Critical Thinking and Argumentation

  • Credits: 6
  • Ending: Examination
  • Range: 4C
  • Semester: winter
  • Year: 1
  • Faculty of Economics and Finance

Teachers

Included in study programs

Applied Economics

Management of Public Policies

Teaching results

Knowledge:
• Gaining knowledge about the structure of arguments, argumentation, debating and debate.
• Understanding and knowledge of different formats of debate.
• Deepening the acquired economic knowledge and the ability to actively work with it and understand different and conflicting views.
Skills:
• The student is able to effectively search for academic resources, actively work with them and create their own judgment based on them.
• Improving the student's ability to critically read the academic text and then discuss it.
• Increasing the ability of written and oral argumentation.
• The student is able to appreciate the statements and arguments of others, but if they are incorrect, they have no problem to reject them based on their own counter-arguments.
• Acquiring and improving multiple soft skills: teamwork, time management, receiving and giving feedback, public speaking, and presentation skills.
Competences:
• The student is able to use knowledge, skills and personal, social and / or methodological abilities in work or study situations and in professional and personal development (e.g. in analysis and evaluation of specific public policies, public policy design, argumentation and debate, negotiation in employment, presentation of results, etc.).

Indicative content

Indicative content:
The course provides an introduction to critical thinking and argumentation; and an introduction to academic debating and debate. Students will learn everything essential about the academic debate, including its preparation, problem identification, question formulation. They will be provided with practical argumentation training, including tips on how to read effectively and how to select relevant and credible sources, including argumentation style, constructive and reactive speeches, errors in argumentation, definitions and definitional disputes, listening and feedback. For the last 2 weeks, students in pairs perform the final academic debate.

1. Introduction to critical thinking and argumentation; introduction to academic debate and debating
2. Problem identification; argumentation training
3. Formulation of questions; formal tasks of teams in a debate format, construction of an argument line and possible strategies
4. Critical thinking and effective reading; the most common debating mistakes
5. Work with resources; effective resource search and research
6. Facts and opinions; argumentation style, values in argumentation
7. From assertion to argument and argumentation; constructive speech, reaction speech
8. Errors in argumentation; closing speeches, cross-interrogations
9. Debate and discussion; definitions and definition disputes
10. Listening and feedback; criterion and hierarchy in the debate
11. Final debate I
12. Final debate II

Support literature

Core:
1. Paul, Richard and Linda Elder (2019) The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools (Thinker's Guide Library) Eighth Edition. The Foundation for Critical Thinking.
2. Meško, D., Katuščák, D., Findra, J. a kolektív (2013) Akademická príručka. 3. vydanie. Martin: Osveta.
3. Nemčok, M. a kol. (2014): Debatná príručka. Bratislava: Slovenská debatná asociácia.
4. Iľanovská K. a Mačák K. a Kovařík T. (2004): Úvod do britského formátu parlamentnej debaty, Slovenská debatná asociácia.
Recommended:
5. Klamstvá a konšpirácie (2017) N magazín. marec 2017. https://dennikn.sk/718059/prirucka-pre-stredne-skoly-klamstva-a-konspiracie/ https://dennikn.sk/706645/prirucky-pre-skoly-dennikn/
https://a-static.projektn.sk/2017/04/dennikN-prirucka-konspiracie.pdf
6. Kritické myslenie (2017) N magazín. október / 10 2017, ročník 2. https://dennikn.sk/941774/stiahnite-si-prirucku-o-kritickom-mysleni/
7. Hunter, David A. (2014), A Practical Guide to Critical Thinking: Deciding What to Do and Believe, New Jersey: Wiley.
8. Staroňová, Katarína (2011) Vedecké písanie: ako písať akademické a vedecké texty. Martin: Osveta.
9. Harvey-Smith, N. (2011): The Practical Guide to Debating: Worlds Style, New York: International Debate Education Association.
10. Johnson, R. H. a Blair J. A. (2006): Logical Self-Defense, New York: International Debate Education Association.
11. Meany, J. a Shuster K. (2003): On That Point!: An Introduction to Parliamentary Debate, New York: International Debate Education Association.
12. Meany, J. a Shuster K. (2002): Art, Argument and Advocacy: Mastering Parliamentary Debate, New York: International Debate Education Association.
13. Snider, A. C. (2008): The Code of the Debater, New York: International Debate Education Association.
14. Broda-Bahm, K. T., Kempf D., Driscoll, W. J. (2003): Argument & Audience: Presenting Debates in Public Settings, New York: International Debate Education Association.
15. Susedík, P. (2008): Logika pro studenty humanitních oborů, Praha: Vyšehrad.
16. Tindale, C. W. (2007): Fallacies and Argument Appraisal, New York: Cambridge University Press.
17. Walton, D. (2006): Fundamentals of Critical Argumentation, New York: Cambridge University Press.
18. Walton, D. a Reed, C. a Macagno, F. (2008): Argumentation Schemes, New York: Cambridge University Press.
19. Pirie, M. (2006): How to Win Every Argument: The Use and Abuse of Logic, New York: Continuum
Internet sources: www.sda.sk

Requirements to complete the course

100% work:
• 10% fulfillment of regular assignments and active participation in seminars,
• 10% literature review and draft for an argumentative essay,
• 20% final debate,
• 60% argumentative essay (semester work),

Student workload

156 hours:
• 52 hours of participation in seminars,
• 52 hours of regular homework for seminars and debates,
• 52 hours of preparation for an argumentative essay and presentation.

Date of approval: 11.03.2024

Date of the latest change: 21.12.2021