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Ateneo de Zamboanga University

School of Arts and Sciences
Philosophy Department

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V. Course Code: Philosophy 100/101

Number of Units: 3

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VII.

Course Title: Introduction to Philosophy and Logic

Course Description:
This is an introductory philosophy course which intends to equip students with critical thinking skills and develop in them the ability to construct and evaluate
arguments which they encounter in their everyday experiences. Furthermore, this course is divided into two parts. The first part is Logic. In this part, the students
will be introduced with the basic principles of Logic which they can apply in evaluating arguments and distinguishing correct forms of reasoning from the fallacious
ones. The second part is critical thinking and philosophical discourse which aims to facilitate the students into thinking and reflecting critically about the various
philosophical ideas and issues.
General Objectives: This course seeks to:
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Let the students engage in serious and critical thinking.

To develop a discriminating attitude towards identifying valid forms of arguments from invalid forms of arguments through studying the different methods
and principles in logic.
Provide the students an avenue to do philosophy and engage in philosophical discourse with others.
Instill in students the value of open mindedness; that is the liberation from the attitudes of narrowness and superficiality and inviting them to perceive life
in a broader and deeper way.

Core Values:
1. Open-mindedness

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3.
4.

Reasonableness
Intellectual humility
Depth

TIME FRAME
TOPIC/LESSON
TEACHING STRATEGY
LEARNING OUTCOME
week
The Chief Aims of Philosophy Group Activity
At the end of the topic, the students should be
able to:
-Identify the general goals of philosophy
-share their realizations about the role of
philosophy in ones life.
Defining Argument
-Lecture
At the end of the topic, the students should be
-Socratic Method: Question able to:
and Answer
-Determine the basic concepts of logic
-Identify the components of an argument

st

nd

ASSESSMENT
Group Output

Graded recitation
Quiz

week

Distinguishing Arguments
from Non Arguments

-Brainstorming
-Lecture

At the end of the topic, the students should be

able to:
-classify statements which are not arguments
-identify the fundamental differences between
statements of arguments and non-arguments

Written output:
Synthesis
Quiz

4th week

Evaluating Arguments:
Deduction and Induction

-Lecture
-Group presentation

At the end of the topic, the students should be

able to:
-State the distinction between the two types of
arguments.
-Evaluate the validity of the various forms of
arguments

Graded recitation
Quiz

7th week

Informal Fallacies

Lecture
At the end of the topic, the students should be
Mass Media Activity the able to:
students will be asked to -Identify fallacies that we encounter in our daily

Quiz
Reaction Paper

identify various form

fallacies in mass media.
week
week

experience.
-Evaluate the various forms of information they
receive everyday: mass media

MIDTERM EXAMINATION
What Critical Thinking is and Small Group Sharing
What it is Not
Role Play

At the end of the topic, the students should be

able to:
-Clarify the difference between critical thinking
from those that are not.
-Construct a creative role play which depicts
critical thinking.

Refection paper
Quiz

0th week

Blocks to Critical Thinking

Group Presentation
Synthesis

At the end of the Topic, the students should be Graded recitation

able to:
Quiz
-Articulate the implications of the blocks to critical
thinking.

1th week

Defining Critical Thinking

Lecture
Socratic Method

At the end of the topic, the students should be

able to:
-State the significance of Critical thinking
-Paraphrase the main idea of the article about
critical thinking.

Reflection Paper
Quiz

2th-16th week

Critical thinking skills:

ANALYSIS
(The Nature of
Philosophical Inquiry)
INFERENCE
(What is Philosophy)
EVALUATION
(The Apology of Socrates)
INTERPRETATION
(The Allegory of the Cave)
SELF-REGULATION/META-

Lecture
Application- students will
apply the theories on
articles, movies, etc.
Synthesis

At the end of the topic, the students should be

able to:
-Perform the different critical thinking skills
through writing a reaction/reflection paper

Reaction/Reflection
paper
Quiz

COGNITION
(Mans Search for Meaning)
EXPLANATION
(Platos Theory of the Soul)

7th Week

Course Requirements

FINAL EXAMINATION

1. Pre-Class Requirement
a. Philosophy is a loving struggle with the text. Hence, all students are required to read the text before going to class.
b. All reading materials can be found in the reserve section of our library.
c. An oral recitation on the content of the text will serve as the opening salvo for any class discussion.
2. On Written Examinations:
a.
All written exams will be in essay form. This type of test is designed to measure students ability to analyze,
reflect, synthesize, and evaluate the topics discussed in the class.
b.
Answers will be graded based on the following criteria:
Content
70%
Organization/Structure of Ideas 20%
Grammar and Diction
10%
2. On Group Presentations:
All group activity presentations such as Audio Visual Presentation, Collage Making, Documentary Film-Making will be
graded based on the following criteria:
- Content 50% (Philosophical Theme): The theme should be relevant to the topic discussed in
the class.
- Organization 30%: The presentation should be consistent and coherent.
- Presentation 20%: The creative presentation should provoke critical thinking.
3. On Attendance:
a. The schools policy, as stipulated in the students handbook, will be strictly enforced. An appeal or reconsideration
will be entertained only if the justification can be proven beyond reasonable doubt.
b. A beadle will be appointed to assist the teacher on checking the attendance.
4. On Grading System: 60/40

a. Class Standing: 2/3

This includes the following: Group Activities and Presentations, Written Exams, and Other Pen and Paper
Assessments
b. Midterm and Final Examination Grades: 1/3

Course Materials
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Barry, Vincent E and Joel Rudinow. Introduction to Critical Thinking. Fort Worth, TX:
Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc,
1989.
Carlsen-Jones, Michael T. Introduction to Logic. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1983.
Copi, Irving M. , Introduction to Logic (New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1994)
Hurley, Patrick J. A Concise Introduction to Logic. Second Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1985.
Mitchell, Helen Buss, Roots of Wisdom (California: Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1996)

6.

Moga, Michael D., Mans Enduring Questions (Makati City: St. Pauls. )

7.

Factione Peter A. (2009). Critical Thinking: What It Is and Why It Counts. Retrieved October 12, 2009, from:
www.insightassessment.com.

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Prepared by:
Jude Gallardo
Philo Faculty

Reviewed by:

Robert A. Mayonila
Chair, Philosophy Department