Module PHL1005A for 2018/9
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
PHL1005A: Evidence and Argument 1
This module descriptor refers to the 2018/9 academic year.
Module Aims
Philosophers try to think rationally about the most general and abstract questions; for this reason, they spend a lot of time constructing and criticising arguments. In this course, you will investigate what makes a good or a bad argument, and how to distinguish one from the other. This is a skill essential not only in science and philosophy, but also in politics and everyday life.
This module will teach you the tools and skills necessary for analysing, evaluating and constructing arguments. It consists of a mixture of theory and practical exercises. We will examine the general principles of reasoning, and then apply them to particular arguments from philosophical and other texts.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
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Module-Specific Skills | 1. demonstrate knowledge of some basic principles of formal and inductive reasoning, essay writing and rhetoric; |
Discipline-Specific Skills | 2. develop the ability to analyse arguments, to apply simple rules of inference, to criticise brief texts, and to write well-argued essays; |
Personal and Key Skills | 3. develop the ability to argue clearly and effectively in speech and writing, to use the library and internet resources, and to evaluate different sources of evidence; |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Essay writing technique; identifying and reconstructing arguments; arguments vs. explanations; deductive reasoning; inductive reasoning; argumentative strategies and fallacies.
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
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28 | 122 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
Category | Hours of study time | Description |
---|---|---|
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 22 | 11 x 2 hour lectures |
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 6 | 1 hour tutorials every 2 weeks. A great part of the course will be devoted to practical exercises in the construction, analysis and evaluation of arguments. This format allows for a good deal of discussion between students and lecturer, both in lectures and tutorials. |
Guided Independent study | 11 | Short exercises in logic and critical thinking; readings. The exercises do not come with a minimum word count, but they should take no more than a couple of hours every two weeks. |
Guided Independent study | 111 | Private study |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).