WCC PHIL 12

Critical Thinking (Phil 12) 


Spring 2014 - Section 5762

TTh 4:00-5:15PM, Rm 817


Instructor: Phillip Barron

Email address: - Until the official WCC email address pbarron@yccd.edu is
working, you can email me at pbarron@nicomachus.net
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Course Description
This course offers a basic introduction to critical thinking skills, emphasizing their
application to everyday decision-making. Topics include: definitions of critical thinking,
language and meaning, claims and reasons, argument and inference, argument
identification and reconstruction, inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning, underlying
assumptions, evaluating assumptions, assumptions and evidence, world views as a
context for critical thought, evaluating arguments, sound and fallacious reasoning,
casual inference, and scientific method.
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Skill Advisory: Language
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Course Objectives and Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Students who complete this class will be able to:
1. Define critical thinking
2. Describe and appraise the role of language and meaning as they relate to the critical
thinking process.
3. Locate an argument in a passage or other medium.
4. Write an argumentative essay that avoids committing informal logical fallacies and
makes a plausible case for a position on an issue.
5. Judge whether an argument’s conclusion follows with certainty or only with
probability from its premises.
6. Detect and remove vagueness and ambiguity.
7. Identify and evaluate informal fallacies in reasoning.
8. Evaluate the quality of various forms of evidence
9. Outline the basic steps of the scientific method.
10. Detect when significant information is being omitted from a passage or argument.
11. Identify and evaluate when searching for “rival / alternative causes” with respect to a
particular conclusion or particular interpretation of data / evidence is appropriate or
necessary.
12. Identify, discuss, and evaluate the role of world views as a context for critical
thought.
13. Reflect critically on one’s own reasoning processes and the processes of those
around us, and apply the critical thinking process to the relevant societal problems.
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WCC PHIL 12

REQUIRED TEXTS: 

The following books will be available in the WCC bookstore. I have provided links to
where you can find the books on amazon.com so that you can compare prices. Note
that the Moore and Parker textbook is available to rent as well as in Kindle format.
Additional readings will be made available as PDFs on the course website.
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Title: Critical Thinking
Authors: Brooke Noel Moore & Richard Parker
Publication Date: January 11, 2011
ISBN-10: 0078038286
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Title: TBA

Author: TBA

Publication Date: TBA

Publisher: TBA 

ISBN-10: TBA
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COURSE REQUIREMENTS
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ASSIGNED READINGS: (SEE SCHEDULE)

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QUIZZES:

There will be 5-7 quizzes consisting of questions on the readings and lectures. These
will be announced in lecture and given in class; likely every two weeks. You will be
allowed to drop your lowest quiz grade.

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PAPERS:

You will write 2 papers: 1 short (2-3 pages) and 1 longer (3-5 pages). You will receive
more guidance and ample opportunity for discussion of your papers in class.

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A COMPREHENSIVE FINAL:

The final exam will be cumulative and will consist of short answers and short essays,
similar to those on the quizzes and likely taken from the questions at the end of each
reading assignment.

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ATTENDANCE & PARTICIPATION:

Participation makes for a more enjoyable and interesting class. Discussion is crucial to
understanding and reasoning. To get full credit for participation you must attend class,
and be prepared to discuss questions and cases from the reading assignments.

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WCC PHIL 12

YOUR GRADE FOR THE COURSE WILL BE DETERMINED ROUGHLY AS

FOLLOWS:

QUIZZES 15% 

PAPER 1 20% 

PAPER 2 35% 

PARTICIPATION 5% 

FINAL EXAM: 25%

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Reading Effectively
In addition to the texts listed above, the rest of your reading assignments are posted on
Canvas. In this class, read the assigned readings (listed in your syllabus on the
following pages for each class meeting) before the related class. Always bring your
reading with you to class. We will go over parts of it together and you will want to able to
follow along and take notes directly in the reading.
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Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism – copying someone else’s work without giving them credit – is taken very
seriously by colleges and universities. I have a zero-tolerance policy for cheating;
students who cheat or plagiarize will receive an automatic F on the assignment and will
be referred to Administration for disciplinary action as outlined in the Student Code of
Conduct.
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Additional Resources
I strongly encourage students to take advantage of the resources on our campus,
including the WCC Library, the Media Lab (Room 812 in the library), the Academic
Reading Center (Room 870), the Tutoring Center (Room 809) and the Writing and Math
Center (WAM) (Room 850).
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Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class
are encouraged to contact Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) (Room
769) as soon as possible to ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a
timely fashion.


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Reading Schedule - temporary
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Date Readings Assignments

Week 1 Tues, January 14

Thurs, Jan 16 No Class

Week 2 Jan 21 Critical Thinking, Ch. 1

Jan 23

Week 3 Jan 28 Critical Thinking, Ch. 2

Jan 30

Week 4 February 4 Critical Thinking, Ch. 3

Feb 6 No Class

Week 5 Feb 11 Critical Thinking, Ch. 4

Feb 13

Week 6 Feb 18 No Class - Holiday

Feb 20 Critical Thinking, Ch. 5 Paper #1 topic

announced

Week 7 Feb 25 Critical Thinking, Ch. 6

Feb 27

Week 8 March 4 Critical Thinking, Ch. 7 Paper #1 Due

Mar 6

Week 9 Mar 11 Critical Thinking, Ch. 8

Mar 13

Week 10 Mar 18 Critical Thinking, Ch. 9

Mar 20

Week 11 Mar 25 Critical Thinking, Ch. 10

Mar 27

Week 12 April 1 Spring Break - no class

Apr 3 Spring Break - no class

Week 13 Apr 8 The Stranger, Part 1

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WCC PHIL 12

Date Readings Assignments

Apr 10

Week 14 Apr 15 The Stranger, Part 2 Paper #2 topic

announced

Apr 17

Week 15 Apr 22 Critical Thinking, Ch. 11

Apr 24

Week 16 Apr 29 Critical Thinking, Ch. 12

May 1 Paper #2 Due

Week 17 May 6

May 8

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