Università Roma Tre

This course aims at (1) developing and training the ability to recognize and evaluate arguments and a variety of forms of reasoning, and to tell apart good arguments from bad arguments, according to the definitions provided through the course; (2) developing the capability of solving reasoning problems that refer to the many different forms of reasoning that we discuss in the course; (3) securing a suitable understanding of basics aspect of propositional logic and quantified logic, and of basics of probability calculus, inductive and abductive reasoning; (4) securing an understanding of the function reasoning plays in rational discussion and the exchange of theses.

Objectives (1) – (4) are crucial since today, mainly due to the presence of social networks, our social interaction comes with an exchange of opinions that is increasingly more frequent and our connections with other agents are wider and wider. It has been acknowledged that the speed and frequency of these exchanges goes along with diminished reasoning skills, and this jeopardizes the understanding of problems of public interest on which our opinion is solicited.