Objective: 
The course aims at providing students with practical skills in argumentation and critical thinking. It makes students familiar with general principles of rational argumentation and basic forms of arguments both in theoretical and practical discourse.

The aim:
1. To acquaint students with the general principles of correct reasoning and basic types of arguments.
2. To acquire skills in critical thinking, constructing and assesing arguments.
3. To develop students’ analytical and communicational competences.
4. To make students familiar with fundamental features of language and linguistic communication
5. To provide students with basic skills in building and understanding speech acts.

Acquired knowledge:
Student possesses a basic knowledge on a theory of language and argumentation.
Student understands basic features of linguistic communication and speech acts.
Student recognizes basic types of arguments and criteria of their plausibility.

Acquired skills:
Student correctly constructs arguments and other speech acts.
Student recognizes arguments and asseses them regarding criteria of their plausibility.
Student clearly puts definite claims and offers a plausible argumentation supporting these.
Students critically verifies hypoteheses and claims put by other participants of argumentative discourse

Developed reflection:
Student is able to inspire and organize her own work and the work of others as well as to cooperate and be a part of the team.
Student thinks and acts in a self-reliant and critical manner.

Assessment: 
The final grade consists of: exam ( 75%), class activity ( 25% ).

Contents: 
1. Logic and a theory of argumentation. Concepts of reasoning, argumentation and argument.
2. Language and linguistic communication. Various types of communication and speech acts.
3. Names and propositions as components of speech acts.
4. Types of arguments and inferences. Deductive arguments and its logical structure.
5. A structure of argument. Reconstructing and assesing of arguments.
6. General principles of rational argumentation. How to recognize and defend against abusive argumentation
7. Basic types of non-deductive arguments. Arguments’ schemes and criteria for argument’s plausibility.

Recommended reading: 
Basic readings:
1 Good Reasoning Matters! A Constructive Approach to Critical Thinking, Groarke L. A., Tindale C. W., Oxford University Press. Oxford varia

Supplementary readings:
1 Informal Logic: A Pragmatic Approach, 2nd ed., Walton D., Cambridge University Press. Cambridge 2008
2 Practical Logic, Ziembiński Z., D. Reidel Publ.. Dordrecht, Boston, MA 1976
3 How to Win Every Argument. The Use and Abuse of Logic, Pirie M., Continuum. London, New York 2006
4 The Elements of Reasoning, 4th ed., Munson R., Conway D., Black A. , Wadsworth. Boston, MA 2004