Final Examination
Based on lectures, homework, and assigned reading.
The exam will include a variety of question types. Be prepared for the following.- Matching questions, associating various terms we've discussed to definitions or characterizations.
- Recommendations: review concepts introduced in lecture and lecture topics. Reread all the notes pages linked from the syllabus.
- Argument types: Be prepared to identify different types of arguments we've discussed, including validity, soundness, modus ponens, modus tollens, induction and inference to the best explanation. Also be sure to know how to assess the strength of different sorts of arguments.
- Recommendations: review the definition of the forms of logic known as "modus ponens" and "modus tollens." Make sure that you understand how to recognize each of them and how to identify them. Study also how to recognize logical flaws which fall in neither category.
- Be sure to read and understand Prof Fisher's notes on types of arguments.
- Here are examples of good and bad forms of logical constructions: EXAMPLES
- Experimental design. Be prepared to discuss common flaws in experimental design and ways to improve these.
- Recommendations: Go back to homeworks 2 and 3 on induction and causation versus correlation. Also be sure to understand Prof Fisher's slides on causal reasoning
- "Browne and Keeley"-style argument analysis - spot the issue(s), conclusion(s), argument(s), reasoning fallacy(ies), etc.
- Recommendations: review argument analysis in B&K. You'll have a wordbank of logical fallacies at your disposal on the exam, so please review these fallacies so you know what they mean.
- Long answer, one coherent paragraph of claim evaluation.
- Recommendations: review the scientific method, argument analysis, lecture topics, etc.
- Short answer, one coherent sentence.
- Recommendations: review the scientific method, argument analysis, lecture topics, etc.