PHIL 1250 Reasoning & Rational Decision Making
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PHIL 1250, Online
Reasoning & Rational Decision Making
COURSE DESCRIPTION
We often praise or condemn others on account of their reasoning skills. We admire scientists for reasoning well from empirical evidence to hypotheses. Sherlock Holmes criticizes Watson for missing an "elementary" inference from the evidence of a case to the culprit. And you might argue with your peers about whether they have made reasonable decisions in their personal lives. This course introduces the student to the philosophical study of such human reasoning. We will investigate the following questions (along with others) in this course:
• What does it mean to reason well?
• What sorts of things can be reasonable ( beliefs, hypotheses, decisions, etc. ) ?
• What are the standards of good reasoning?
• Do humans typically meet these standards?
In this course, students develop a better understanding of human reasoning. Accordingly, such students will learn to be better reasoners themselves.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
By the end of this course and successful completion of all course requirements, the student will be able to do all of the following:
• explain the importance and relevance of the study of formal logic to human reasoning,
• compare and contrast philosophical accounts of what it means to reason well, showing how they relate to one another and pointing to their strengths and weaknesses,
• display an understanding and basic knowledge of the formal logics that we cover,
• display an improved ability to construct, clarify, and evaluate arguments encountered in the real world.
COURSE MATERIALS
Walter Sinnott-Armstrong and Robert Fogelin, Understanding Arguments: An
Introduction to Informal Logic, 9th Edition, Concise (Cengage Learning, 2015).
CANVAS <utah. instructure. com>
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Homework Assignments
(50% of final grade)
In order to make sure that you are keeping up with the learning material, you will have weekly homework assignments. These must be uploaded to the relevant assignment page on CANVAS by the due date. Students may work together on HW, but each student actually needs to contribute. It should go without saying that students may not copy other students’ answers. Students who are struggling with HW should not hesitate to seek help from their classmates and/or from your instructor. You submit your homework through Canvas by pdf file or photo copies.
Exams
(50% of final grade — Exam 1: 15%, Exam 2: 15%, Cumulative Final Exam: 20%)
Exams will cover significant ideas, principles, and methods treated in the course—i.e., those
covered in the readings, homework, and especially in class lectures. Exams will be administered through our CANVAS page.
GRADING
Final grades will follow a standard 10-point scale: 98- 100 A+, 92-98 A, 90-92 A-, 88-90 B+, etc.
POLICIES, ETC.
Missing and Late Assignments
Students can work ahead in this course if they desire, by completing assignments and exams in advance of their due dates; however, students who fall behind will not be allowed to make up exams or turn in late homework assignments. If you know that you will have to be absent from the online course for some time in the future then, you should work ahead and complete the relevant assignments/exams ahead of time.
Humanities Academic Misconduct Policy
Academic misconduct includes cheating, plagiarizing, research misconduct, misrepresenting one’ s work, and inappropriately collaborating. Definitions can be found in the Student Code.
If you are suspected of academic misconduct, the process proceeds according to the rules found in the Student Code, University Policy 6 - 4 0 0 ( V) . According to that policy, after meeting with you, the instructor must determine whether academic misconduct has, in fact, occurred.
• If s/he determines that no academic misconduct has occurred, s/he will document that you are not responsible for any academic misconduct.
• If s/ he determines academic misconduct has occurred and this is the first instance in which you
have been alleged to have committed academic misconduct, s/he will take into account whether the act was intentional or a result of negligence in determining the appropriate sanction, which can be up to failing the course. Te sanction will be noted in the resolution of the case and your right of
appeal is as specified in Policy 6-400(V) .
• If s/he determines academic misconduct has occurred, and you have previously been sanctioned for an act of academic misconduct, and the prior instance of misconduct resulted in a sanction less
than failing the course, the department will follow the process to fail you for the course. If the prior sanction was failure of the course, your new act of misconduct will result in failure of the course and the department will also follow the process to seek your dismissal from the program and the
University.
ADA Statement
Te University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services and activities for people with disabilities. If you will need accommodations in the class, reasonable prior notice needs to be
given to the Center Services for Disability, 162 Olpin Union Building, 581-5020 (V/TDD). CDS will work with you and the instructor to make arrangements for accommodations. All information in this course can
be made available in alternative format with prior notification to the Center for Disability Services.
Addressing Sexual Misconduct.
Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender (which includes sexual orientation and gender identity/expression) is a civil rights offense subject to the same kinds of
accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories
such as race, national origin, color, religion, age, status as a person with a disability, veteran’s status or genetic information. If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, you are encouraged to report it to the Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, 135 Park Building, 581-8365, or the Office of the Dean of Students, 270 Olpin Union Building, 581-7066.
For support and confidential consultation, contact the Center for Student Wellness, 426 SSB, 581-7776. To report to the police, contact the Department of Public Safety, 585-2677(COPS).
General Education Statement
hTis course contributes to the University of Utah's Quantitative Reasoning requirement. For such courses, academic units must identify three essential learning outcomes (ELOs) that are relevant to
university general education objectives. Te ELOs for this course are: Inquiry and Analysis, Quantitative Literacy, and Foundations and Skills for Lifelong Learning.
2023-08-30