Tony.
On Wed, 26 Mar 1997, Michael Fisher wrote:
> Tony wrote:
> . . . Expect a future correcting....
>
> MWF
> Hmm. Well, just to help him out, I visited the website for his school, just to see what
> courses might be available to help him with his project. At least he could but the textbooks.
>
> For starters, the below are even listed consecutively in the "by the numbers" listing,
> and I think they would be of immense value, to get started:
>
> HU 250 Logic (0-3-0)
> Offered winter; 3 credits.
> Introduction to symbolic logic with emphasis on techniques used to distinguish
> between valid and invalid arguments. Topics include truth-functional logic,
> natural dedeuction, and predicate logic.
>
> HU253 Introduction to Philosophy: Ways of Thinking (0-3-0)
> Offered fall, spring; 3 credits.
> A study of thought representing various traditions,such as classical and
> contemporary philosophy Eastern and Western religion, and recent science.
> Different ways of thinking -- or world views, including religious views -- are
> identified and their consequences examined.
>
> HU254 Critical Thinking (0-3-0)
> Offered winter; 3 credits.
> Practical introduction to reasoning and informal logic. Develops students'
> skills in evaluating both deductive and nondeductive arguments and in
> constructing successful arguments of their own. Emphasizes learning to
> recognize and avoid fallacies and invalid reasoning rather than constructing
> proofs or employing other formal or symbolic methods. May include an
> introduction to inductive and probabilistic reasoning.
>
> HU357 Philosophy of Science (0-3-0)
> Offered fall; 3 credits.
> Examination of problems involved in scientific methodology such as structure
> of theories, concept formation, scientific explanation, hypothetico-deductive
> model, role of experimentation, function of paradigms and analogies, and aims
> of science. Examples are drawn from the physical and biological sciences.
> Prerequisite: HU253 or permission of instructor.
>
>
> HU456 Philosophical Issues in Artificial Intelligence (0-3-0)
> Offered as demand warrants; 3 credits.
> Examination of various claims for a computational theory of intelligence,
> mind, or cognition, such as the Turing machine model, generic functionalism,
> machine functionalism, intentional systems, and connectionism and critiques of
> these claims. Investigation of epistemological issues raised by different
> knowledge representation schemes, such as frames, scripts, conceptual
> dependencies, and logic. Prerequisite: HU253 or permission of instructor.
>
> HU457 Science, Pseudoscience, and the Abuse of Science (0-3-0)
> Offered winter; 3 credits.
> Critical examination of current, controversial issues regarding the theories
> and practice of science. Draws upon historical and contemporary material in
> the sciences and philosophy of science. Topics may include distinction between
> science and pseudoscience, racism and sexism in science, the creation science
> controversy, sociobiology scientific fraud, extent to which science is
> value-free or value-laden, and the social responsibility of scientists.
> Prerequisite: HU253 or permission of instructor.
>
> HU562 Philosophy of Critical Reasoning (0-3-0)
> Offered as demand warrants; 3 credits.
> Seminar on philosophical questions arising in connection with reason and
> reasoning. Prerequisite: graduate standing or permission of instructor.
>
> HU565 Philosophy of Language (0-3-0)
> Offered as demand warrants; 3 credits.
> An introduction to the philosophy of language through such topics as the
> following: the nature of linguistic meaning, the relationship between language
> and the world, and the relationship between philosophy of language and other
> areas of study. Students will be exposed to classical and contemporary
> philosophical theories of language and meaning,will be encouraged to relate
> this work to their own language and meaning,and will be encouraged to relate
> this work to their own specialized interests in rhetoric, communication, and
> language studies. Prerequisite: graduate standing or permission of instructor.
>
>
> And also:
>
> HU 261 Principles of Psychology (0-3-0)
> Offered fall, winter, spring; 3 credits.
> Introduction to the scientific study of the basic psychological processes
> involved in both individual and group behavior. Topics may include
> development, perception, learning, cognition, language, emotions, social
> psychology, personality, and psychological adjustment.
>
> HU 481 Cognitive Psychology (0-3-0)
> Offered fall, spring; 3 credits.
> Introduction to higher-order mental processes,such as thinking, memory,
> reasoning, problem solving, and learning.Although much of the material comes
> from psychology contributions of other disciplines, such as computer science,
> philosophy and linguistics, are discussed. Prerequisite: HU261 or permission
> of instructor.
>
> HU482 Knowledge Representation and Reasoning (0-3-0)
> Offered winter; 3 credits.
> How knowledge is represented in the mind and how inductive and deductive
> processes enable us to modify our representations. Different theories
> concerning mental representations and induction are covered, along with
> experimental research and computer simulations of cognitive processes.
> Prerequisite: HU481 or permission of instructor.
>
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> So there you are. A minor, (more like a second major) in critical thinking, available at
> Tony's school.
>
> At least Tony is on notice of the varity and breadth of the counter-arguments he can
> expect.
>
> Ciao.
>
> P.S. Tony is a real person; at least there's an address and phone number listed.
>
>
>
> --
> Michael Fisher, ET1/SS USN ret., lawstudent
>
> http://home.aol.com/Mfish6994
>
> * * *
>
> He that would make his own liberty secure,
> must guard even his enemy from oppression;
> for if he violates this duty,
> he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself.
>
> Thomas Paine
>