ST.PHILOMENA’S COLLEGE (Autonomous) MYSORE DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS Open Elective (OE) Paper for UG Programmes Title of the paper: Critical Thinking

Paper Code : 15UOE315

Conditions: This paper is offered as an Open Elective to the CBSC UG Students. Students can opt for this paper once in any of the six semesters during the three year course.

PAPER STRUCTURE

Teaching Hours per week(16 Examination Scheme weeks)

Type

Papers

heory

Marks

T

Total Marks Total

Theory Max. Max. Theory

Development

No. of Credits No.

Practical/ Skill Skill Practical/

Exam Duration Exam Marks IA Max.

Critical Thinking OE 02 02 03 2hrs 50 50 100

SYLLABUS

UNIT I

1. Introduction to Critical Thinking

1.1. WHAT IS CRITICAL THINKING? 1.2. WHO CAN LEARN TO THINK CRITICALLY? 1.3. WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTED TO LEARN IN THIS CHAPTER? 1.4. DISCUSSIONS, DISAGREEMENTS, ARGUMENTS, AND FIGHTS 1.5. WHEN IS IT STUPID TO ARGUE? 1.6. GENERAL STATEMENTS 1.7. COUNTEREXAMPLES 1.8. “PROOF” BY FAILURE TO FIND A COUNTEREXAMPLE 1.9. IS YOUR THINKING STUCK IN A RUT?

2. CHAPTER 2: INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC 2.1. SYMBOLS USED IN THIS CHAPTER 2.2. “OR” SENTENCES AND THEIR TRUTH VALUES 2.3. “AND” SENTENCES AND THEIR TRUTH VALUES 2.4. DOUBLE NEGATIVES AND MULTIPLE”~” SIGNS 2.5. NECESSARY AND SUFFICIENT CONDITIONS 2.6. “IF-THEN” SENTENCES 2.7. TRUTH VALUES OF “IF-THEN” SENTENCES 2.8. PROPOSITION, CONVERSE, INVERSE, CONTRAPOSITIVE 2.9. SUBSTITUTION OF CONVERSE OR INVERSE FOR ITS PROPOSITION 2.10. “ONLY IF” SENTENCES AND THEIR TRUTH VALUES 2.11. ARGUMENTS, PREMISES AND CONCLUSIONS

3. CHAPTER 3: SOME BASIC CONCEPTS FOR CRITICAL THINKING 3.1. WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “PROBABLE” AND “POSSIBLE” 3.2. ALLEGORIES, OLD SAYINGS, AND LITERARY REFERENCES 3.3. PEOPLE MAY HAVE DIFFERENT FEELINGS ABOUT THE SAME WORD 3.4. A CHANGED DEFINITION MAY PRODUCE A CHANGED CONCLUSION 3.5. DON’T JUMP TO A CONCLUSION – THE OBVIOUS ONE MAY BE WRONG 3.6. EYEWITNESSES AND CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE 3.7. IMPLICATIONS AND INFERENCES

4. CHAPTER 4: COMMON ERRORS IN REASONING 4.1. CIRCULAR REASONING 4.2. “PROOF” BY SELECTED INSTANCES 4.3. AVOIDING THE QUESTION 4.4. SPECIAL PLEADING 4.5. FAKING A CONNECTION

5. CHAPTER5: TECHNIQUES 5.1. INTRODUCTION 5.2. “BANDWAGON” 5.3. REPETITION 5.4. “TRANSFER” 5.5. “TESTIMONIAL” 5.6. “EXIGENCY” 5.7. “FREE” AND “BARGAIN” 5.8. “GLITTERING GENERALITY” 5.9. INNUENDO 5.10. “NAME CALLING” 5.11. MISCELLANEOUS TECHNIQUES 6. CHAPTER 6: ADVERTISING AND SCHEMES 6.1. INTRODUCTION 6.2. “GET RICH QUICK” SCHEMES 6.3. WHAT’S IN A NAME? 6.4. ADVERTISING SELLS IDEAS 6.5. CAREER OPPORTUNITIES 6.6. STUPID ADVERTISEMENTS 6.7. MISCELLANEOUS SCHEMES 6.8. ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT ADVERTISEMENTS

7. CHAPTER 7: EXAMINING ARGUMENTS AND VALUE JUDEGEMENTS 7.1. RULES OF A SOCIETY 7.2. PROTECTION OF THE LAW 7.3. EMOTIONAL WORDS AND ARGUMENTS 7.4. DOUBLE STANDARDS 7.5. WHERE DO YOU DRAW THE LINE? 7.6. ATTRIBUTES OF A GOOD ARGUMENT

