Think Again II: How to Reason Deductively

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/deductive-reasoning

Introduction

### Course Review: Think Again II: How to Reason Deductively on Coursera In today’s complex world, the ability to think critically and reason effectively is more essential than ever. Coursera's course, **Think Again II: How to Reason Deductively**, part of the *Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking* specialization, stands out as an invaluable resource for anyone looking to enhance their logical reasoning skills. With a highly structured syllabus and engaging content, this course provides students with the tools necessary to evaluate deductive arguments rigorously. #### Course Overview As the second installment in the series, this course delves into deductive reasoning, focusing on how to ascertain whether the premises of an argument logically guarantee its conclusion. This is crucial in distinguishing valid arguments from invalid ones. The course uses practical techniques such as truth tables and Venn diagrams to teach students how to visualize and analyze arguments effectively. The overall objective is not just to learn about deductive reasoning but to apply it confidently in various contexts. #### Syllabus Breakdown The course is thoughtfully divided into several modules, each designed to build upon the previous one. Here’s a brief overview of the key topics covered: 1. **Welcome to the Course**: - Students are introduced to the course framework and encouraged to familiarize themselves with the content. An introductory video sets the stage for what to expect, making it a helpful starting point. 2. **Propositional Logic and Truth Tables**: - This week focuses on understanding logical operators such as "and," "or," "if," and "not." It teaches how to construct truth tables and their relevance in determining the validity of deductive arguments. - **Learning Outcomes**: By the end of this module, students will be able to define deductive arguments, identify truth-functional operators, and build truth tables. 3. **Categorical Logic and Syllogisms**: - The second week introduces students to categorical phrases like “all,” “some,” and “none.” It covers the construction of Venn diagrams, illustrating how these terms interact within deductive reasoning. - **Learning Outcomes**: Students will learn to evaluate arguments using Venn diagrams and identify quantifiers. 4. **Representing Information**: - This week focuses on applying the learned concepts to represent different kinds of information effectively. The emphasis is on reasoning using direct communication tools like truth tables and Venn diagrams. - **Learning Outcomes**: A deepened understanding of how to utilize Venn diagrams in reasoning processes will be achieved. 5. **Catch-Up and Final Quiz**: - In the final week, students get the opportunity to review the material and take the final quiz multiple times. Each attempt presents new questions, reinforcing the learning process with immediate feedback on answers. #### Recommended Readings For those who wish to further explore the topics discussed, optional readings from *Understanding Arguments, Ninth Edition* are suggested. The accompanying chapters offer more examples and deeper explanations, solidifying the understanding gained from the course. #### Conclusion and Recommendation I wholeheartedly recommend **Think Again II: How to Reason Deductively** for anyone interested in honing their logical reasoning skills. The course is well-organized, highly informative, and provides numerous practical exercises that enhance learning experiences. Whether you are a student, a professional, or simply someone passionate about critical thinking, this course will equip you with essential reasoning skills that can be applied in everyday decision-making. The blend of theoretical knowledge and practical application, along with the supportive learning environment and resources provided, makes this course an essential asset for developing clarity and precision in thought processes. Don’t hesitate—enroll today and start your journey towards sharper reasoning skills!

Syllabus

Welcome to the Course

Welcome to Think Again: How to Reason Deductively! This course is the second in the specialization Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking, based on our original Coursera course titled Think Again: How to Reason and Argue. We are excited that you are taking this course, and we hope that you will stick around for all four courses in the series, because there is a great deal of important material to learn.In the series as a whole, you will learn how to evaluate deductive arguments. What is it for a deductive to be “valid”? And how can you tell the difference between deductive arguments that are valid and those that aren’t? In this course, we will answer these questions. The first part of this course introduces the series and the course. It also clarifies some peculiarities you may find with this course. We encourage you to watch the "Introduction to the Specialization" video first as it will help you learn more from the materials that come later.

CONTENT: This week we will teach you how such phrases as “and”, “or”, “if”, and “not” can work to guarantee the validity or invalidity of the deductive arguments in which they occur. It will also teach you to understand the functioning of these phrases using a device called a “truth-table”, which shows how the truth or falsity of propositions that use these phrases depends upon the truth or falsity of the propositions contained within it. We highly recommend that you practice the skills that you will learn in this week by doing the puzzles at betapuzzle.sonjara.com.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: By the end of this week’s material you will be able to :

• define what a deductive argument is
• define what it is for a deductive argument to be valid
• identify truth-functional operators and connectives
• build a truth-table for any truth-functional operator or connective

OPTIONAL READING: If you want more examples or more detailed discussions of these topics, we recommend Understanding Arguments, Ninth Edition, Chapter 6.

CONTENT: This week will teach you how such phrases as “all”, “some”, and “none” can work to guarantee the validity or invalidity of the deductive arguments in which they occur. It will also teach you to understand the functioning of these phrases using a device called a “Venn Diagram”, which shows how the truth or falsity of propositions that use these phrases depends upon the truth or falsity of other propositions that use these phrases. We highly recommend that you practice the skills that you will learn in this week by doing the puzzles at http://philgames-neta.apps.unc.edu

LEARNING OUTCOMES: By the end of this week’s material you will be able to :

• understand the information conveyed by a truth-table
• use truth-tables to determine whether a deductive argument is valid
• identify quantifiers and categories
• build a Venn Diagram for any statement using quantifiers or categories

OPTIONAL READING: If you want more examples or more detailed discussions of these topics, we recommend Understanding Arguments, Ninth Edition, Chapter 7.

CONTENT: This week we will teach you how to use the tools that you’ve learned about in the preceding modules in order to represent information. Information can be communicated in very different ways – by means of different languages or signaling systems – but no matter how that information is communicated, it can be important to use that information in reasoning. In this week, you will learn how to reason from information that is communicated directly by means of truth-tables or Venn Diagrams.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: By the end of this week's material you will be able to:

• understand the information conveyed by a Venn Diagram
• use Venn Diagram to determine whether a deductive argument is valid
Catch-Up and Final Quiz

This week gives you time to catch up and review, because we realize that the previous weeks include a great deal of challenging material. It will also be provide enough time to take the final quiz as often as you want, with different questions each time.

We explain the answers in each exam so that you can learn more and do better when you try the exam again. You may take the quiz as many times as you want in order to learn more and do better, with different questions each time. You will be able to retake the quiz three times every eight hours. You might not need to take more than one version of the exam if you do well enough on your first try. That is up to you. However many versions you take, we hope that all of the exams will provide additional learning experiences.