PHIL 172 — C Critical Thinking and Writing 3 Units
Term hours: 54 lecture. This course is an introduction to the techniques of argument analysis, evaluation, and construction as applied to essay writing. The course includes such topics as standard form and argument patterns; deduction, validity, and soundness; truth-functional arguments, truth-tables, and natural deduction; quantificational arguments; categorical syllogisms and Venn Diagrams; truth; induction, strength, and cogency; sampling arguments, causal arguments, statistical syllogisms, analogical arguments, and explanatory arguments; the probability calculus; formal and informal fallacies; and definition, language, and meaning; thesis statements, the writing of coherent, well-developed essays, and grammar, punctuation, and orthography. (UC/CSU, AA GE, CalGETC)