Methods of Reasoning

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Arguably the most important philosophical skill is the ability to reason and formulate arguments. Sound arguments and good reasoning methods allow us to effectively search for the truth of any philosophical question. In this class, we will consider the reasoning methods used in everyday language, mathematics, and the sciences. We will consider how successful these methods are and how they are able to produce knowledge and understanding. We will discuss the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning, common argument forms, mathematical proof, the role of rigor and intuition in mathematics, the aim of the sciences, and methods for prediction and experimentation in the sciences.