On an hourly basis, we are bombarded with arguments and statements meant to persuade us. Whether on television, social media, web sites, or directly from media figures and politicians, persuasive arguments based in “truth” are the coinage of the world we live in. This English 1101 course focuses on the ways in which the “truthiness” of arguments often trumps their verifiable, empirical reality. This epistemological dilemma will be explored in psychological and neuroscientific literature that presents the cognitive make up of our minds as a problem to our understanding of complex issues in society, culture, and politics.[1]
Topics will include metacognition, the social, and the political world, Class discussions will focus on a mix of evaluation of class readings, application of concepts from class to contemporary issues, and student presentations.
Evaluating the limits of our thinking—and the results that stem from our innate cognitive biases—is important. However, the goal of this course is to engage and develop general critical thinking and communication skills. You will learn to think critically—to break down ideas into their constituent parts, identifying their strengths and weaknesses, and learning to apply those ideas to new contexts. You will learn communication strategies—in written, oral, and electronic modes—that will prepare you to succeed academically at Perimeter College and professionally in the workplace.
[1] Epistemology is defined by the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy as “the study of knowledge and justified belief”. In essence, epistemology is the branch of philosophy concerned with what we know, how we know, and whether we know the world that surrounds us (and ourselves).
Topics will include metacognition, the social, and the political world, Class discussions will focus on a mix of evaluation of class readings, application of concepts from class to contemporary issues, and student presentations.
Evaluating the limits of our thinking—and the results that stem from our innate cognitive biases—is important. However, the goal of this course is to engage and develop general critical thinking and communication skills. You will learn to think critically—to break down ideas into their constituent parts, identifying their strengths and weaknesses, and learning to apply those ideas to new contexts. You will learn communication strategies—in written, oral, and electronic modes—that will prepare you to succeed academically at Perimeter College and professionally in the workplace.
[1] Epistemology is defined by the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy as “the study of knowledge and justified belief”. In essence, epistemology is the branch of philosophy concerned with what we know, how we know, and whether we know the world that surrounds us (and ourselves).