Arguments are an essential part of our social, political, and private lives. They are considered fundamental to human communication and interaction. We have theories, methods, and tools to analyze, construct, and evaluate arguments. Argumentation is not limited to the humanities: in recent years, the pandemic has provided a clear example of how arguments are constructed and used in the public sphere. This raises a number of questions, such as: If we have mastered the science of argumentation, why do we still argue? If we are rational animals, and therefore capable of being persuaded and convinced through rational arguments, why do we continue to argue?
In this course, we will explore theories of mind and argumentation and their connections to logic, rationality, epistemology, and agency. We will also study how digital environments influence argumentative processes and knowledge formation, and we will analyze digital tools that allow us to study, represent, and model arguments. To do this, we will follow the program outlined below:
* Assigned readings and the order of topics may change during the semester.
1. Logical Reasoning and Inferences
1.1. Fundamentals of logical reasoning
1.2. Validity, correctness, and soundness of reasoning
1.3. Types of reasoning
1.4. Inferences and logical conditionals
1.5. Sufficient and/or necessary conditions
2. Arguments
2.1. Types of arguments
2.2. The relevance of arguments in interactive reasoning
2.3. How to make a good argument
2.4. How to construct and evaluate sound arguments in digital contexts
2.5. Polarization
3. Cognitive Processes: Biases and Fallacies
3.1. Different theories on the development of human cognition
3.2. Cognitive biases in argumentation
3.3. Cognitive biases amplified by algorithms
3.4. Fallacies in argumentation
3.5. Fallacies in social media and online forums
3.6. Digital critical thinking
4. Knowledge and Argumentation
4.1. Concepts of knowledge in the digital age
4.2. The value of knowledge versus information overload
4.3. Knowledge and testimony
4.4. Epistemic injustice
4.5. Epistemic injustice in algorithms and platforms
5. Action
5.1. The concept of action
5.2. Different theories of action: classical and social
5.3. The concept of action in hybrid (human-digital) environments
5.4. Artificial agents and agency
6. Emotion, Affect, and Rationality in Everyday and Digital Environments
6.1. The concept of emotion
6.2. Different theories of emotion
6.3. How emotion influences rationality and action
6.4. Emotion in human¿artificial agent interaction