Think Again IV: How to Avoid Fallacies from Coursera

We encounter fallacies almost everywhere we look. Politicians, salespeople, and children commonly use fallacies in order to get you to think whatever they want you to think. It’s important to learn to recognize fallacies so that you can avoid being fooled by them. It’s also important to learn about fallacies so that you avoid making fallacious arguments yourself. This course will show you how to identify and avoid many of the fallacies that lead people astray.

In this course, you will learn about fallacies. Fallacies are arguments that suffer from one or more common but avoidable defects: equivocation, circularity, vagueness, etc. It’s important to learn about fallacies so that you can recognize them when you see them, and not be fooled by them. It’s also important to learn about fallacies so that you avoid making fallacious arguments yourself.

Syllabus

Welcome to the Course

Welcome to Think Again: How to Avoid Fallacies! This course is the fourth in the specialization Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking, based on our original Coursera course titled Think Again: How to Reason and Argue. We are excited that you are taking this course, and we hope that you will take all four courses in the series, because there is a great deal of important material to learn. In the series as a whole, you learn how to analyze and evaluate arguments and how to avoid common mistakes in reasoning. These important skills will be useful to you in deciding what to believe and what to do in all areas of your life. We encounter fallacies almost everywhere we look. Politicians, salespeople, and children commonly use fallacies in order to get us to think what they want us to think. Think Again: How to Avoid Fallacies will show how to identify and avoid many of the fallacies that people use to get us to think the way they want us to think. The first part of this course introduces the series and the course. It also clarifies some peculiarities you may find with this course. We encourage you to watch the "Introduction to the Specialization" video first as it will help you learn more from the materials that come later.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Explores a variety of fallacies, which are common occurrences in everyday communication

Teaches students to identify and avoid fallacies in their own arguments

Provides learners with a foundation in informal logic

Taught by Dr. Walter Sinnott-Armstrong and Dr. Ram Neta, who are experts in the field of logic

Covers common fallacies such as ad hominem, appeals to authority, and circularity

Suitable for students with some background in critical thinking

Reviews summary

Learning to avoid logical fallacies

Learners say this course offers a highly practical introduction to identifying and avoiding common logical fallacies. Students found the explanations clear and appreciated the real-world examples provided throughout the video modules. While the material can be challenging at times, learners feel the course structure and practice quizzes effectively reinforce understanding. Some reviewers suggest that the optional recommended reading may be beneficial for those desiring more in-depth study and additional examples. Overall, it is considered a valuable skill-building course for analyzing arguments.

Textbook may add depth/examples.

"The course is good, but I felt the optional reading would add more examples."

"For deeper understanding, the recommended textbook seems useful."

"The course material is solid, but I might check out the book for extra practice."

Ungraded and graded quizzes reinforce learning.

"The practice quizzes after each segment were great for checking understanding."

"The final quiz felt like a good test of what I learned."

"Quizzes provide necessary practice with identifying fallacies."

Complex concepts are explained clearly.

"The instructor broke down complex fallacies into understandable parts."

"Videos are well-paced and the explanations are clear."

"I appreciated how the concepts were explained with relatable examples."

Teaches skills useful in daily life.

"This course really opened my eyes to how often fallacies are used around me, especially in politics and advertising."

"I can now spot flawed arguments much better, which helps me in discussions and critical reading."

"Learning to identify fallacies is a practical skill I can use every day."

Requires careful attention and practice.

"Some fallacies were tricky to distinguish, requiring replay of videos."

"The material is dense and requires focused study."

"It wasn't always easy, but the challenge was rewarding."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Think Again IV: How to Avoid Fallacies with these activities:

Online Fallacy Identification Tutorial

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Provide additional practice and guidance in identifying and avoiding fallacies

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Find an online tutorial on fallacy identification
Follow the steps in the tutorial to learn how to identify different types of fallacies
Complete the exercises in the tutorial to test your understanding

Identify Fallacies Exercise

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Help build a repertoire of fallacies to help quickly identify fallacies in arguments

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Review the types of fallacies covered in the course
Find examples of each type of fallacy in real-world arguments
Create a list of the fallacies you identified, along with their definitions and examples
Practice identifying fallacies in new arguments

Fallacy Identification Workshop

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Provide a hands-on opportunity to practice identifying and avoiding fallacies

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Find a fallacy identification workshop in your area
Attend the workshop and participate in the exercises
Apply the skills you learned in the workshop to your own arguments and writing

One other activity

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all four activities

Fallacy Analysis Essay

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Encourage deep analysis and understanding of fallacies and their impact on arguments

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Choose an argument that contains a fallacy
Identify the fallacy in the argument
Explain how the fallacy affects the validity of the argument
Write an essay that analyzes the fallacy and its impact on the argument

Career center

Learners who complete Think Again IV: How to Avoid Fallacies will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Statistician

Statisticians collect, analyze, and interpret data in order to make informed decisions. The skills you learn in 'Think Again IV: How to Avoid Fallacies' will help you to critically evaluate statistical data and identify any fallacies or bias that may be present. This will enable you to produce accurate and reliable statistical analysis that will help organizations to make informed decisions.

