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Class
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Warren
Z. Weinstein
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ASIAN
STUDIES 190 - TAO
REASONING
CLASS SYLLABUS
SPRING
2010
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||
Section
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Meeting
Times
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Location
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01
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M,
W, F: 10:00AM to
10:50AM
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LA2-204
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Texts:
Albrecht, Brain Power
Hoff, Tao of Pooh
Krishnamurti, Think On These Things
Lao Tsu, Tao Te Ching, translated by Gia-Fu Feng
and Jane
English
General:
This is a course about clear, critical and creative thinking.
We will explore both western and eastern concepts about the nature
of reasoning, its methods, its principles, its common failings, its
applications, and its limitations. Special emphasis will be
placed on the ways in which Taoist principles complement and
enhance traditional western concepts of logic.
Objectives:
Students will be able to discuss, interpret and apply the concepts
of Taoism and relate them to traditional western concepts of
reasoning, analysis, and argumentation. They will learn to
think clearly, critically and creatively about a variety of
subjects, both formal and informal, and to distinguish between
valid and invalid reasoning. They will be able to apply the
various paradigms to the practical world of their everyday lives,
and will be able to examine their own beliefs, and those of others,
with both clarity and an openness to alternative views.
Grading:
There will
be a short in-class exam worth 10% of the final grade, a two-day
in-class midterm exam worth 30%, a practical application project
worth 30%, and a cumulative
two-hour final exam worth 30%. The project will require the
submission of two papers, a proposal/justification (1-2 pages) and
a summary/analysis of results (6-8 pages). Except for
documented, serious and compelling reasons, no make-up exams will
be given. For students who have attended regularly, a grading
curve will be applied at the end of the
semester, with extra-credit awarded for active and effective
classroom
Attendance Policy:
Attendance at all
meetings is
mandatory.
Absences due to illness, death in the family, or participation in
university-sponsored events may be excused if a student provides
timely documentation. Accumulation of three weeks of
unexcused
absences will
result in a grade of “F”. Attendance will be
taken at the beginning of each meeting. Late arrivals are
responsible for checking in before
leaving class that same day . Failure to check
in by
the end of class will be considered an unexcused absence.
ASIAN
STUDIES 190 - TAO
REASONING
READING ASSIGNMENTS
Texts:
Albrecht, Brain Power
Hoff, Tao of Pooh
Krishnamurti, Think On These Things
Lao Tsu, Tao Te Ching, translated by Gia-Fu Feng
and Jane
English
Part
I.
Analytical Phase:
Western and Eastern Ideas about
Clear, Critical
and Creative Thinking
Week
1:
Introduction: What is
reasoning? How do you
learn to think critically. Social and cultural influences on
thinking. Analytical and synthetic approaches.
Exclusivity and complementarity. Yin and Yang. The Tao.
Albrecht: Why Many People Don't
Think
Clearly; Hoff: How of Pooh?
Weeks
2-3: Analyzing reasoning:
Basic
concepts. Propositions, arguments, deductive and inductive
reasoning. Cognitive functions, thinking skills, brain
physiology, mental patterns, mental sets, adaptive thinking,
detecting faulty reasoning. Taoist concept of the Uncarved
Block.
Albrecht: Learning to Think More Effectively; Crap
Detecting
Hoff: Tao of Who?; Spelling Tuesday;
Instructor Handout: Section I
Week
4:
Thinking on your feet: Presence of
mind,
developing options, trusting hunches, thinking under
pressure. Day science and night science. Conscious
and
preconscious thought processes. Taoist concept of Inner Nature.
Albrecht: Thinking On Your
Feet; Hoff: Cottleston Pie
Week
5:
SHORT EXAM:
LAST MEETING OF
WEEK #5
How language influences reasoning:
Concepts of truth and validity. Basic functions of
language, and verbal maps. Distinguishing matters of fact
from matters of opinion (values). Levels of abstraction,
"cookie-cutter" effect of language, semantic fallacies. How
attitudes affect outcomes, situation awareness. Taoist
concept of Wu-Wei.
Albrecht: How Your Words Shape Your
Thoughts; Hoff: Pooh Way
Instructor Handout: Section II
Week
6:
Finding and facing facts:
Verifiability, maps and
encoding, recognition, interpretation, expectation, intention,
context, reality testing, listening, investigative attitude,
eliminating snap reactions, changing your mind, being happy,
appreciating yourself.
Albrecht: Finding Facts and Facing Facts; Developing
Mental Flexibility
Hoff: Busy Backson; That Sort of Bear
Week
7:
PROJECT PROPOSALS DUE: FIRST MEETING OF WEEK
#7
Problem Solving:
Personal
styles, roles of divergent and convergent thinking,
discovering and stating problems, option finding, decision making,
evaluating results. Taoist concept of T'ai Hsü.
Albrecht: Solving Problems and Making Decisions;
Hoff: Nowhere and Nothing, Now of Pooh, Backward
Week 8: MIDTERM EXAM, Two Parts: LAST TWO MEETINGS OF WEEK #8
Week
9:
Examining Fallacies: Definition of
fallacy.
Classification schemes for fallacies. Fallacies of relevance,
presumption and ambiguity. Logical dodges, faulty premises
(factual errors, misleading terms), faulty arguments (cause and
effect, relevance).
Instructor Handout: Section III
Part
II.
Synthetic Phase:
Practical Application of Concepts
and Processes
to Life Situations
In this section of the course, the concepts previously studied will
be applied to the critical evaluation of the assigned texts, with
special attention to the topics referenced below. Each class
meeting will consist of small-group discussions followed by
evaluation of the group work by the entire class and the
instructor.
Week
10:
Effects of fear, dependence and desire on the mind:
Lao Tsu: 1- 13; Krishnamurti:
Chapters 1 - 4
Week
11:
Clarity of mind, creativity, principles of effective
action:
Lao Tsu: 14 - 28; Krishnamurti:
Chapters 5 - 8
Week
12:
Self-knowledge, conformity, social patterns:
Lao Tsu: 29 - 42; Krishnamurti:
Chapters 9 - 12
Week
13:
Complementarity, conditioning, mechanical thinking:
Lao Tsu: 43 - 56; Krishnamurti:
Chapters 13 -
16
Week
14:
Attention, knowledge, overcoming difficulties:
Lao Tsu: 57 - 70; Krishnamurti:
Chapters 17 -
20
Week
15:
PROJECT RESULTS DUE: FIRST MEETING OF WEEK #
15
Truth, simplicity, finding value
in a world of
facts:
Lao Tsu: 71 - 81; Krishnamurti:
Chapters 21 -
22
FINAL
EXAM:
SEE FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE
WEEKLEY CALENDAR, S '10 |
|
Week 1 |
01/25 - 01/29 |
Week 2 |
02/01 - 02/05 |
Week 3 |
02/08 - 02/12 |
Week 4 |
02/15 - 02/19 |
Week 5 |
02/22 - 02/26 |
Week 6 |
03/01 - 03/05 |
Week 7 |
03/08 - 03/12 |
Week 8 |
03/15 - 03/19 |
Week 9 |
03/22 - 03/26 |
Spring Break: 03/28 - 04/02 | |
Week 10 |
04/03 - 04/09 |
Week 11 |
04/12 - 04/16 |
Week 12 |
04/19 - 04/23 |
Week 13 |
04/26 - 04/30 |
Week 14 |
05/03 - 05/07 |
Week 15 |
05/10 - 05/14 |