Module Details
The information contained in this module specification was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change, either during the session because of unforeseen circumstances, or following review of the module at the end of the session. Queries about the module should be directed to the member of staff with responsibility for the module.
Title CRITICAL, ANALYTICAL AND CREATIVE THINKING
Code PHIL112
Coordinator Dr D Hill
Philosophy
Djhill@liverpool.ac.uk
Year CATS Level Semester CATS Value
Session 2018-19 Level 4 FHEQ First Semester 15

Aims
To introduce students to the concepts and methods of informal logic and to enable students to use these concepts and methods in assessing arguments both within and outside philosophy.
To help students to think more logically themselves, and to locate and remove inconsistencies in their own thoughts.

To introduce students to methods of causal, statistical and probabilistic reasoning and to enable students to identify and avoid causal, statistical and probabilistic fallacies.
To enable students to think creatively about problems and to come up with rational solutions to them, and to make logical decisions in the light of available evidence.

Learning Outcomes

Students will able to explain and apply the basic concepts of logic.

Students will be able to identify conclusions and premises in arguments, including hidden premises.

Students will be able to reconstruct and evaluate arguments.

Students will be able to distinguish between reasoning and rhetoric and to identify fallacies and rhetorical ploys in arguments.

Students will be able to distinguish between deductive and inductive infererence, including distinguishing between different types of inductive inference (enumerative, statistical, causal, analogical).

Students will be able to tell when a given set of statements is logically consistent and when it is not.

Students will be able to explain some of the problems with relativism about truth.

Students will be able to explain and apply some of the basic principles of statistics and of probablity theory.

Students will be able to demonstrate creative thinking by spotting possibilities missed by less creative thinkers.


Syllabus
1  1. What is Critical Thinking?

2. Finding Arguments and Standard Form

3. What Makes a Good Argument? 

4. Fallacies and Relevance

5.  Premises and Conclusions

6. Definitions

7. Language and Clarity

8. Rhetoric and Emotion

9. Identifying Propositional Statements

10. Evaluating Propositional Arguments

11. Generalizations and Quantifiers

12. Venn Diagrams, Contradiction & Contrariety

13. Reasoning with Generalizations

14. Analogical Arguments and Refutation by Counter-example

15. Descriptive Statistics

16. Statistical Arguments

17. Causal Arguments

18. Reason and Normative Ethics

19. Reason and Meta-Ethics

20. Probability

21. Reasoning with Probability

22. Creative Thinking

Teaching and Learning Strategies

Lecture - 22 x 1 hour lectures.

Teaching Schedule
  Lectures Seminars Tutorials Lab Practicals Fieldwork Placement Other TOTAL
Study Hours 22
22 x 1 hour lectures.
          22
Timetable (if known)              
Private Study 128
TOTAL HOURS 150

Assessment
EXAM Duration Timing
(Semester)		 % of
final
mark		 Resit/resubmission
opportunity		 Penalty for late
submission		 Notes
Unseen Written Exam  120  1  60  Yes    Assessment 2 Notes (applying to all assessments) Coursework consists of ten online tests. For each online test, students have a week in which to complete it. Late submission is not permitted. The re-sit opportunity for this module is a 3 hour re-sit examination counting for 100% of the module result.  
CONTINUOUS Duration Timing
(Semester)		 % of
final
mark		 Resit/resubmission
opportunity		 Penalty for late
submission		 Notes
Coursework  10 x 1 hour.   1  40  No reassessment opportunity  Late submission is not permitted.  Assessment 1 There is no reassessment opportunity, These online tests are done on a weekly basis and there is no re-sit opportunity.  

Recommended Texts
Reading lists are managed at readinglists.liverpool.ac.uk. Click here to access the reading lists for this module.
Explanation of Reading List: