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Unit of study_

OLET2148: Thinking Critically

2024 unit information

In this unit students will develop their intellectual autonomy: their ability to think for themselves. By learning how to distinguish rational argument from mere rhetoric, how to seek evidence and test hypotheses, how to use analogies, and how to detect fallacies, students will gain skill and confidence in critical thinking.

Unit details and rules

Managing faculty or University school:

Philosophy

Code OLET2148
Academic unit Philosophy
Credit points 2
Prerequisites:
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None
Corequisites:
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None
Prohibitions:
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None
Assumed knowledge:
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None

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. distinguish rational argument from mere rhetoric
  • LO2. distinguish arguments from explanations
  • LO3. assess the strength of causal arguments
  • LO4. generate and test alternative causal hypotheses
  • LO5. use analogies in scientific, moral, and legal contexts
  • LO6. detect and critique a range of fallacies
  • LO7. employ all of these skills in the critical evaluation of novel arguments from a range of disciplines
  • LO8. communicate evaluation of arguments clearly and succinctly using philosophical terminology used in class.

Unit availability

This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.

The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.

Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Intensive April 2024
Online Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Intensive September 2024
Online Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Outline unavailable
Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Intensive April 2020
Online Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Intensive September 2020
Online Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Intensive April 2021
Online Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Intensive September 2021
Online Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Intensive April 2022
Online Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Intensive September 2022
Online Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Intensive April 2023
Online Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Intensive September 2023
Online Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Modes of attendance (MoA)

This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.