Critical Thinking and Ethics
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Course code
DTI7005.DT
old course code
Course title in Estonian
Kriitiline mõtlemine ja eetika
Course title in English
Critical Thinking and Ethics
ECTS credits
4.0
Assessment form
assessment
lecturer of 2023/2024 Spring semester
Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.
lecturer of 2024/2025 Autumn semester
Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.
Course aims
The course expands the ability to think clearly and rationally to make reasonable judgements for decision making and problem solving. Further, it trains the ability to identify and defend against unethical methods of influence (e.g. false arguments; deceptive language), enhances argument analysis skills, improves verbal reasoning skills and expands scientific reasoning skills.
Brief description of the course
The contact sessions cover topics of: how humans form and change beliefs; what critical thinking is and what hinders it; why uncritical thinking is so common and natural; how language directs thinking; structure and types of arguments; evaluation of arguments; nonviolent influence methods; most common false arguments; recognition of unstated assumptions in argumentation.

As independent work, students are expected to: explore the structure of argumentation and usage of sound, poor and false arguments in real-life public sources (e.g. mass media, social networks); analyse publicly available statements in terms of reason, moral judgement and possible impact; construct coherent and relevant arguments or counter-arguments.
Learning outcomes in the course
Upon completing the course the student:
- differentiates intuitive and rational thinking;
- summarises how language can direct or misdirect thinking and differentiate observation, reasonable judgement and opinion;
- summarises the idea and principles of reasoning;
- explains the structure and the types of arguments and can differentiate strong (sound) and weak (poor) arguments;
- characterises discussed moral theories;
- exemplifies most common false arguments and explain nonviolent influence methods.
Teacher
Juri Mets
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