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Economist

Economists study the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The skills you learn in 'Think Again IV: How to Avoid Fallacies' will be helpful for you to critically evaluate economic data and identify any fallacies or bias that may be present. This will enable you to produce accurate and reliable economic analysis that will help businesses and governments to make informed decisions.

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Data Scientist

Data Scientists collect, analyze, and interpret data in order to extract meaningful insights. The skills you learn in 'Think Again IV: How to Avoid Fallacies' will help you to critically evaluate data and identify any fallacies or bias that may be present. This will enable you to produce accurate and reliable insights that will help your organization to make informed decisions.

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Intelligence Analyst

Intelligence Analysts collect and analyze information about foreign countries and organizations. The ability to identify and avoid fallacies will be essential for your success as an Intelligence Analyst. You will need to be able to critically evaluate the information that you gather and to identify any fallacies that may be present. This will enable you to produce accurate and timely intelligence reports that will help your organization to make informed decisions.

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Academic Researcher

Academic Researchers conduct research and publish their findings in scholarly journals. The skills you learn in 'Think Again IV: How to Avoid Fallacies' will be essential for your success as an Academic Researcher. You will need to be able to critically evaluate the research of others and to identify any fallacies that may be present. This will enable you to conduct sound research and to produce high-quality publications.

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Journalist

Journalists investigate and report on news and current events. In your role as a Journalist, you will need to be able to critically evaluate the information that you gather and to identify any fallacies that may be present. This will enable you to produce accurate and informative reports that will help the public to understand the issues that they face.

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Policy Analyst

Policy Analysts research and analyze public policies and make recommendations on how to improve them. The ability to identify and avoid fallacies will be essential for your success as a Policy Analyst as it will enable you to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different policies and make recommendations that are based on sound logic.

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Consultant

Consultants provide expert advice to businesses and organizations on a wide range of topics. Your understanding of fallacies will be essential for your success as a Consultant. You will need to be able to critically evaluate the arguments of your clients and identify any fallacies that may be present. This will enable you to provide sound advice that will help your clients to make informed decisions.

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Lawyer

Lawyers help clients to resolve legal issues by providing legal advice, representing them in court, and negotiating settlements. The skills you learn in 'Think Again IV: How to Avoid Fallacies' will be essential for your success as a Lawyer. You will need to be able to critically evaluate arguments, identify fallacies, and construct sound arguments in order to effectively represent your clients. In your work, you will encounter many situations where fallacies are used to mislead or deceive, and it is important to be able to recognize and counter these fallacies to protect your clients' interests.

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Research Scientist

Research Scientists conduct experiments, analyze data, and develop new knowledge or products. The skills you learn in 'Think Again IV: How to Avoid Fallacies' will help you to critically evaluate research and identify flawed arguments. This will be essential for your success as a Research Scientist, as you will need to be able to make sound judgments about the validity of your own work and the work of others. Furthermore, by understanding the different types of fallacies that people use, you will be better equipped to avoid making them yourself, which will enhance your credibility and the impact of your research

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Product Manager

Product Managers develop and manage products. The skills you learn in 'Think Again IV: How to Avoid Fallacies' may help you to critically evaluate product requirements and identify any fallacies or bias that may be present. This will enable you to develop and launch successful products that meet the needs of your customers.

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Software Engineer

Software Engineers design, develop, and maintain software. The skills you learn in 'Think Again IV: How to Avoid Fallacies' might be useful as you analyze software requirements and identify any fallacies or bias that may be present. This will help you to develop high-quality software that meets the needs of its users.

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Project Manager

Project Managers plan, execute, and close projects. The skills you learn in 'Think Again IV: How to Avoid Fallacies' may be helpful for you to critically evaluate project plans and identify any fallacies or bias that may be present. This will enable you to develop and execute successful projects.

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Financial Analyst

Financial Analysts analyze financial data and make recommendations on investments. The skills you learn in 'Think Again IV: How to Avoid Fallacies' could be useful for you to critically evaluate financial data and identify any fallacies or bias that may be present. This will help you to make sound investment recommendations.

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Actuary

Actuaries use mathematical and statistical methods to assess risk. The skills you learn in 'Think Again IV: How to Avoid Fallacies' may be helpful for you to critically evaluate insurance data and identify any fallacies or bias that may be present. This will enable you to produce accurate and reliable actuarial analysis that will help insurance companies to make informed decisions.

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