Think Again I: How to Understand Arguments

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/understanding-arguments

Introduction

### Course Review: Think Again I: How to Understand Arguments In an age where misinformation spreads rapidly and strong opinions dominate discussions, the ability to understand and analyze arguments is more crucial than ever. *Think Again I: How to Understand Arguments*, available on Coursera, serves as the perfect antidote, equipping learners with the fundamental skills needed to dissect arguments critically. #### Course Overview The course is part of a broader specialization titled *Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking*. Designed to be the first in a four-part series, this course offers an in-depth exploration of what constitutes an argument, how to recognize its structure, and techniques for evaluating and reconstructing arguments effectively. By the end of this course, participants will not only understand the intricacies of arguments presented by others but will also be able to articulate their own arguments more clearly and persuasively. #### Key Learning Components The course is structured into several thematic weeks that systematically build on each other, making it easy to follow and digest. Here are some highlights: 1. **How to Spot an Argument**: In this introductory module, students learn how to differentiate between arguments and mere assertions. The course explains the various purposes of arguments—such as persuasion and justification—while emphasizing the role of language in expressing them. Expect to complete activities that reinforce your ability to identify arguments within larger texts. 2. **How to Untangle an Argument**: This section delves into the precise language used in arguments, introducing students to important terms such as premise and conclusion markers. Through examples—including a detailed analysis of an op-ed—learners will gain skills in breaking arguments down into their constituent parts, allowing them to assess the structure and relevance of each component effectively. 3. **How to Reconstruct an Argument**: Here, the course teaches students how to reorganize an argument’s parts to enhance understanding. This includes identifying suppressed premises and evaluating the validity and soundness of an argument. The complexity of arguments is unraveled using various diagrams and logical structures, providing a comprehensive toolkit for students to analyze any argument they encounter. 4. **Catch-Up and Final Quiz**: Acknowledging that the material can be challenging, this week is dedicated to review and catching up, along with a comprehensive final quiz. The quiz is designed for maximum learning, allowing students to retake it multiple times with different questions, reinforcing knowledge retention. #### Course Format and Accessibility The course is delivered through a combination of video lectures, reading materials, and quizzes. The mix of multimedia resources caters to different learning styles, ensuring that the material is engaging and accessible. Each week introduces non-compulsory readings for those who seek deeper insights, although the primary video content is sufficient to grasp the key concepts. #### Recommendations This course is highly recommended for anyone who wishes to sharpen their critical thinking skills, particularly those interested in law, academia, journalism, or any field where argumentation is fundamental. Students will find the techniques learned not only applicable in professional life but invaluable for personal interactions and civic engagement. ### Conclusion In today’s complex informational landscape, *Think Again I: How to Understand Arguments* is an essential tool for developing clarity in reasoning and communication. It challenges you to think critically and equips you with the skills necessary to navigate arguments skillfully. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a curious learner, this course is a worthwhile investment in your intellectual toolkit. Enroll today to start your journey toward becoming a more persuasive and discerning thinker!

Syllabus

Welcome to the Specialization

Welcome to our specialization Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking based on our Coursera course Think Again: How to Reason and Argue. This course-Think Again: How to Understand Arguments - is the first in a series of four courses. 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 analyze and evaluate arguments and how to avoid common mistakes in reasoning. These important skills will be useful to you in deciding what to believe and what to do in all areas of your life. We will also have plenty of fun. The first part of this course introduces the specialization 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.

In this week's material we will teach you how to identify arguments as opposed to abuse . We will define what an argument is, distinguish various purposes for which arguments are given (including persuasion, justification, and explanation), and discuss the material out of which arguments are made (language). The last three lectures this week are optional, but they are recommended for advanced students. LEARNING OUTCOMES: By the end of this week’s material, you will be able to :define what an argument ispull arguments out of larger texts distinguish various purposes of arguments. OPTIONAL READING: If you want more examples or more detailed discussions of these topics, we recommend Understanding Arguments, Ninth Edition<, Chapters 1-2.

This week’s material will focus on the special language in which arguments are formulated. We will investigate the functions of particular words, including premise and conclusion markers plus assuring, guarding, discounting, and evaluative terms. Identifying these words will enable students to separate arguments from the irrelevant verbiage that surrounds it and then to break the argument into parts and to identify what each part of an argument is doing. The lectures end with a detailed example that uses these tools to closely analyze an op-ed from a newspaper. LEARNING OUTCOMES: By the end of this week’s material, you will be able to: understand three levels of meaning. identify argument markers OPTIONAL READING: If you want more examples or more detailed discussions of these topics, we recommend Understanding Arguments, Ninth Edition, Chapters 3-4.

This week’s material will teach you how to organize the parts of an argument in order to show how they fit into a structure of reasoning. The goal is to make the argument look as good as possible so that you can learn from it. We work through the main steps of reconstruction, including putting the premises and conclusion into a standard form, clarifying the premises and breaking them into parts, arranging the argument into stages or sub-arguments, adding suppressed premises where needed to make the argument valid, and assessing the argument for soundness. The lectures begin by defining the crucial notions of validity, soundness, and standard form. You will also learn to diagram alternative argument structures, including linear, branching, and joint structures. LEARNING OUTCOMES: By the end of this week’s material, you will be able to: label assuring, guarding, discounting, and evaluative terms determine whether an argument is valid or sound complete arguments by adding suppressed premises reconstruct arguments by and series of arguments, and classify argument structures. OPTIONAL READING: If you want more examples or more detailed discussions of these topics, we recommend Understanding Arguments, Ninth Edition, Chapter 5.