Final Essay

For those of you doing a second essay in place of the blogging option, I will need to have the final, polished version, in hard copy, by noon on Monday.

Grading Breakdown

For those who want to calculate how they're doing so far, here's the approximate weighting of assignments for the course (from the revised syllabus published early in the semester). I have added one further revision, breaking the 40% for the midterm and final into 15% for the midterm and 25% for the final. This gives everyone a greater chance to improve, and enough of you have been getting better at logic in recent weeks that this adjustment may help to ensure that your final grade is an accurate reflection of your learning.

Quizzes: 10%
Essay: 25%
Midterm 15%
Blogs/second essay: 25%
final: 25%

Final Exam Review

For all those interested, we will meet at 10 am in Bowman 211 on Thursday (reading day) to answer questions and do problems.

Advanced Logic Tutorial

With apologies to those interested students whose schedules don't mesh, we will begin our advanced logic tutorial Thursday at 8:30 am in Bowman 106. Anyone who is able to join us, please feel free.

Word Verification

I know I type with an Iowa accent, and am very difficult to understand, but I wish all bloggers would please turn off the "Word Verification" function on their blogs, so it's not such an unnecessary hassle to post comments. I made this request earlier in the semester, but several of you have still declined to heed it.

Next Essay Phase

1) Craft a thesis paragraph as you did for the prior essay. It should contain your thesis (italicized), an explanation of its terms and intent, and any necessary framing (for example, if your thesis might seem too obviously true, show how at least some reasonable people might disagree). Your thesis paragraph should contain NOTHING ELSE but these elements, and in particular it should NOT contain any reasons for thinking the thesis is true -- save these for the body of the paper.

2) With each premise as the topic sentence of its own paragraph, the premise itself likewise italicized, use each paragraph to explain and defend its premise.

This phase is due at 5pm on Friday, December 2, as an email message sent to myself and Kyle (John) Innis.

Second Essay (reminder)

Second Essay (for non-bloggers)

This process will be similar to the first essay, but we will combine several of the earlier phases. So for Phase One I would like:

1. A topic

2. A preliminary thesis (the aim is to state, in a simple declarative sentence, a claim you think is true, interesting, in need of support, and for which you can develop supportive evidence)

3. A list of premises (each stated as a simple, declarative sentence, collectively sufficient to make a compelling logical case for the thesis. Premises can include data, strongly suggestive examples, conceptual analysis, and indeed any sort of legitimate grounds for thinking the thesis is true).

Please send this first phase in the body of an email message to me, and to Kyle (aka John Innis) by the end of the day on Friday, November 11th (Veteran's Day).

Blogging Suggestions

A couple of ideas for blogs:
1) Find a possible fallacy in a passage of text in the wild (letters-to-the-editor columns are a pretty reliable source) and analyze it -- or present it for others to analyze.
2) Write a clever fallacious argument of your own, and see if the rest of us can figure out where it goes wrong (i.e., what fallacy or fallacies it commits).

Final Phase (in standard form)

1: College students need to know how to follow assignment instructions and edit their prose as formal writing. (common wisdom)

2: Most students have failed in multiple respects to edit their phase five drafts according to the instructions and the writing checklist. (direct observation)

3: It is Professor Silliman’s professional duty to insist that students learn to follow assignment instructions and edit their prose as formal writing. (follows from premise 1 and Professor Silliman’s job description)

4: Professor Silliman’s efforts politely and supportively to request that students follow the assignment instructions and edit their prose as formal writing have had limited effect. (follows from premise 2)

5: Although he disapproves of such bullying tactics, Professor Silliman cannot think of any alternative means of fulfilling his duty except the threat of academic grades. (introspection)

Therefore:
6: The final phase of each student’s essay (due in hard copy at the beginning of class on Monday, October 31st) must be substantially free of errors of form, substance, and presentation, or Professor Silliman will not assign it a score.

Corollary: a separate, mathematical argument shows that it is difficult to receive a passing grade for the course if you do not receive a score for the paper.

Citations

Some of you have asked about citations for your essays. There are several different citation standards, and so long as you are consistent it does not matter much to me which you use. Since this is a short essay, a full-scale bibliography would be overkill. Here are some principles for figuring out when and how to cite:

Whenever you got an idea, or particular way of expressing it, from someone else, that person deserves acknowledgment out of respect and intellectual honesty. Also, unattributed use of copyrighted material is illegal.

Keep it clean -- a simple footnote that gets the reader as directly as possible to the source, without interrupting your prose, is best.

A citation to a printed source is preferable to an electronic one, even though you may have located it electronically (internet addresses have a way of disappearing). If your source only exists on the web, look for signs that it is reliable (named author, dated posting, respected host site such as a major university, internal references to published data...).

Don't Wait!

Thanks to all of you who submitted Phase Fours. I will be working my way through them today, and if I think I can make a useful suggestion you may hear from me on email. Go ahead without me on Phase Five (below) however, refining, editing, clarifying, and putting your essay in manuscript format (see the last item on the Writing Checklist). Feel free to contact Kyle or me if you have specific questions as you work, and by all means use the writing center and any other resources you can muster. Good writing takes time, so start the process early.

For bloggers who haven't done so already, it would still be a good idea to put your argument in standard form up on your blog, in the hope that your classmates can help you improve it.

Phase Five

At this point, most of you nearly have an essay, though some will still need to narrow the focus further (hint: if adequately justifying any one of your premises takes more than a normal paragraph, that might be a sign you need to make it your thesis). For Phase Five, you will edit your Phase Four draft for clarity, directness, and grammar (use the checklist, and justify any deviation from its rules in a footnote). By this time, it should not be necessary to italicize your thesis or premises -- your writing should make it utterly clear to a reader what statements play those roles. You will then add two more paragraphs:

First, you will present, and develop thoroughly, the SINGLE most powerful objection that a reasonable person might raise against your argument. This could be a challenge to one of your premises, to the strength/validity of the inference, or to a presupposition of the whole enterprise -- you may have neglected some fact or relevant understanding of the issue. Take the possibility VERY seriously that the objection may be correct, and do not be too quick to dismiss it.

Second, in a separate paragraph, reply respectfully to your objection, giving it its due and saying, to the extent possible, why you think it fails to derail your argument. It is better honestly to admit that you cannot fully answer the objection than to brush it off.

Phase Five will be due at the beginning of class on Friday IN HARD COPY (that is, printed on paper in manuscript format). I will accept Late submissions for content but not credit.

Resources: Besides Kyle and myself, you should make liberal use of the peer writing service in the library (Sunday afternoon and evening, weekday evenings; ask at the circulation desk). Be sure to take your draft and checklist; they will be best at helping you find and solve grammatical problems.

Phase Four

Most of you now have a working thesis (which may of course evolve as you craft your essay), and a preliminary set of premises in support of it. Now write a paragraph, with each premise as its topic sentence, in which you support and explain that premise, giving us reasonable grounds (an example, some empirical date, an appeal to common wisdom…) for thinking it is true. To keep things clear for now, italicize your thesis and premises.

Phase Four consists of your refined and edited thesis paragraph, followed by your premise paragraphs. Use the checklist to ensure that your prose consists of correct formal writing.

Those of you who are bloggers might want to put your premises and conclusions in standard form and post them on your blogs, so your classmates can give you feedback.

Phase Four is due at 5 pm this Friday, October 14th, sent in the body of an email message to me and to Kyle (John) Innis. Late submissions, and those not sent to both of us, will not count for credit, but since you will have to do this phase anyway, you might as well go ahead and turn it in on time.

Phase Three

In phase three you will begin your research and do two distinct things (KEEP them distinct): first, you will write a thesis paragraph, and second you will compile a list of premises in support of your thesis.

Thesis paragraph: Having settled on a thesis that meets the criteria (clear, substantive, particular, something you think may be true and for which you can give reasons, subject to reasonable challenge, and stated in a simple declarative sentence), you will now frame a paragraph that a) explains its terms and scope, as needed, and b) frames and contextualizes the issue as one needing an argument. There are several ways to do the latter, but the basic task is to show your reader why your thesis matters, what's at stake, and (if a reader might find your thesis too obviously true) that some reasonable people think otherwise.

Notice that it should not be possible for a reader of your paragraph to be mistaken for one instant about what the thesis is for which you are arguing. Nor should there be anything else in the thesis paragraph -- in particular, do not include in it any reasons in support of your thesis (save those for the body of the paper).

Premises: Next, list the premises you think will support your thesis. Include all sorts of considerations you can find or think of that support your thesis (examples, research findings, common wisdom -- relevant facts of all sorts). Write each as a single, declarative sentence. Do not (yet) include your grounds for thinking each is true, but notice which ones need the most support, as you may yet decide to make one of your premises into your thesis, as a way of scaling the project down.

