A LOGICAL APPROACH TO COMMUNICATION


SYLLABUS

1. INTRODUCTION
Thesis: Logic and critical thinking skills are important 1) for making informed choices and decisions, and 2) for communicating effectively, especially with high-tech people.

2. HOW DO I LOOK: AN INVITATION TO TROUBLESHOOT
People trained in logic solve problems they haven't been asked to solve. The person who says, "I'm tired," may only want the response "Poor thing!" The logical person, however, responds, "You should have gone to bed earlier; I told you not take the extra assignment ... ." Examples and exercises are given.

3. UNWINDING WITH ARITHMETIC: WORDS AND NUMBERS
For people trained in logic, care in using numbers is as important as care with words is to others. "In five minutes," should not mean "between ten minutes and a half hour." Examples and exercises are given.

4. ARGUING, NOT FIGHTING
Arguing is pursuing one issue within the guidelines of logic. Fighting is about everything at once. Logical people love arguing, but not fighting. Examples and exercises are given.

5. LOGIC TRAPS: THE TEN MOST COMMON FALLACIES
Ten of the most widely used fallacies, or "logic traps" are explained: 1) slippery slope; 2) straw man; 3) statistical fallacies; 4) argument from pity; 5) argument from authority; 6) black and white; 7) irrelevant reason; 8) hasty generalization; 9) complex question; and 10) argument ad hominem. Examples and exercises are given.

6. SAY WHAT YOU MEAN: FALLACIES AND LANGUAGE
Words can be used in tricky ways to persuade us in an argument, distracting us from the true circumstances. Examples and exercises are given.

7. WHAT IF I'M RIGHT-BRAINED
Clear thinking and a healthy attitude towards technology are important tools for citizens of the next century. This is especially true for women, who are underrepresented in the high-tech fields that will shape the future. Examples and exercises are given.

8. THINKING AHEAD
A self-paced program for continued improvement of critical thinking skills.