From Critical Thinking to Academic Writing

One of the primary functions of language is to construct arguments and persuade others to accept our viewpoints. But how can we become better at arguing? How can we distinguish a good argument from a bad one? How can we evaluate others' arguments more effectively? What can we learn from contemporary behavior science about our reasoning faculty? This class aims to introduce students to critical thinking and argumentative writing. Critical thinking is not only a crucial skill in academic settings but also an essential part of everyday life. In this course, we will explore various types of reasoning used in both scientific and everyday contexts. We will examine how to evaluate scientific theories and identify common pitfalls in reasoning. Alongside these concepts, you will learn how to produce good academic writing through weekly writing exercises and a term paper project. Through this project, you will gain experience in conducting your own research-selecting a research topic, finding academic sources, engaging with existing literature, and developing your own thesis.