8. CHAPTER 8: LEARNING TO BE OPEN-MINDED 8.1. INTRODUCTION 8.2. LOOKING AT TWO SIDES OF AN ISSUE 8.3. RECOGNIZING ISSUES AND SUPPORTING POINTS 8.4. ANTICIPATING ARGUMENTS FOR THE OTHER SIDE 8.5. FINDING ARGUMENTS OF YOUR OWN 8.6. DEBATING

UNIT II 1. CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO USES AND MISUSES OF WORDS 1.1. INTRODUCTION 1.2. EMOTIONAL WORDS AND PHRASES 1.3. WORDS FOR SPECIAL PLEADING 1.4. AMBIGUITY AND THE “SLIPPERY WORD” ERROR 1.5. VAGUE SENTENCES 1.6. INCONSISTENT, CONTRADICTORY AND HYPOCRITICAL STATEMENTS 1.7. MISLEADING STATEMENTS, , AND 1.8. MEANINGLESS WORDS AND GOBBLEDEGOOK 1.9. LOADED QUESTIONS

2. CHAPTER 2: LOGIC WITHOUT QUANTIFIED STATEMENTS 2.1. REVIEW 2.2. IF AND ONLY IF (IFF) 2.3. VALIDITY 2.4. PROVING ARGUMENTS VALID OR INVALID 2.5. PROVING ARGUMENTS VALID OR INVALID (CONTINUED) 2.6. TAUTOLOGIES 2.7. MORE WORD SUBSTITUTIONS 2.8. NEGATIONS AND OPPOSITES

3. CHAPTER 3: COMMON ERRORS IN REASONING 3.1. REVIEW 3.2. MORE ABOUT “PROOF” BY SELECTED INSTANCES 3.3. FALSE CAUSE AND ASSUMPTION CONTRARY TO FACT 3.4. RATIONALIZATION 3.5. WHOLE TO PART; PART TO WHOLE 3.6. MORE ABOUT CIRCULAR REASONING 3.7. EITHER-OR AND ITS OPPOSITE, NOT DRAWING THE LINE 3.8. SOPHISTICAL FORMULA 3.9. NON SEQUITUR 3.10. MISCELLANEOUS REASONING ERRORS

4. CHAPTER 4: TECHNIQUES OF PROPAGANDA AND ARGUMENT 4.1. REVIEW 4.2. “RED HERRING” 4.3. 4.4. “OTHER THINGS ARE WORSE” 4.5. THE USE OF AUTHORITY 4.6. APPEAL TO EMOTIONS 4.7. APPEALS TO RADICALISM AND CONSERVATISM

5. CHAPTER 5: PROBABILITIES OF TRUTH AND FALSITY 5.1. INTRODUCTION AND REVIEW 5.2. ABSOLUTELY, PROBABLY AND POSSIBLY 5.3. TRUE OF FALSE BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT

6. CHAPTER 6: LOGIC WITH QUANTIFIED STATEMENTS 6.1. “ALL” AND “NO” STATEMENTS 6.2. “SOME” STATEMENTS 6.3. EXISTENCE 6.4. QUANTIFIERS 6.5. NEGATION OF QUANTIFIED STATEMENTS 6.6. REVERSIBILITY 6.7. VALIDITY USING ONLY “ALL” AND “NO” STATEMENTS 6.8. VALIDITY USING ONLY “SOME” STATEMENTS 6.9. VALIDITY USING MIXED QUANTIFIERS 6.10. USING EULERS CIRCLES FOR QUANTIFIED STATEMENTS 6.11. VALIDITY AND EULERS CIRCLES 6.12. USING COMMNO SENSE 6.13. COMPLEX STATEMENTS

7. CHAPTER 7: CHARACTERISTICS OF ARGUMENTS 7.1. DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN STRONG AND WEAK ARGUMENTS 7.2. WHICH SIDE OF THE FENCE? 7.3. RECOGNIZING ASSUMPTIONS 7.4. DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN FACT AND OPINION

8. CHAPTER 8: ARGUMENTS ABOUT EVERYDAY MATTERS 8.1. RECOGNIZING SUPPORTING ARGUMENTS 8.2. ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT ARGUMENTS 8.3. FINDING AND REFUTING ARGUMENTS

9. CHAPTER 9: SOLVING EVERYDAY PROBLEMS 9.1. BRAINSTORMING 9.2. MANY-SIDED EVERYDAY PROBLEMS