Critical thinking and the art of argumentation 2103-L-D2MKSA
Social policy is created, set, implemented and evaluated by different stakeholders, forming coalitions that use arguments to convince for preferred solutions to social problems. Arguments can use scientifically proven evidence, stories with bad and good characters, proverbs, individual experiences and many other means of verbal and non-verbal persuasion. In the age of the internet and social media, arguments full of manipulation, misinformation and other dishonest tricks (sophisms, eristics) are also disseminated. The class is designed to sensitise students to manipulation and misinformation in arguments used in discussions about social problems and their solutions, i.e. social policy.
The main form of the class is a moderated debate between students assessed by the students.
Session topics
1. introduction: the importance of critical thinking and argumentation in social policy.
2. Responses to the problem of disinformation - factchecking and the politics against disinformation.
3. non-substantive argumentation: eristics and sophisms.
4 Substantive argumentation - examples of substantive discussion.
5 Principles of substantive discussion.
6. debate 1 (topics and schedule of debates to be decided in class)
7 Debate 2
8 Debate 3
9. debate 4
10. debate 5
11. debate 6
12. debate 7
13. debate 8
14. Summary and assessment of the course.
Mode
Prerequisites (description)
Course coordinators
Type of course
Learning outcomes
The student is capable of publicly presenting and arguing positions in the field of social policy, as well as participating in a debate on social policy issues (K_U07)
The student is ready to critically evaluate his/her knowledge and external communications in the field of social policy, as well as to recognize the importance of evidence-based arguments in the discussion of social policy solutions (K_K01)
Assessment criteria
Active attendance compulsory, two absences excused without consequence (sick leave to be sent immediately after the absence, photo by e-mail). Attendance list for each class. Absences of more than 6 automatically fail the course.
Completion of current assignments: reading of assigned texts, completion of questionnaires and tests for the following classes.
Participation in debates on solutions in social policy.
Completion of a practical task in the form of a written paper.
Practical placement
none
Bibliography
Core
1. Tomasz Garstka, Andrzej Śliwerski, Psychopedagogiczne mity 2. Dlaczego warto pytać o dowody, Wolters Kluwer 2019, część I Wprowadzenie do krytycznego myślenia w pracy nauczyciela.
2. Beata Witkowska-Maksimczuk, Argumentacja erystyczna. Analiza logiczna wybranych sofizmatów, PWN 2022
3. Claire Wardle, Nowy nieporządek świata, Świat Nauki 2019.
4. Przeciwdziałanie dezinformacji w Polsce. Rekomendacje systemowe, 2022
Supplementary
1. Unijny kodeks postępowania w zakresie zwalczania dezinformacji.
2. Isabella Garcia-Camargo, Samantha Bradshaw, Disinformation 2.0: Trends for 2021 and beyond, 2021
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: