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Objectives and competences

The aim of the course is to educate critical, autonomous thinkers, capable of • asking fruitful research questions on any topic, • identifying theoretical and practical research problems, • formulating them clearly and precisely, • collecting and assessing data, relevant to their solution, • creatively employing abstract ideas and theories in the process of their interpretation, • supporting their answers, conclusions and solutions with sufficient, sound, relevant, representative, and so on evidence, • assessing them by methodologically sound criteria and standards, • thinking of alternative solutions, explanations and theories, • questioning their assumptions, implications and/or practical consequences, and, finally, • informing others about their ideas and findings efficiently and comprehensibly

Content (Syllabus outline)

• Dialectical nature of scientific discourse. Central role of argumentation, i.e. persuasion by means of reasons, or evidence, in science. • Identification, presentation, reconstruction and completion of arguments • Argument evaluation – the truth of the premises and the logical strength. Inductive and deductive arguments. • Types of valid/deductive inferences. • Statistical and Humean inductive arguments. • Formal and informal fallacies. • Definitions, their purpose, types and the rules of. Classification, its purpose and the rules of. • Scientific explanations. The concept of, types of, and criteria for their assessment.

Learning and teaching methods

Lectures Seminar work: critical analysis of scientific and popular texts from their logical and argumentative structure's pont of view.

Intended learning outcomes - knowledge and understanding

• defining biological, psychological (cognitive and affective) and social basis of, but also damaging influences on, the process of cognition, • mastery of the basic principles of informal logic and the ability to identify, and avoid, most typical mistakes made in the process of collecting the data and/or drawing conclusions from them.

Intended learning outcomes - transferable/key skills and other attributes

Transferable/Key Skills and other attributes: • capacity for abstracting, analyzing and constructing sound arguments • ability to identify and avoid logical fallacies, vague formulations, sloppy expressions and reasoning, rethorical tricks, methodological errors, apparent truths and their hidden assumptions • communication skills, developed through discussion and the writing of research proposal and report • use of imagination in the form of thought experiments • learning intellectual honesty through impartial assessment of conflicting ideas, views and conceptions

Readings

Manley, D. (2019). Reason Better!: An Interdisciplinary Guide to Critical Thinking. ebook: Top Hat. Šuster, D. (2015). Moč argumenta. Maribor: Aristej. Uršič, M., Markič, O. (2009) Osnove logike. Ljubljana: Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete. Klampfer, F., Bregant, J., Gartner, S. (2008) Telovadnica za možgane. Maribor: Svarog. Copi, Irving M., Cohen, C. (2005). Introduction to Logic (12th ed.). Upper Saddle River: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Nolt, J., Rohatyn, D. (1988). Logic. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Prerequisits

Performed seminar work.

  • izr. prof. dr. JANEZ BREGANT

  • Written examination: 75
  • Midterm exam: 25

  • : 30
  • : 30
  • : 30

  • Slovenian
  • Slovenian