As such, the student is expected to leave this course with strong abilities to look evaluate the strengths of evidence and reasoning as they are related to claims advanced. The course devotes significant time and depth to the study of reasoning as well, examining the relationships between evidence and claims for validity. Common fallacies of evidence and reasoning are studied and the student is expected to leave the course with the ability to detect and repair such inadequacies. Throughout the course, students have repeated opportunities to advance and support claims. The syllabus calls for several weeks devoted to the study of claims and evidence.
Students also participate in argumentative exercises included in formal academic debating.
All students are required to participate. By the end of the term, each student will have studied how to advance, support, and critique claims, as well as participated in a formal debate. Arguments and arguing . There will be articles on reserve in the library for reading throughout the semester. This course investigates and applies basic principles of argumentation to varied discourse contexts.