Reasoning and argumentation: an Introduction to Informal Logic

Course goals

After this course, the student will: 

1. have basic knowledge of critical thinking, and of the construction, analysis and evaluation of arguments; 
2. be familiar with formal approaches, such propositional logic, decision theory, and probability theory; 
3. be familiar with certain well-known mistakes in logical and probabilistic thinking, and decision-making and be able to recognize such mistakes in text, speech and choices; 
4. have learned about certain topics in the study of real-world reasoning and decisions; 
5. have the ability to improve the logical and argumentative quality of their own writing and interdisciplinary research (interdisciplinary skills); 
6. be able to reflect upon their own logical mistakes and psychological biases. 

Content

Reasoning and Argumentation is a course on logic, rationality, and decision-making. We will consider the questions of how one should reason and how to act based on that reasoning. What are arguments exactly? When are they persuasive? How should we make decisions under uncertainty and risk? What does psychology tell us about how people in fact reason and make decisions? How are formal theories of reasoning embedded related to (social) epistemology? In eight weeks, we will journey through a host of topics, from critical thinking to formal logic, from fallacies to probability theory and to decision theory. Additionally, we will also look at real-world applications of reasoning and decisions. 

Throughout this course, students will not only familiarize with key concepts and theories, but also sharpen their own critical thinking and decision-making skills. They will learn how to craft compelling arguments, identify fallacies and logical mistakes, and employ a variety of formal methods and tools to analyze and assess reasoning and choices across diverse areas 

Additional information