Philosophy (PHIL) 152
Basic Critical Thinking (Revision 4)

This version of PHIL 152 closed, Sept 15/04. To current version.

View previous syllabus

Delivery mode: Individualized study or grouped study.
Credits: 3 - Humanities
Prerequisite: None.
Centre: Centre for Global and Social Analysis
Challenge for Credit: PHIL 152 is not available for challenge.

>> Overview | Outline | Evaluation | Course Materials | Course Fees | Course Availability


Overview

PHIL 152 is a preparatory course in critical thinking that focuses on comprehension tools and skills and the development of critical capacities in application to both reading and writing. The course teaches an active, critical approach to the student's own written work.

Outline

PHIL 152 comprises the following ten units. Units 1 to 5 focus on comprehension tools and skills. Units 6 to 10 focus on the development of critical capacities in application to both reading and writing.

  • Unit 1 Introduction: Purpose, Topic, and Main Idea
  • Unit 2 Reading Actively
  • Unit 3 What Does it Mean? Understanding Complicated Sentences
  • Unit 4 Writing Functions and the Organization of Ideas
  • Unit 5 Integrated Reading, Writing, and Thinking
  • Unit 6 Critical Thinking: Relevance and Completeness
  • Unit 7 Standards of Evaluation
  • Unit 8 More Standards of Evaluation
  • Unit 9 Inductive and Deductive Reasoning
  • Unit 10 Focus on Argumentation

Evaluation

To receive credit for PHIL 152, students must achieve a course composite mark of at least "D" (50 percent). The weighting of the composite mark is as follows:

Exercise 1 Exercise 2 Exercise 3 Exercise 4 Course Project Total
10% 10% 20% 20% 40% 100%

Course Materials

Textbooks

Flachmann, Kim, Michael Flachmann, and Alexandra MacLennan. 2000. Reader's Choice. 3d Canadian ed. Scarborough, Ont: Prentice Hall Allyn and Bacon Canada.

Mayfield, Marlys. 2001. Thinking for Yourself: Developing Critical Thinking Skills Through Writing, 5th ed. Belmont, Calif: Wadsworth.

Other Material

The course materials also include two study guides and a student manual.

Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice.
Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized-study counterparts.

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(780) 675-6111, (800) 788-9041
Opened in Revision 4--Oct. 18/02. To previous syllabus
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This page was updated by G. Zahara