PHIL 110 - Beyond Belief? Exploring the Fringe and the Paranormal

Description:
Academic reading and writing with an emphasis on the social sciences, via a focus on beliefs in fringe phenomena (e.g. ghosts, ESP, alien abduction). Learning to consider evidence, evaluate arguments, and recognize sources of bias.

Prerequisites:
Prerequiste: appropriate standardized test scores, or satisfactory completion of ENG 100T.

Credits: (5)

General Education Category: FYE2 - Academic Writing I: Critical Reading & Responding

Learner Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Analyze and synthesize claims made about paranormal and fringe phenomena from an objective, scientific perspective; and in particular, use inference to the best explanation to evaluate these claims.
Identify and evaluate the evidence that a phenomenon did (or did not) occur, rather than demanding proof that it did (or did not) occur; and explain why demanding proof is obstructive and unnecessary.
Locate relevant texts about paranormal and fringe phenomena; read these texts critically and rhetorically, and summarize them objectively, accurately, and ethically.
Recognize when various cognitive biases and errors might be influencing someone’s (including your own) thinking about a reported paranormal or fringe phenomenon.
Express ideas in clear and coherent academic prose, and cite and document sources precisely and effectively.

Learner Outcomes Approval Date:
10/2/19

Anticipated Course Offering Terms and Locations: