Semester: Spring 2008

Days: TTh

Time: 11:30 am - 12:55 pm

Location: Building 26D, Room 2240

 

Professor: Charles T. McGruder, Ph.D.

Office: Building 26B, Room 2551K

Office Hours: MTWTh: 8:45am - 9:45am

Telephone: (909) 274-4595

Email: cmcgruder@mtsac.edu

Web Address: https://faculty.mtsac.edu/cmcgruder/

Class Webpage: https://myportal.mtsac.edu

 

Textbook

The Web of Belief

by W.V. Quine and J.S. Ullian, 1970

 

Course Description

The effective use of critical thinking in contemporary living, including

recognizing faulty arguments, the usefulness of validity and truth,

identifying and avoiding common fallacies in thinking.

 

Outline

Week 1 Introduction to Philosophy

Week 2 Belief and Change of Belief

Week 3 Belief and Change of Belief

Week 4 Observation

Week 5 Self-Evidence

Week 6 Testimony

Week 7 Hypothesis

Week 8 Hypothesis

Week 9 Induction, Analogy, and Intuition

Week 10 Induction, Analogy, and Intuition

Week 11 Confirmation and Refutation

Week 12 Confirmation and Refutation

Week 13 Explanation

Week 14 Persuasion and Evaluation

Week 15 Persuasion and Evaluation

Week 16 Final