Lahore University of Management Sciences

MGMT 252 LOGIC & CRITICAL THINKING

Instructor Room No. Office Hours Email Telephone Secretary/TA TA Office Hours Course URL (if any) Razi Allah Lone

FALL Semester 2013

razi.lone@lums.edu.pk

Course Basics Credit Hours Lecture(s) Recitation/Lab (per week) Tutorial (per week) Course Distribution Core Elective Open for Student Category Close for Student Category COURSE DESCRIPTION

Nbr of Lec(s) Per Week Nbr of Lec(s) Per Week Nbr of Lec(s) Per Week

2 N/A N/A

Duration Duration Duration

Everyone thinks as it is our nature to do so. But much of our thinking is confounded by distortions, biases and prejudices, and is in many instances uninformed and partial. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the quality of our life depends in crucial ways on the quality of our thinking. Disciplined thinking is all about personal empowerment, and it helps us greatly to take charge of our intellects. Excellence in thought, however, requires systematic cultivation. This course provides an introduction to the tools and techniques of logic and critical thinking, and their application in various arenas of life. Through an appreciation of context, identification of pitfalls and application of a strategy, this course hopes to bring to life the process of thinking and argumentation.
COURSE PREREQUISITE(S)

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this course is to: Develop an in-depth understanding of the concept and process of critical thinking Strengthen students ability to take ownership of content through actively thinking it through, value questions more than answers, and seek understanding over memorization Enable students to apply the general principles of logic that make patterns of argument valid or invalid

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Learning Outcomes

After taking this course, students should be able to: Know themselves better, which is the key to Critical Thinking Understand the basic tools and rules involved in Critical Thinking Identify the many ways in which thinking can go wrong and what to do to avoid them Apply a strategy to analyze and evaluate arguments Become independent self-directed thinkers and learners

Grading Breakup and Policy

Attendance: 5% Quizzes: 30% Class Participation: 10% Midterm: 20% Final: 35%
Examination Detail Yes/No: Yes Combine Separate: Duration: 1 hour Preferred Date: Exam Specifications: Yes/No: Yes Combine Separate: Duration: 2 hours Exam Specifications:

Midterm Exam

Final Exam

Week/ Session/ Module Week 1

Topics

Recommended Readings

The Context Introduction to Critical Thinking: Critical Thinking Standards Benefits of and Barriers to Critical Thinking

Chapter 1 (Bassham, Irwin, Nardone, Wallace, 2011)

Week 2

What is Truth and What Does It Mean to Know? Chapter 3 (Ruggiero, 2012) How Good is Your Opinion? What is Evidence? Recognizing Arguments & Basic Logical Concepts: What is and isnt an Argument? Common Patterns of Deductive Reasoning Chapter 4 (Ruggiero, 20120)

Week 3

Week 4 & 5

Chapter 2 & 3 (Bassham, Irwin, Nardone, Wallace, 2011)

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Common Patterns of Inductive Reasoning
Week 6

Language: Finding the Right Words Mid Term The Pitfalls The Basic Problem Logical Fallacies: Fallacies of Relevance Fallacies of Insufficient Evidence A Strategy Analyzing and Evaluating Arguments: Diagramming and Summarizing Arguments When is an Argument a Good one? How Good is the Evidence? When is it Reasonable to Accept a Premise? Inductive Reasoning: Inductive Generalizations Induction and Analogy Induction and Causal Arguments Finding, Evaluating and Using Sources: Content Author Audience Writing Argumentative Essays: Writing a Successful Argument Before you Write Writing the First Draft After the First Draft Thinking Critically about the Media: The Mass Media The News Media

Chapter 4 (Bassham, Irwin, Nardone, Wallace, 2011)

Week 7 & 8

Chapter 5 & 6 (Bassham, Irwin, Nardone, Wallace, 2011)

Week 9 & 10

Chapter 7 & 8 (Bassham, Irwin, Nardone, Wallace, 2011)

Week 11

Chapter 11 (Bassham, Irwin, Nardone, Wallace, 2011)

Week 12

Chapter 12 (Bassham, Irwin, Nardone, Wallace, 2011)

Week 13

Chapter 13 (Bassham, Irwin, Nardone, Wallace, 2011)

Week 14

Chapter 14 (Bassham, Irwin, Nardone, Wallace, 2011)

Texts Bassham, G., Irwin, W., Nardone, H., Wallace, J. Critical Thinking: A Students Introduction. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Ruggiero, R, V. Beyond Feelings: A Guide to Critical Thinking. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012.

Textbook(s)/Supplementary Readings