Module 2, Course 6: Critical Reasoning and Logic (May 25-26, 2021)

Scientists have to give arguments in many different contexts: in their publications, in grant applications, in lab meetings and in conference presentations. Nevertheless, the bases for strong and correct arguments are not always fully clear to them. Logic provides extremely helpful tools for scientists to develop their arguments in a coherent, well-structured and convincing way. The course introduces the most important concepts of logic: premises and conclusions of arguments, validity and soundness of arguments, deductive vs. inductive reasoning, common types of inferences and fallacies. The idea of the course is to use these concepts as a toolbox which provides useful techniques for everyday scientific work.The participants learn how to reconstruct arguments from scientific texts, how to give well-structured and logically valid arguments, and how to avoid misunderstandings.

Contents

• basic concepts of logic (validity and soundness of arguments etc.)
• inductive and deductive arguments
• common types of fallacies
• reconstructing arguments from texts
• tips and exercises for written argumentation

Objectives

The participants...

• state their arguments in a precise and logically coherent way
• learn to quickly identify strengths and weaknesses of arguments
• learn how to break-down arguments into their logical structure
• train analytical thinking

Methods

The methods are interactive throughout. The course provides extensive exercises that aim at the application of the acquired skills to the participants’ individual fields of work. Please reserve some time in the afternoon to work individually. After the course the participants get individual feedback from the trainer on some of the extended exercises.

Material

• Extended script (50 pages) including a list of recommended reading
• exercise sheets and exercises in Moodle

Kai Hüwelmeyer will conduct this course in English.

Kai Hüwelmeyer studied physics and philosophy in Tübingen, Manchester and Frankfurt. He completed his degree in philosophy with a thesis on the objectivity and truth of moral statements. Since 2017 he has been looking at how moral opinions can be justified in the face of disagreement, as part of his PhD thesis. The project is funded by the Foundation Polytechnische Gesellschaft Frankfurt. Kai Hüwelmeyer has several years of academic teaching experience in physics and mathematics as well as in philosophy and logic. In addition he frequently gives workshops on human rights activism.