Instructor: John Patrick, Ed.D.
Email: john_patrick@cuesta.edu

Email will be checked and responded to once a day Monday through Thrusday.

Office hours: 11:10 am - 12 pm Mondays (8/11 - 9/15). 11:10 am - 12 pm & 6:10 pm - 7 pm MW (9/18 - 12/5)
Zoom Office Link

Class meeting Times: Tuesdays from 6-7:50 p.m.
Class Meeting Link

Welcome Letter: 

Hello everyone,

Welcome to Argumentation. Whether you’re here because you actually want to build your critical thinking skills or because this class fit neatly into your schedule, I’m glad you made it in. This course is straightforward in its purpose: to make you a sharper thinker, a clearer communicator, and someone who can navigate a world full of bullshit, misinformation, and sloppy reasoning. Employers consistently say the top two skills they want from new graduates are effective communication and real-world critical thinking. You’re in the right place.

I’m Dr. John Patrick—most students call me JP. Before I ever taught college, I worked as a Jungle Cruise skipper at Disneyland after high school. Yes, I told the terrible jokes. Yes, I learned a lot about reading an audience and thinking on my feet. My first degree was actually in culinary arts, and I still love cooking. Outside of work, I spend most of my time with my family: camping, kayaking, playing board games and video games, and making music together. I also go sailing with a friend whenever I can, and since my wife and I live in wine country, we spend a fair amount of time exploring local wineries. All of this is to say: I take this class seriously, but I’m a human being with a life, and I expect you to show up to the course as a real person too.

This course is about learning how arguments actually work. You’ll learn to distinguish inductive from deductive reasoning, diagnose logical fallacies, apply stock issues in policy argument, evaluate evidence responsibly, and construct (and refute) arguments for specific audiences. You’ll practice writing clearly and speaking effectively. You’ll learn how to build an argument from the ground up, and how to take apart weak arguments without being an a jerk about it.

Argumentation is everywhere. It shapes your decisions, your relationships, your civic participation, and your ability to understand the world. If you put real effort into this class, you will become noticeably more confident, more analytical, and more persuasive.

I’m glad you’re here. Let’s get to work.

—JP

Course Description:

This course applies the nature of critical thinking to written and oral argument. Students will analyze inductive and deductive reasoning, argument construction, forms of evidentiary support, and fallacies of argument and language, as well as engage in instruction and practical experience in argument construction and delivery. The objective is to develop your critical analysis skills, become better and more persuasive communicators, and expand and refine your knowledge base to make you a better consumer of persuasion and a better democratic citizen. You are taking this class because Forbes reports that the top two skill sets employers wish college graduates had mastered before entering the workforce are “effective communication” and “real world critical thinking” (http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertfarrington/2014/05/28/the-two-key-traits-employers-need-from-todays-college-graduatesLinks to an external site.). In addition to taking this course, a well-prepared graduate will have participated in a number of internships, jobs, and/or volunteer positions that allow them to apply the skills learned in this class in their professional lives. 

Student Learning Outcomes: By the end of this course students will be able to...

• Recognize logical fallacies.
• Identify Inductive and deductive reasoning.
• Apply stock issues in creating and refuting a case for prima facie policy debate.
• Employ various argumentation models in the construction and evaluation of arguments for specific audiences.
• Understand the role of argument and debate in social and professional contexts.
• Use and evaluate credible evidence in support of argumentative claims for specific audiences.

Readings (They're older, but inexpensive)

• Assholes a Theory by Aaron James: Buy it on Thrift BooksLinks to an external site., AmazonLinks to an external site.
• Weaponized Lies, How to Think Critically in a Post-Truth Era by Daniel Levitin: Buy it on Thrift BooksLinks to an external site., AmazonLinks to an external site.
• Handouts will be available in the course modules

Grading, Make Up/Late Work Attendance, Honesty, AI, and Communication Policies

• Grading and Academic Honesty
  • There are 320 points total in this class and it uses a traditional grading scale.

    Letter Grade	Range
    A	100%to94%
    A-	< 94%to90%
    B+	< 90%to87%
    B	< 87%to84%
    B-	< 84%to80%
    C+	< 80%to77%
    C	< 77%to74%
    C-	< 74%to70%
    D+	< 70%to67%
    D	< 67%to64%
    D-	< 64%to61%
    F	< 61%to0%

  • Student work is graded in as timely a manner as possible. There is usually a one to two week turn around time for assignments. Delays may occur when the instructor travels to debate tournaments with the Cal Poly Debate Team.
  • Work that is emailed rather than turned in through Canvas will not be graded. 
  • Average student work is expected to be high quality, original, thoughtful, and reflect a professional mastery of written and oral communication. 
  • Plagiarism is unethically paraphrasing and/or presenting someone else’s words, writing, images, solutions, or ideas as if they are one's own without citing and/or quoting the original source material. Any student caught in any act of dishonesty, academic or otherwise, risks a failing grade for the course.
  • The use of generative A.I. is authorized for use in this course.  This course encourages students to explore the use of generative A.I. (GenAI) tools for all assignments and assessments.  Any such use must be appropriately acknowledged and cited.  Please note that large language model GenAI tools frequently provide users with incorrect information, tend to make up or “hallucinate” incorrect facts and fake citations, generate contradictory statements, incorporate copyrighted material without appropriate attribution, perpetuate implicit biases, and sometimes integrate or report offensive concepts, products, or images.  Plagiarism is unethically paraphrasing and/or presenting someone else’s words, writing, images, solutions, or ideas as if they are one's own without citing and/or quoting the original source material, and this includes work produced with the use of GenAI tools.  Students will be responsible for any inaccurate, biased, offensive, or otherwise unethical content submitted regardless of whether the work originally comes from the student or a GenAI tool.  It is each student’s responsibility to assess the validity and applicability of any GenAI output that is submitted.  Use of GenAI tools to produce work without appropriate acknowledgment or citation may be considered academic misconduct.  Different classes at Cuesta College may implement different A.I. usage policies, and it is the student’s responsibility to be informed of and conform to the expectations for each course.  

