PHIL209Q

This course examines human thinking. We will learn how to reason more effectively, with an informal look at logic and the basics of probabilistic reasoning. Topics will include analyzing arguments, identifying valid patterns of reasoning, fallacies and how to avoid them, and the interpretation of statistical evidence. We will also look at the cognitive basis of both good and bad reasoning, and why human beings think in the ways that they do. Along the way, we will examine deep philosophical questions about what makes correct reasoning, and what the limits of human thought might be.