Skepticism in a World of Misinformation PHIL T121-F01
NB., Everything below is subject to change. Students are responsible for all announcements made in class, even when absent.
Course Term: Fall 2020 Course Location: TBD Class hours: TBD
Instructor: Dr. Everett Fulmer Office Location: Bobet Hall 435 Phone: 504-865-3956 Email: [email protected] Office hours: TBD
Required Materials: There are two required texts:
Title: Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World Authors: Carl Bergstrom & Jevin West Edition: Radom House, 2020 ISBN: 978-0525509189
Title: Skepticism: An Anthology Editors: Richard Popkin & Jose Maia Neto Edition: Prometheus, 2007 ISBN: 978-1591024743
Recommended Materials:
Title: On Bullshit Author: Harry Frankfurt Edition: Princeton University Press, 2005 ISBN: 978-0691122946
On Bullshit is merely recommended because I will post the original journal article version to the course webpage. The book edition, however, is extremely inexpensive.
Brief Course Overview:
Twenty-first century life is awash in bullshit: disinformation campaigns, fake news, and hyper-polarized media. While bullshit is an old plague on human society, its current manifestation is often dressed in the garb of statistics, math, and science. Nevertheless, the errors in such misinformation campaigns are often those of rudimentary logic—errors that the non-specialist can learn to detect. This course aims to reinvigorate the ancient art of skepticism for the technological age.
Expected Student Learning Course Outcomes:
This course has a fourfold learning objective. First, it aims to sharpen students’ critical thinking skills, enabling them to detect fallacies and misleading information. Second, this course aims to impart some historical literacy in the tradition of philosophical skepticism. Students will learn to read, analyze and explain key texts across the skeptical tradition. Third, the course aims to teach students to apply the lessons of the skeptical tradition to their data-saturated twenty-first century lives. Fourth, students will be able to evaluate sources to help understand arguments.
Learning Outcomes Assignments Preparation
Students will improve their critical thinking Multiple-choice and short answer sections of the final Reading Assignments skills. exams Quizzes on this Section 2 of the term paper material (10-15 per semester) Lecture & Discussion Students will be historically literate in the Short-essay tests Reading Assignments tradition of philosophical skepticism. Quizzes on this Section 1 of the term paper material (10-15 per semester) Short answer sections of the Lecture & Discussion final exam Students will be able to apply the lessons of Discussion of in-class Section 2 of the term paper the skeptical tradition to their data-saturated examples twenty-first century lives. Lecture & Class Discussion Quizzes on this Students will be able to evaluate sources to Multiple-choice section of the material (10-15 per help understand arguments. final exams semester) Short-essay tests Lecture & Discussion
Assignments:
1. Reading quizzes. For nearly every reading, short single-answer quizzes are due via Blackboard prior to the class period in which we discuss said reading.
2. Tests. There will be two tests. The tests will be short essay format. A study guide will be given at least one week in advance.
3. Paper. There will be one paper due at the end of the term. In this paper, you will (i) explain some text(s) from the skeptical tradition and (ii) argue for how you ought to change your consumption of information and ideas, given those text(s). Ample details will be given in advance.
4. Final Exam. The final exam is comprehensive but will focus on material from the latter half of the semester. A study guide will be given at least one week in advance.
Sequence of Topics:
1. Harry Frankfurt, On Bullshit 2. Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World (Part 1) 3. Survey of the Skeptical Tradition 5. Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World (Part 2)
A detailed schedule will be posted on the course webpage to allow for easier adjustments.
Participation Expectations:
You are expected to participate and attend all class sessions.
Criteria for Assigning the Course Grade:
Reading quizzes are graded in terms of whether you answer the question correctly. All writing assignments are graded in terms of (i) whether you correctly describe the relevant philosophical views or problems, (ii) whether your explanations manifest sufficient depth and understanding, and (iii) whether your positions are well argued. More precise descriptions of these criteria will be given in class. The weights for the assignments are as follows:
Reading quizzes 10% Test 1: 20% Test 2: 20% Paper: 20% Final: 30%
Attendance Policy:
You are expected to attend all class sessions.
Laws:
1. While in the classroom, No electronics of any kind are permitted. If you have a cellphone, it must be turned off. If you would like to record the lecture using an electronic device, talk to me for special accommodations.
3. You must speak respectfully in class.
4. Assignments can only be made up at a later date due to a well-documented extenuating circumstance.
5. There no make-ups for reading quizzes.
How to be a Philosophy Student
1. Reading philosophy is hard. Here’s the technique I suggest. First, read intro, skim the rest, and read the conclusion to get a sense of the structure and the main conclusion. Second, return to the beginning and read the whole thing carefully and slowly.
2. During the second reading, use a pencil to mark important passages.
3. Before beginning to write on any reading, you should re-read that reading.
4. When reading philosophy, the goal is not merely to understand but also to follow and evaluate the author’s argument. You should read with the question, “why?” always on the tip of your tongue.
5. Writing philosophy is writing an argument. You are to attempt to state in the most convincing manner you can, the reasons why you think something is true.
6. Philosophical writing should be concise, rigorous, and clear. Only include sentences that are required to get the reader from your introduction to your conclusion.
7. Philosophical writing should be a back and forth process between writing the actual essay and formulating/revising an outline. You need a clear and concise roadmap to be able to write in a clear and concise manner.
8. Philosophy should not be able to be “left at the office.” Think through some of these issues with friends and family, over dinner or over a cup of coffee. Some of the best philosophical thinking has been done in groups.
Disclaimers:
1. Official LOYNO email is the primary means of communication for this course. If you email me and have not received a reply within 48 hours (baring weekends), you should assume that I did not receive the message; resend the message and talk to me in person.
2. I typically do not check email on evenings or weekends.
3. You are responsible for any material or assignment information sent to your LOYNO email address or posted to the course webpage by your instructor.
4. I may disclose a student’s work to the class that is either high quality or poor quality for educational purposes. In such cases all identifying of this practice may inform me of their wishes via email.
5. All questions about grades and comments on assignments should be limited to office hours. If you believe that I have erred in grading your work, in any way, you can submit a challenge. Such a challenge must be a written argument that demonstrates exactly what I did wrong and must be submitted along with the original assignment. I will then either change your grade accordingly or explain to you why I did not error. If after this process you still believe that I have erred, then you can appeal the grade via the official university procedures for doing so.