
02: Exercise
On-going exercises in each seminar assessing material covered
In seminars students are divided into small groups to undertake exercises dealing with the concepts covered in the lecture. They are then provided with tutor feedback on the exercises.
03: 2 Hour Exam weighted 85%
1 x 2 hour examination
This is a two hour examination testing the students' grasp of the central concepts covered in the course and their ability to apply them to a range of arguments.
Version: (1.06B) Updated: 03/Mar/2013

This document is the definitive current source of information about this module and supersedes any other information.