Checking date: 21/04/2025 21:53:14


Course: 2025/2026

Logic and Argumentation
(13815)
Bachelor in Humanities (Study Plan 2018) (Plan: 407 - Estudio: 213)


Coordinating teacher: RIVERO OBRA, MERCEDES

Department assigned to the subject: Humanities: Philosophy, Language, Literature Theory Department

Type: Compulsory
ECTS Credits: 6.0 ECTS

Course:
Semester:




Requirements (Subjects that are assumed to be known)
None.
Objectives
Ability to anlayze the argumentative structures of discourse To master the basic logical structures To examine the daily intuitions about concepts as knwledge, reason or rationality
Description of contents: programme
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
Learning activities and methodology
The methodology of this subject will revolve around three axes: the thematic blocks presented by the teacher, the text commenting sessions, and the preparation of group work. Due to the importance of the work for the final grade, a large part of the student's work will consist of coordinating its preparation with the responsible teacher and with his classmates. This fact will favor a collaborative methodology aimed at writing and presenting the work, to be able to defend his argument before the rest of his colleagues. All this will help them assimilate the knowledge necessary to successfully pass the final exam of the course.
Assessment System
  • % end-of-term-examination/test 60
  • % of continuous assessment (assigments, laboratory, practicals...) 40

Calendar of Continuous assessment


Extraordinary call: regulations
Basic Bibliography
  • Brandom, R. 2003. . La articulación de las razones. Una introducción al inferencialismo, Madrid, . Siglo XXI Editores.
  • Brandom, R. 2009. . Hacerlo explícito, Barcelona, . Herder .
  • Broncano, F. 2003. . Saber en condiciones. Epistemología pare escépticos y materialistas, Madrid, . Antonio Machado Editores.
  • Chalmers, A. F. 2000. . ¿Qué es esa cosa llamada ciencia?, Madrid, . Siglo XXI.
  • Dancy, J. 1993. . Introducción a la epistemología contemporánea, . Madrid, Tecnos .
  • Dunbar, R. 1999. . El miedo a la ciencia, Madrid, . Alianza.
  • Goldacre, B. 2011. Mala ciencia. . No te dejes engañar por curanderos, charlatanes y otros farsantes,. Barcelona, Paidós.
  • Platón 2003. . Diálogos, Volumen II: Gorgias. Menéxeno. Eutidemo. Menón. Crátilo. Madrid,. Editorial Gredos.
  • Quesada, D. 2003. . Saber, opinión y ciencia, Barcelona, . Ariel.
  • Russell, B. 1995. . Los problemas de la filosofía, Barcelona, . Labor.
  • Sokal, A. 2008.. Más allá de las imposturas intelectuales. Ciencia, filosofía y cultura, . Barcelona, Paidós.
  • Velleman, J. David. ¿Cómo nos entendemos?. Avarigani. 2015
  • Williams, B. 1996. . Descartes. El proyecto de investigación pura, Madrid, . Cátedra.

The course syllabus may change due academic events or other reasons.