Joe Lau

Course information for PHIL1005

2007-08 second semester
Friday 1400-1550

Course Summary

  • Critical thinking is a matter of thinking clearly and rationally. It is important for solving problems, effective planning, and expressing ideas clearly and systematically. We shall study the basic principles of critical thinking, and see how they can be applied in everyday life.

Course objectives

This course aims to help students:

  1. Understand the nature and importance of critical thinking.
  2. Think with clarity and focus.
  3. Reason logically and analyze arguments systematically.
  4. Understand basic scientific methodology.
  5. Reflect upon value assumptions and their consistency.
  6. Become aware of typical fallacies and cognitive biases.

Lectures

  • Lecturer: Dr. Joe Lau
  • About 12 weekly meetings. Each meeting consists of a lecture + Q&A session.
  • You are expected to do the assigned reading BEFORE attending the relevant meeting.
  • There are two self-study modules. See the course schedule.

Tutorials

  • There will be 6 weekly group tutorials, each with 10-12 students.
  • Revision questions will be posted to WebCT, and you will be discussing these questions in the tutorials.
  • Sign-up will be done through WebCT before the end of January. More details will be available soon.

Assessment

  • 60% coursework + 40% final exam
  • 60% coursework = mid-term (29 Feb, 30%) + portfolio (due 6 May, 20%) + tutorial performance (10%)
  • If you do not attend the final exam, there will not be any supplementary exam.
  • Penalty for late submissions: 20% of original mark per late day (including weekends).

Getting help

  • Make sure you check the course web site regularly for updates.
  • Everything you need to know about the course will be posted on the course web site.
  • If you have a question about the content of the course, talk to (or email) your tutor first.
  • If you have a question about the administration of the course, talk to (or email) the head tutor first: Ms Fanny Ho fanny.cp.ho gmail.com
  • Lecturer: Dr. Joe Lau ContactInfo

Studying for the course

Plagiarism

  • IMPORTANT!!! If you copy your work you will be failed. If you allow your work to be copied you will also be failed. You might also be referred to the University Disciplinary Committee. In serious cases you will be discontinued.
  • Please take this VERY seriously because students have been caught cheating, and ignorance is no excuse.

Some rules which you will not like

Most of you would not like these two rules, but this is a large class and they are designed to minimize disturbance.

  • Mobile phone and other electronic devices: please make sure that your mobile phones are switched off or on silent mode during lectures. If you phone (or any other device) make a noise, you will be fined ten dollars which will be donated to a charity. If you refuse to pay you will have to leave the lecture hall immediately. A receipt will be posted on the course web site at the end of the semester.
  • Coming in late: You will not be allowed to come into the lecture hall if you are more than 15 mins late.

Course schedule

Additional reading

The required readings should be sufficient for the purpose of studying for the exam. But if you want to read more, you can try: