2022y-apmodr1730c-06

AP/MODR1730 6.0 C: Reasoning About Social Issues

Offered by: MODR


 Session

Fall 2022

 Term

Y

Format

LECT

Instructor

Calendar Description / Prerequisite / Co-Requisite

This is a skills-based course focusing on critical thinking, research-based writing, and qualitative and quantitative analysis. The particular focus will be on different positions taken within the social sciences on issues such as abortion, euthanasia, pornography, immigration etc. Typical examples are to be analyzed. Course credit exclusions: AP/MODR 1760 6.00, AP/MODR 1770 6.00.


Course Start Up

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For further course Start Up details, review the Getting Started webpage.

For IT support, students may contact University Information Technology Client Services via askit@yorku.ca or (416) 736-5800. Please also visit Students Getting Started UIT or the Getting Help - UIT webpages.


    Additional Course Instructor/Contact Details

Course Instructor Contact: Shyam Ranganathan at shyamr@yorku.ca

    Expanded Course Description

“ Reasoning About Social Issues is the version of Modes of Reasoning  that touches upon work in the social sciences (at least two) and addresses social issues, such as euthanasia, abortion, or pornography.  This is  a skills-based course focusing on critical thinking, persuasive writing, and strategic argumentation.  A topic that will unite our exploration  of these various themes is meditation as a model for critical thinking, and also the topic of social scientific investigation.”

    Additional Requirements
Prerequisite / Co-requisite:

None. Course credit exclusions: AP/MODR 1760 6.00, AP/MODR 1770 6.00

 

    Required Course Text / Readings

Patañjali. Patañjali's Yoga Sūtra. Penguin 2008. (Available on Kindle)

 

Online Readings, linked via Moodle

    Weighting of Course

Participation: 40 %

Annotated Bibliography: 15 %

Essay: 15 %

Fall and Winter Final Exam: 15 % (each)

With the exception of an in class commentary, all assignments are submitted via eClass.

    Course Learning Objectives

Learn basic reasoning skills---informal and formal logic.

Understand the difference between reason and belief, between argument and pursuasion.

Think openly about projects of meditation and critical thinking.

    Relevant Links / Resources