Ancillary resources

WISC-Online Philosophy Learning Objects (CC BY-NC)

A collection of learning objects on topics in philosophy.

Courses

Argument Diagramming (CC BY-NC-SA)

Potentially useful to a broad range of students, Argument Diagramming provides an introduction to exploring and understanding arguments. This course will explain what the parts of an argument are and how to break arguments into their parts and create diagrams to show how those parts relate to each other.

Causal and Statistical Reasoning (CC BY-NC-SA)

This course provides an introduction to causal and statistical reasoning. After taking this course, students will be better prepared to make rational decisions about their own lives and about matters of social policy. They will be able to assess critically—even if informally—claims that they encounter during discussions or when considering a news article or report. A variety of materials are presented, including Case Studies where students are given the opportunity to examine a causal claim, and the Causality Lab, a virtual environment to simulate the science of causal discovery. Students have frequent opportunities to check their understanding and practice their skills.

Logic & Proofs (CC BY-NC-SA)

This is an introductory course designed for students from a broad range of disciplines, from mathematics and computer science to drama and creative writing. The highly interactive presentation makes it possible for any student to master the material. Concise multimedia lectures introduce each chapter; they discuss, in detail, the central notions and techniques presented in the text, but also articulate and motivate the learning objectives for each chapter.

Monographs

Animals & Ethics 101: Thinking Critically About Animal Rights (CC BY-SA)

This book provides an overview of the current debates about the nature and extent of our moral obligations to animals. We will explore the most influential and most developed answers to these questions – given by philosophers, scientists, and animal advocates and their critics – to try to determine which positions are supported by the best moral reasons.

Textbooks

B.C. Open Textbook Collection: Philosophy (Various CC licences)

A collection of open textbooks on various topics in Philosophy.

Form and Content: An Introduction to Formal Logic (CC BY-NC-ND)

An introductory logic text that uses low-stakes, fun examples to illustrate good and bad arguments.

Fundamental Methods of Logic (CC BY)

The text is suitable for a one-semester introductory logic or “critical thinking” course. The emphasis is on formal techniques and problem solving rather than analytical writing, though exercises of the latter sort could easily be incorporated. It covers a variety of topics at an introductory level. Chapter One introduces basic notions, such as arguments and explanations, validity and soundness, deductive and inductive reasoning; it also covers basic analytical techniques, such as distinguishing premises from conclusions and diagramming arguments. Chapter Two discusses informal logical fallacies. Chapters Three and Four concern deductive logic, introducing the basics of Aristotelian and Sentential Logic, respectively. Chapters Five and Six concern inductive logic. Chapter Five deals with analogical and causal reasoning, including a discussion of Mill’s Methods. Chapter Six coversbasic probability calculations, Bayesian inference, fundamental statistical conceptsand techniques, and common statistical fallacies.

A Friendly Introduction to Mathematical Logic (CC BY-NC-SA)

At the intersection of mathematics, computer science, and philosophy, mathematical logic examines the power and limitations of formal mathematical thinking. In this expansion of Leary’s user-friendly 1st edition, readers with no previous study in the field are introduced to the basics of model theory, proof theory, and computability theory. The text is designed to be used either in an upper division undergraduate classroom, or for self study.

Other Logic Textbooks (Licences vary)

A list of introductory and advanced logic open textbooks and free textbooks that are not under open licences. Many of the open textbooks include source files.

Thinking Critically About Abortion (CC BY)

This book introduces readers to the many arguments and controversies concerning abortion. While it argues for ethical and legal positions on the issues, it focuses on how to think about the issues, not just what to think about them. It is an ideal resource to improve your understanding of what people think, why they think that and whether their (and your) arguments are good or bad, and why. It’s ideal for classroom use, discussion groups, organizational learning, and personal reading. It includes a number of teaching resources, including discussion questions and videos.

Tools

Carnap (GNU General Public Licence )

Carnap is a free and open software framework written in Haskell for teaching and studying formal logic.

Videos

Critical Thinking (CC BY-NC)

A collection of videos for a Critical Thinking in Global Challenges course. Topics include obesity, climate change, infectious diseases, and population.

Introduction to Philosophy (CC BY-NC)

A collection of 34 videos on different introductory topics in philosophy.