This phase is due on Wednesday, October 5th at 5 pm, but it is a good idea to meet with Kyle or myself before then to make sure you're on track.

Attention Bloggers

If you have not done so already, please go into the preferences on your blogs and turn off the word verification feature that makes adding comments so awkward. Thanks.

More Detail for the Next Phase

Having designated a topic, you will now frame a thesis or claim about it that you hope will serve as the conclusion to the argument your essay will make (as noted, there might still be some narrowing to do later on).

First, state your thesis in the form of a short declarative sentence, followed by a brief clarification of its terms, as necessary. To serve its purpose, your thesis must meet several several criteria. It must be clear, substantive, particular, and the object of possible or actual reasoned debate. This last is crucial -- if everyone already agrees, then there is no point in constructing an argument for it. Your thesis should be something you think is true, about which you have a genuine curiosity, and for which you think you can muster some compelling reasons.

Email this phase to Kyle (John) Innis and me by 5 pm on Wednesday, September 28. Notice that you will not have fulfilled the assignment if you don't send it to both of us, and by the time specified.

Assignments

For this Monday, we'll do problems in sections 1.4 and 1.5.

Also, now that you have chosen a topic, start to craft a thesis (conclusion) for which you think you could make an argument. I will ask you to send such a proposal to me and Kyle (John) Innis by the end of the day Tuesday.

Quiz improvements

Thanks for all your feedback today. Here are some altered questions that less ambiguously express the challenge I intended.

In part one, if the passage had read:
There has been a rash of termite infestations in the neighborhood. Nobody wants their house to be eaten by termites, so all residents with wooden homes should have their houses inspected by a qualified exterminator.
It might have been more clearly an argument (albeit with an advisory as its conclusion).

Likewise some of you thought the Epictetus example was not an argument, because strictly speaking the author of the passage simply reports Epictetus's argument. The instructions did ask whether the passage CONTAINED an argument, which it does, but that's not a nuance I was intending to test you on. Better: “Death is nothing to us, for that which is dissolved is without sensation, and that which lacks sensation is nothing to us.” – Epictetus. Supply the evident, if controversial, premise that death is dissolution, and explain that the second premise means that we ourselves, when dead, lack sensation, and the argument is pretty good.

For the first Denver example, perhaps if I had quoted a tourist brochure: “We like to call Denver the “mile-high city” because it’s the largest American city at that elevation.” -- tourist brochure it would be clearer that "because" here is more of an explanation than a premise indicator.

Lastly, here's a variant on the Trade Center example that eliminates any temptation to think perhaps there was an attack that left the buildings standing: The attack that destroyed the World Trade Center in New York City occurred in the morning either on September 10th, 2001, or on September 12th of the same year. The towers were still standing at the end of the day on the 10th, so the attack had to have occurred on September 12th.

Logic Essay, Phase One

Etymologically, an essay is an attempt, an effort to accomplish something. In this essay you will be trying to construct a logically compelling (cogent or sound) argument for some particular conclusion.

Before we get to any of that, however, I first want you to specify a topic of interest, one which you think might contain a claim that needs proving. In choosing this topic, I will ask you to steer clear of grand themes and hot-button issues; we’re not yet accomplished enough logicians to settle matters like the nature of the universe or the morality of the death penalty. Such issues are so complex, or so fraught with pre-packaged rhetoric in popular discourse, that you are unlikely to make headway with them in one semester. Choose something a little more modest and manageable, but still of interest to yourself, and of possible wider interest to other thoughtful and curious people.

Send me an email, CC-ing Kyle (AKA John) Innis, before 5pm this Friday, September 21, proposing a topic. Notice that I do not yet want a thesis (the conclusion to your argument) – that will be Phase Two. Speak with Kyle in person or on email if you are stumped for ideas.

Kyle's Hours

A reminder that Kyle Innis will be on the ground floor of the library on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 to talk with you about logic, sort out blogging problems, or work through exercise sets with you. He is your first line of assistance if you are having any difficulty with the course, or just want to boost your confidence with a little review. Watch this space for possible changes in this schedule later on.

Something to Blog Home About

Find a brief passage of text on the hoof (letters to the editor columns in newspapers are a good place to look if you're stumped) that you think may contain an argument. Quote it with full citation, and then try to put it in standard form (premise or premises first, conclusion last). Then let your readers evaluate the argument with you.

