Shahin
Kaveh
Logic
and critical
thinking: Logic
is the study of human reasoning. Some believe
that studying logic makes us more rational and
better at critical thinking. Others think that
logic makes us explicitly aware of the rules
of good reasoning that all of us in a sense
already know. Yet others believe that logic is
a tool – like mathematics – that makes
communication clearer and more efficient.
Logic is indispensible for both philosophy and
the sciences. But logic is also very helpful
for those whose jobs have to do with
argumentation and convincing others, like
lawyers, journalists, and politicians. And
finally, logic is good for life. In this
course, we will study a variety of topics in
logic, focusing on deductive logic for the
most part. Deductive logic is the study of
those forms of reasoning in which the
conclusion in guaranteed with certainty when
the assumptions are true. We will also learn
about inductive and “abductive” logic
(important forms of reasoning with less
certainty).
Principles
of Scientific Reasoning:
The course
will provide students with elementary
logic skills and an understanding of
scientific arguments to apply in all
aspects of their academic as well as daily
lives. Our society and the world around us
are increasingly influenced by scientific
findings. From medicine to technology to
government policy, scientific reasoning
plays a prominent role both in
understanding the problems faced by human
beings and in finding solutions to them.
Scientific reasoning is often crucial to
understanding what causes the issue and
what interventions are effective. We hear,
for example, that drinking alcoholic
beverages in moderation reduces the
chances of heart disease. We might well
ask what sorts of tests were done to reach
this conclusion and do the tests really
justify the claim. What should we make of
such claims? We hear disputes about
poverty and inequality, but we rarely hear
evidence-based arguments regarding what
causes these issues and what solutions are
effective. Can science help us find
solutions to these problems? In this
course we will learn how these questions
can be addressed systematically through
scientific reasoning and decided by
empirical
evidence. Each week
we will learn about a new topic in
scientific reasoning. We will then apply
what we learned to an issue of interest to
contemporary society, and ask how these
questions can be answered
scientifically.
Philosophy
of Space and Time (graduate
level): Western
philosophy and western science are both
justifiably traced back to ancient Greece.
However, what is often overlooked is that the
question that gave birth to philosophy is the
very question that gave birth to science: what
are change and motion, and how are they
possible? This seemingly obscure question
captivated the minds of many philosophers and
led to interrelated questions regarding the
nature of space, time, matter, and void. Is
it possible for there to be space without
any matter occupying it? If yes, how can
nothingness exist? If no, how can anything
move at all given that the entire space is
filled up? As we will see in this course, not
only did these somewhat silly questions drive
early modern scientists such as Descartes and
Newton to their incredible discoveries, but
they have also continued to fuel scientific
investigation through the 20th century and to
this day. We will survey this fascinating
journey in this class.
Introduction
to
Philosophy: This
course is an introduction to the oldest and
most enduring intellectual enterprise in human
history. On one view, philosophy is the
discipline which has given birth to most of
the disciplines we recognize as independent
sciences today. On another view, philosophy is
the study of the deepest and most fundamental
questions, such as “what is knowledge?”, “how
do we know the world?”, “what is there in the
world?”, and “what is the relation of human
beings to the world and society?”. In this
course, we will discuss these questions
through a partly historical, partly topical
study of various philosophers and schools of
thought in philosophy.
I wrote my own
logic textbook for this course. Check it out
here!