Course Syllabus

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CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE

Religion, Logic and the Media (RS 204)

 

Fall 2021

 

Instructor:Albert Tevanyan

E-mail:albert.tevanyan@csun.edu

Telephone:(818) 677-6878

Fully online. 

Office hours:Friday 11: 00am – 12:00 pm.  

 

Course Description: 

 

This course aims to introduce the students to the basics of logical reasoning. Students will learn to conceptualize, analyze and evaluate propositions, construct arguments and apply them in practical life. Students will learn how to classify propositions, use diagrams for mapping arguments, use language functions to analyze types of disputes and determine fallacies in arguments.

 

Students will learn to apply their logical skills in contemporary controversial issues in politics, economics and religion. We will also analyze certain core doctrines in major religions by paraphrasing religious texts through breaking them into arguments and testing their validity.

 

 

RS 204 SLO’s in Religion, Logic and the Media

  1. Students will demonstrate familiarity with the basic concepts of deductive and inductive logic and construction of arguments.
  2. Students will be able to think logically about various religious traditions and their claims, political statements and various claims found in the media today.
  3. Students will be able to detect and analyze fallacies in the media, religious texts, sermons, claims and belief systems that often make up the contemporary value system of our culture.

 

RS 204 GE SLO’s

 

Students will:

  1. Explain and apply the basic concepts essential to a critical examination and evaluation of argumentative discourse;
  2. Use investigative and analytical thinking skills to examine alternatives, explore complex questions and solve challenging problems;
  3. Analyze, interpret, and reflect critically upon ideas of value, meaning, discourse and expression from a variety of perspectives from the arts and/or humanities.
  4. Recognize and avoid common logical and rhetorical fallacies.
  1. Demonstrate ability to engage and reflect upon their intellectual and creative development within the arts and humanities.
  1. Use appropriate critical vocabulary to describe and analyze works of artistic expression, literature, philosophy, or religion and a comprehension of the historical context within which a body of work was created or a tradition emerged.
  2. Describe and explain the historical and/or cultural context within which a body of work was created or a tradition emerged.

 

Texts for this course:

Irving M. Copi, Carl Cohen, Kenneth McMahonIntroduction to LogicPublisher: Taylor&Frances

15th or 14th edition (all reading assignments are based on the 14th edition. You may have a page discrepancy if you have the 15th edition. Simple find the corresponding assignment in your edition. The content is all the same. ) 

Additional reading material may be provided online

Course Requirements:      

  • Tests and Exams:

Midterm and Final. 

There will be two main examinations: a midterm and a final. For the dates of the exams see Canvas. All exams are on Canvas.

Midterm: 20 questions. 10 multiple choice (2 points each) and 10 true and false (1 point each).

Depending on the difficulty of certain questions, they will be worth more points and some tests will have fewer questions, but the total of the Midterm (30 points) and the Final (30 points) will always be 60 points.

Quizzes: 

We will have two online quizzes before the midterm and two before the final. Students will take total of 4 quizzes during the entire course.

Each quiz will have 10 questions (1 point each question, multiple choice). All tests are on canvas. Each quiz will be based on the reading material assigned up to the point of the quiz date.  A Study guide for the Midterm and the Final exams will be posted on Canvas prior to the test. 

Due DATES: 

If you miss the due date for any assignment, you may still submit it, but canvas will deduct 25 percent of points as late submission penalty. This isn't subject to negotiations, please, do not email me with requests to extend the due date or to wave the late penalty. All such emails will  be discarded.  The absolute deadline for all assignments is May 7th. 

Logical games, puzzles and Extra Credit.

There are 5 logical puzzles to solve. (see Canvas). Each puzzle is worth 3 points. 15 total. 

 Providing the correct answer will not suffice to get the credit points. You will have to provide the steps of your reasoning explaining how you arrived at your conclusion. There will also be one logical puzzle (POW professors 5 extra credit points) available on Canvas discussion board.

 

Grading your grades will be computed based on the following:

  1. Your final grade will be based on the average of all the assignments.

 

Assignments 

points 

Quiz 1

10 points

Quiz 2

10 points

Quiz 3

10 points

Quiz 4

10 points

Midterm test

30 points

Final Test

30 points

Logic Quizzes 

15 points

Logical Puzzle (extra credit)

5 Points 

 

 

Total: 

115Points

 

 

 

Grading scale: Plus/minus grading system will be implemented. There will be no A+ grade.

 

A

100 %

to 94.0%

A-

< 94.0 %

to 90.0%

B+

< 90.0 %

to 87.0%

B

< 87.0 %

to 84.0%

B-

< 84.0 %

to 80.0%

C+

< 80.0 %

to 77.0%

C

< 77.0 %

to 74.0%

C-

< 74.0 %

to 70.0%

D+

< 70.0 %

to 67.0%

D

< 67.0 %

to 64.0%

D-

< 64.0 %

to 61.0%

F

< 61.0 %

to 0.0%

Academic Integrity: 

Cheating and plagiarism are not tolerated. Any form of plagiarism will result in a failing grade. The following violations of academic integrity will be addressed formally:

 

  • Submitting the same work in whole or in part in more than one course;
  • Submitting as one’s own work material (s) obtained from another source;
  • Unattributed quotations or ideas from published, unpublished or electronic sources;
  • Unauthorized collaboration in preparing assignments;
  • Cheating on exams by any means: using search engines, lecture notes (unless permitted by the instructor) during the test
  • During the tests, logging in and taking the test not being present in class.

 

 

THIS IS A TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE. 

Lecture breakdown  may change. 

See Canvass for accurate  exam dates and deadlines. Look at the right side of the homepage under the module "Coming up". It will remind you of all upcoming assignments and their due dates. 

 

WEEK 1

Introduction 

Syllabus

Chapter 1. 

Basic Logical Concepts. 

Propositions and Arguments

Reading: Textbook: pp. 2 – 9

 

WEEK 2

Chapter 1

Recognizing arguments

Reading: Textbook: pp. 11-17

Week 3 

Chapter 1 

Arguments and explanations 

Reading pp. 18-24

Week 4 

Chapter 1 

Deductive and Inductive arguments: 

Validity and Truth  

Reading: pp. 24-31

 

WEEK 5

Chapter 2: Analyzing arguments 

Paraphrasing arguments 

Diagramming arguments 

Reading: pp. 33-47

WEEK 6

Chapter 3 Language and Definitions. 

Language Functions. 

Reading: pp.  64-74

 

WEEK 7

Chapter 3 

Disputes: Genuine vs. Verbal

Reading: pp. 75-79

 

WEEK 8-9

Logical Games and Puzzles. 

Solve logical puzzle on Canvas

 WEEK 10

Chapter 4 Fallacies 

Classification of Fallacies. 

Fallacies of Relevance 

Reading: pp. 105-120

 

 WEEK 11

Chapter 4 Fallacies of Defective Induction 

Reading: pp. 126-133

 

WEEK 12

Chapter 4

Fallacies of Presumption 

Reading: pp. 134-138 

  

WEEK 13

Chapter 4 

Fallacies of Ambiguity.

Application of Logic in Religion. 

Reading: 140-148

                                                         

WEEK 14

Chapter 5 

Categorical Propositions. 

Types of Categorical Propositions. 

Venn diagrams.

Deductive Arguments for the Existence of God. 

Reading: 164-176

 

WEEK 15

Analyzing Atheism vs. Theism Arguments logically.

Prepare for the final test. 

WEEK 16

Final Test 

 

 

 

 

 

Course Summary:

Course Summary
Date Details Due