PHIL 2140 Introduction to Logic vs
PHIL/PSYC 2100 Critical Thinking

After taking Introduction to Logic, students are sometimes telling me that they had expected something quite different from this course than what they ended up getting. And, as it turns out, they had expected a course that is more like Critical Thinking. Similarly, sometimes students take Critical Thinking, expecting a course more like Introduction to Logic, though this is less common. Still, apparently students are sometimes confused on the course content of these two courses, and I want to make sure that students take the course that best fits their needs and wishes. So, let me say a few things about the difference between PHIL-2140 Introduction to Logic, and PHIL/PSYC-2100 Critical Thinking.

The first difference is as follows. Traditionally, logic is the study of reasoning. In particular, logic tries to tell us what is good reasoning, and what is bad reasoning. Thus, logic is a normative theory of how one should reason, rather than a descriptive theory of how we humans actually reason. PHIL/PSYC-2100 Critical Thinking is a course on how humans actually reason (hence it is cross-listed under Psychology as well as Philosophy), while PHIL-2140 Introduction to Logic is a course on how one should reason.

The second difference is that PHIL-2140 Introduction to Logic is really an introduction to formal logic. As such, it has a distinct flavor of both (discrete) mathematics and computer science: there are abstract symbols to form complex expressions, and precisely defined operations to manipulate those expressions. Indeed, follow-up courses to Introduction to Logic, such as PHIL-4140 Intermediate Logic, PHIL-4420 Computability and Logic, and PHIL-6240 Logic and AI, all continue on these themes. And, finally, LSAT and GRE tests like to ask questions that have clear-cut answers, so you'll find the kinds of logic problems we do in this course reflected in those tests. So, if you like mathematics, computer science, or want 'hard' answers, take PHIL-2140 Introduction to Logic.

On the other hand, if your aim is to analyze everyday life reasoning, where answers are far less clear cut, and you are dealing with gray areas and fuzzy boundaries, you may want to take PHIL/PSYC-2100 Critical Thinking. This course deals more with everyday beliefs, and deals with the quirks of human psychology. Indeed, Critical Thinking is more related to such courses as PHIL-1110 Introduction to Philosophy, PSYC-1200 General Psychology, PHIL/PSYC-2120 Introduction to Cognitive Science, and PSYC 4370 Cognitive Psychology. The content matter of Critical Thinking is also much more braod, and what you learn in Critical Thinking is sometimes you can apply daily to almost any situation. So, if you are looking for a practical course you can readily apply to real life, take PHIL/PSYC-2100 Critical Thinking.