Toolkit Quiz

As you know the Toolkit quiz will not count toward your final quiz score (which is 10% of the grade, as the corrected syllabus below now indicates). However, your performance on it is one indicator of how ready you are for this course. Anyone could miss a couple -- some of them were a little tricky, and the Toolkit has quite a bit of information for someone coming to philosophy for the first time. However, if you missed more than three, you have a very good reason to meet with me as soon as possible to chat. Please email me and we'll find a convenient time for both of us.

Class Attendance

The syllabus is terse on the subject, so let me here explain my approach to the matter of attendance.

My first operating principle is that, as college students, you want and have chosen to be in college and to take this course, so you desire to be present for every possible moment. If that is not your orientation, I would respectfully suggest that you are not yet prepared for college work.

I also assume you are at once legal adults and morally mature persons who have the right and ability to make sensible judgments about your own schedules. Should a genuine emergency arise for which you must absent yourself, I trust you will
1) make that decision without the need to ask my permission (I am neither a parent nor a priest), and
2) make absolutely sure that you are fully appraised of what goes on in the classroom in your absence, so that you are up to speed immediately upon your return, and it is as though you had never been gone.

To the latter purpose, you should acquaint yourself with other alert students in the class with whom you can confer in detail if the necessity arises. Buy them lunch and ask them to review the missed experience thoroughly. Kyle Innis is also a resource. Again, I do not need to be a party to this; I presume on your good faith that you would be present if you could, and on your diligence in making your unavoidable absence as non-disruptive as possible to your learning and that of the rest of the team.

I will not, therefore, take formal attendance for the course, though I will notice when you are not there, and approach you if I think there are grounds for concern. You should likewise approach me (or Kyle) if you have concerns about your understanding of the course material, or if your need to absent yourself threatens to grow excessive (for a baseline by which to gauge this vague term, consult the Student Handbook's policy on attendance).

Policy on Grades

Most students are very concerned about their grades. Many of them believe that this concern helps them to succeed academically, but most grade-consciousness actually interferes with learning (and hence, ironically, with getting good grades). Because the grade is merely an external motivator, it tends to undermine the attention, care, interest, and fun that makes for effective learning – and it is the effectiveness of your learning that the grade measures. Making a fetish of grades is a bit like marrying for money; lots of people do it, but it’s a bad idea for many reasons.

The following description of what grades mean in this course is to help you moderate your concern about grades. It is useful and legitimate to understand an instructor’s grading policy and plan a general strategy, but your grade will ultimately reflect your interest and performance in the coursework, the class process, and the subject matter, not your attentiveness to grades.

F. These are surprisingly difficult to get. Even a student who has difficulty with the course material and dislikes the professor can generally avoid failure through diligence. Attending class as well-prepared as possible, consulting with the professor to pinpoint difficulties, responding to criticism, and putting written work through extra drafts in advance of due dates almost always keeps the F at bay. On the other hand, lack of preparation or attendance, not turning in assignments on time, and avoiding confrontation with the problem can lead to failure.

D. A grade of D represents only a minimal level of understanding and skill with the course material, and usually reflects some problems in committing to the time and effort a college course demands. It is not, however, a failing grade; it represents some rudimentary learning and effort on the part of the student, and while it is generally unsatisfactory to both students and professors, it is not an insult to anyone’s intelligence.

C. Few people like to think of themselves as average, but most of us perform most tasks at roughly an average level of proficiency. A course grade of C sometimes represents really good scholarly work that is inconsistent or lacks diligence, but often it simply reflects solid and reliable average work, in which there is no shame. Even a very good student may sometimes get a C in a challenging course, reflecting honest effort and respectable but modest accomplishment.

B. B grades represent reliably above-average work, or excellent but somewhat inconsistent performance. Unlike the grading policies in some high schools, a B in a college course is not a reward for potential or personality, but a reflection of genuine achievement that goes well beyond basic expectations for one or more course elements. Earning a B in a college course is (and ought to be) very challenging.

A. Work that earns an A is excellent overall, with no major weaknesses. It generally shows some well-developed talent for the subject-matter, and an imaginative passion to explore it further. Student work by the end of the course is on the whole clear, precise, and well-reasoned. A-level students are generally able and disposed to offer sustained analyses of competing viewpoints within the field of study, and are sensitive to important implications of their thinking. They also tend to be helpful to and considerate of others in the learning process.

(adapted from the Foundation for Critical Thinking)

Syllabus

Logic & Critical Reasoning

Philosophy 200, fall 2011
Section 01, MWF 9-9:50 am, Bowman 211
Section 02, MWF 10-10:50 am, Bowman 211

Instructor: Professor Matthew R. Silliman
Office: 100 Porter Street, room 6
Phone: 662-5449; Fax: 662-5368; Email: m.silliman@mcla.edu
Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 1:15-2:15, and by appointment

Required Text

Hurley, Patrick, A Concise Introduction to Logic (abbreviated edition available
only through MCLA Bookstore)

Course Focus

This course examines and applies the basic principles of cogent, sound, or critical reasoning in speech and writing. The specific aim of the course is to develop both theoretical and practical understanding of the structure of language, especially as it applies to inference. In so doing we will touch to some extent on the nature and processes of knowledge, and the role of emotion and reason in seeking and conveying knowledge. More generally, the course explores and critiques the idea of reason as a way of organizing human experience, and as a framework through which to view the world.

Course Objectives

1. Examine key elements of the structure, use, and abuse of human language (including such notions as truth, reasoning, argument, rhetoric, and fallacy)
2. Sharpen students’ ability to think, read, and write critically and thoughtfully
3. Refine students’ ability to engage in rigorous and respectful dialogue
4. Engage in scholarly research and writing on a question of intellectual significance, explicitly applying principles of critical reasoning
 
Pedagogical Expectations

I expect that, as college students, you spend a significant proportion of your time reading, writing, and engaging in thoughtful, respectful conversation with your peers and professors. I also expect that most of the time you enjoy these activities, and regard learning as intrinsically fun and valuable. Some desiderata of our work together:
Timeliness, and completion of assignments according to assigned specifications, are measures of both scholarly diligence and respect for others’ efforts. Late or imprecise work will receive part credit.
Preparation for class involves readiness to engage with the material and the class in active, collaborative discussion. Thus attendance and its attendant preparation are not optional. Plagiarism is poisonous to an effective learning community, which relies for its healthy functioning on trust and openness. Presenting others’ work as your own, or failing adequately to credit the sources of your language or ideas, must have serious consequences.
Laptop Policy: Like a concert hall or theatre, our classroom is reserved for face-to-face interaction. Thus you may bring your laptop to class, but it should be turned off and stowed away. The same policy applies to cell phones, IPods, and all other distracting gadgets. Please print out in advance any electronic material needed for class.

Assignments

Each of you will be doing several sorts of work concurrently:
1) Read and discuss assigned texts, and attempt the supplied exercises
2) Review for regular announced quizzes (these cannot be made up under any circumstances)
3) Research, outline, and write a critical essay on an agreed-upon topic, about which you will give a brief presentation near the end of the course (details to follow)
4a) Set up a logic blog for the course, linked to B’Logic (www.bloggingforlogic.blogspot.com), posting a minimum of one entry and one thoughtful (thought not necessarily lengthy) comment on other students’ blogs per week. I will make periodic suggestions for the nature of the blogs some weeks. OR:
4b) Research, outline, and write a second critical essay (Caveat: even students who choose this option are responsible for following the blog as preparation for class.)

Evaluation

Your grade for the course will be based approximately on:
Quizzes: 10%
Research essay and presentation: 25%
Midterm and final examinations: 40%
Blogs/second essay: 25%

Tentative Course Schedule (subject to revision)

Week 1 (9/7-9): Introduction; Hurley, section 1.1

Week 2 (9/12-16): Hurley, sections 1.2 – 1.3 (quiz Friday)

Week 3 (9/19-23): Hurley, sections 1.4 – 1.5 (quiz Friday)

Week 4 (9/26-30): Hurley, section 2.1 – 2.2 (quiz Friday)

Week 5 (10/3-7): Hurley, sections 3.1 – 3.2 (quiz Friday)

Week 6 (10/10-14): (Monday holiday) Hurley, sections 3.3 – 3.4 (quiz Friday)

Week 7 (10/17-21): Hurley, section 3.5, review (quiz Friday)

Week 8 (10/24-28): review, mid-term examination

Week 9 (10/31-11/4): Hurley 4.1 – 4.2 (quiz Friday)

Week 10 (11/7-11): (Friday holiday) Hurley 4.3 – 4.4

Week 11 (11/14-18): Hurley 4.5 – 4.6 (quiz Friday)

Week 12 (11/21-23): (Thanksgiving break) review, presentations

Week 13 (11/28-12/2): review, presentations

Week 14 (12/5-9): review, presentations

Week 15 (12/12-14): Examination review

Without exception, the final examination will be held as scheduled by the Registrar.

Welcome Logicians

Watch this space for information and discussion about Logic and Critical Reasoning.