SSH 105: Critical Thinking I (Fall 2015)

Instructor:
Course Email:
Phone:
Office:
Office Hours:

Dr. Klaas Kraay

kraay@ryerson.ca
416.979.5000 ext.6165
JOR-416
Thursdays 10:00-11:45, or by appointment.

Calendar Description:
Rational discourse has long been viewed as a principal force for social change. In this course, we
will examine the structures and principles that undergird all forms of rational discourse, and we
will learn how to assess the logical strength and persuasiveness of particular discourses. These
skills will be applied to arguments found in everyday life, and to the formulation of ones own
positions.
SSH 105 is a required course for students in several programs at Ryerson, and only students
registered in those programs may take it. If you are not in one of the programs that requires
SSH105, you may not receive academic credit for this course.
Textbook:
The required textbook is a special printing of seven chapters selected from
Richard Feldmans Reason and Argument. It is available at the Ryerson
Bookstore, and you can buy it in person or online.
There are other sections of SSH105 that use different textbooks. Please make
sure to buy the right one.

Grading Scheme:

Grades will be determined in the following manner:

Task
Quiz #1
Quiz #2
Quiz #3
Final Exam

Value
15 %
20 %
30 %
35 %

Dates
Thursday, Oct. 1
Thursday, Oct. 29
Thursday, Nov. 19
tba

For a table showing the correspondence between letter-grades, percentage scale, and grade
point average (GPA), see www.ryerson.ca/calendar/2015-2016/pg18.html.

Course Meeting Times for SSH 105:

The two-hour class period on Thursdays will be used for lectures, discussion, and for the
three scheduled quizzes.

Each student is assigned to one tutorial group, which meets for one hour each week.
(Your class schedule will tell you when and where your group meets.) This session will be
used for review and practice of course material.

Attendance in your tutorial is mandatory. Attendance will be taken every week, and 1%
will be deducted from your final grade for each illegitimate absence.

It is not possible to switch tutorial groups informally: any switching must be done by
officially changing sections at my.ryerson.ca, and the last date to do this is Friday,
September 18th.

Your TA will hold one office hour per week, and you will be informed of the time and
location. Prof. Kraays office hours will be held on Thursdays from 10:00-11:45 in
JOR-416, or by appointment. You are all encouraged to visit these office hours at any time
during the semester if you have questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions about any
aspect of SSH 105.

Supported Learning Groups

Supported Learning Groups (SLGs) are free study and review sessions available for all students
enrolled in SSH105. They are led by peer leaders. These sessions are an opportunity to work
through the course content at your own pace, to practice problems, and to learn study strategies.
All sessions will be held on the 4th floor of the Student Learning Centre. The full schedule and
locations will be posted to the course shell in early September.
Course Policies for SSH 105:
Email

You are welcome to email me at kraay@ryerson.ca if necessary, but please understand that I
am teaching 800 students this semester, and so it is not possible for me to have lengthy
discussions about course content over email. If you need individual assistance in SSH105,
you should come to my office hours or your TAs office hours.

You must use your Ryerson email account to email me.

Here is some useful useful advice on how to draft a professional email.

Use of Electronic Devices in Class

The use of electronics, including laptops and cell phones, will not be permitted in this class
unless the student can provide a legitimate argument for why he or she needs to use such a
device, and the instructor has given written permission for such an exception. Detailed reasons
for this policy will be given during the first lecture.

Alternate Arrangements

Students are required to inform their instructors of any situation which may have an adverse
effect upon their academic performance, and must request any accommodations according
to the relevant policies and well in advance. Failure to do so will jeopardize any academic
appeals.

Students shall inform their instructor, in advance, when they will miss an exam, test or
assignment deadline. When circumstances do not permit this (e.g. in an emergency) the
student must inform the instructor as soon as possible. Alternate arrangements may include
the setting of a make-up test, transferring the weight of a missed assignment to the final
examination or extending a deadline. Ryerson Universitys complete policy concerning
alternate arrangements for medical and compassionate reasons may be found at
www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/senate/policies/pol134.pdf.
Medical Considerations: In order for alternate arrangements to be made on medical
grounds, a student must provide, within three working days, (1) a Ryerson Medical
Certificate and (2) an Academic Consideration Form. Both documents must be submitted to
the students program department. They can be found here:
www.ryerson.ca/senate/forms/medical.pdf.
Religious Observance: If a student needs accommodation due to religious observance, he
or she must submit (1) a Request for Accommodation of Student Religious, Aboriginal and
Spiritual Observance Form and (2) an Academic Consideration Form, within the first two
weeks of classes, or, for a final examination, within two weeks of the posting of the
examination schedule. If the required absence occurs within the first two weeks of classes,
or the dates are not known well in advance as they are linked to other conditions, these
forms should be submitted with as much lead time as possible in advance of the required
absence. Forms must be submitted to the students program department. They can be found
here: www.ryerson.ca/senate/forms/relobservforminstr.pdf.
Compassionate Considerations: In order for alternate arrangements to be made on
compassionate grounds, the student must deliver, within three working days, an Academic
Consideration Form, along with appropriate documentation (if necessary), to the students
program department. This form can be found here:
www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/senate/forms/academic_consideration_document_submis
sion.pdf.

Alternate arrangements will only be made on the basis of circumstances that are both
(1) legitimate and (2) unforeseeable. Some examples of circumstances that typically fail to
meet one or both of these conditions are: extra-curricular activities, employment obligations,
multiple deadlines, and computer malfunctions.

Student Codes of Conduct

For detailed information concerning academic misconduct and the relevant penalties, see
Ryersons Student Code of Academic Conduct: www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol60.pdf.
See also Ryersons Academic Integrity Website: www.ryerson.ca/academicintegrity/.

Ryerson Universitys Student Code of Non-Academic Conduct covers, among other offences,
disruption of learning and teaching. This includes the disruptive use of electronic
equipment. For more information, see: www.ryerson.ca/studentcode/#conduct.

Course Schedule for SSH 105:

Week
1

Lecture
Date
Sept. 10th

Provisional Topic and Required Reading

Other

Feldman, Chapter 1: Introduction

Sept. 17th

Feldman, Chapter 2: Truth and Rationality

Sept. 24th

Feldman, Chapter 3: Well-Formed Arguments

Oct. 1st

Oct. 8th

Sept. 18th: final date

to add/swap
courses and
sections.

Quiz #1 (15%)
Feldman, Chapter 4: Strong Arguments

Oct. 12-16: Fall Reading Week (NO CLASSES)

6

Oct. 22nd

Oct. 29th

Nov. 5th
12th

Feldman, Chapter 5: Reconstructing Arguments

Answers to Quiz #1
during this weeks
tutorials.

Quiz #2 (20%)
Feldman, Chapter 6:
Details of Argument Reconstruction
Feldman, Chapter 7: Evaluating Arguments

Nov.

10

Nov. 19th

11

Nov. 26th

More on Evaluating Arguments; Fallacies

12

Dec. 3rd

Remaining material and Course Review

Quiz #3 (30%)

December 8th-19th: Final Exam Period

See: www.ryerson.ca/currentstudents/academics/exams/.

Answers to Quiz #2
during this weeks
tutorials.
Nov. 20th: final date
to drop a course.

Answers to Quiz #3
during this weeks
tutorials.
Final Exam
(3 hours; 35%)

Faculty/Course Surveys will be administered during weeks 9 through 12. Details to follow.