• • • AI tools such as ChatGPT can be a useful starting point for researching and generating ideas for arguments—provided you know what you’re doing. It excels at proofreading for syntax, grammar, punctuation, and spelling and can be valuable in helping you organize and outline your thoughts before drafting your work. However, AI is only as reliable as the information it draws from, and the internet is rife with Frankfurtian “bullshit”Links to an external site. and misinformation. Solely relying on AI in an attempt to shortcut the work for this class will result in failure. Your instructor will know when you’re using AI because:

      • You will not know your arguments thoroughly.

      • Like a classic “Jamesian Asshole,” who feels entitled to cheat, you’ll read from a manuscript rather than delivering a polished, professional presentation. This is intolerable, unprofessional, and shows disrespect to your peers, your instructor, and yourself.

      • You won’t be able to respond effectively to follow-up questions on your work. You’ll embarrass yourself in front of your instructor, your classmates, and maybe even that cute person you were considering asking out for coffee or a beer.

      • Your work will lack a convincing college student voice.

      • Your work will be dull, uninspired, and devoid of meaningful insights. It will waste not only your time but also your instructor’s, and he will come to resent you, which will interfere with his ability to otherwise be a valuable mentor.

• Late/Make Up Work
  • All work that is turned in by the deadline will be graded.
  • Work that is turned in within 1-5 business days of the due date will be graded without penalty—no excuses or reasons needed or wanted, just give us a heads up.
  • Work turned in more than 5 business days late will not be graded. No exceptions.
• Requests for assistance with assignments
  • If for any foreseeable reason you are struggling to complete assignments on time, contact your instructors at least 72 hours prior to the assignment being due for assistance. Clarity about course requirements is your responsibility, and should not be assumed. If you have any reasonable doubts about whether you’re clear on course requirements, contact the instructor ASAP. Your having procrastinated on getting started is not your instructor's problem. He has responsibilities beyond you.  
    
    • `Requests for assistance with assignments made with less than 72 hours before the due date will be responded to at the instructors convenience.
    • Requests for assistance with assignments made within 42 hours or less will not be responded to.
• Attendance 
  • If you are going to miss a substantial amount of class because of extra curricular activities this quarter, consider taking this course during another quarter when you’ll have fewer schedule conflicts.
  • Missing class means you’ve missed something important and have likely missed points.
  • Missing class  is not an excuse to be uninformed about work missed or projects due. Keep in regular contact with your classmates as your primary resource for understanding what you’ve missed in the event of an absence.
  • Office hours are your opportunity to interact with your instructor outside of regular class hours.

Content Warning

This class addresses topics that are inherently controversial. At any time, and without prior notice, we may find ourselves discussing issues that could make you feel uncomfortable. You may experience unpleasant emotions in response to differing points of view expressed by your peers or their chosen styles of communication. Discussions may include, but are not limited to, topics such as violence, abortion, war, hate speech, oppression, mental and emotional abuse, child molestation, critiques of religion and politics, identity politics, and the use of racist or sexist language.

You will encounter curse words such as “asshole,” “bullshit,” and “fuck” during readings or discussions. However, the use of slurs will be strongly discouraged unless their inclusion has a strong academic foundation (e.g., referencing a slur in a discussion about whether all uses of slurs constitute “asshole” behavior or whether reclaiming such terms can be empowering).

If you find yourself feeling emotional distress during class, you are encouraged to quietly and calmly exit the room to compose yourself. The expectation is that you will return to class if you are able, as your participation in these discussions is valuable and your unique perspective is important.

If you are unable to return, that is okay. However, please discuss the situation with your instructor in person during office hours or schedule an appointment. Additionally, if you are aware that a scheduled discussion topic may cause you distress, please inform the instructor in advance and in person.

Classroom Conduct

This course invites engagement with controversial topics that may evoke strong emotional reactions or discomfort. It is highly likely that at some point, a position taken by a student or presented in class may offend you deeply. This is one of the challenges inherent in living in a free society. In this course, every student’s First Amendment rights will be respected and protected, and multiple perspectives on each issue will be explored throughout the semester.

Additionally, please note that it is illegal for your instructor to discuss any student’s grades with anyone other than the student, the student’s designated durable power of attorney, or Cal Poly faculty. Do not ask the instructor to discuss another student’s grade with you. Such a request constitutes a demand for your instructor to engage in illegal activity and may result in a request for you to drop the course. Repeated requests of this nature will result in a failing grade for the requester. Furthermore, being offended by a position presented by another student does not provide justification for requesting that their grade be lowered.

Students are expected to behave professionally and respectfully toward both the instructor and their peers. Any student whose behavior is deemed disrespectful in a way that disrupts the learning environment will receive a warning. Continued instances of disrespect will result in a reduction in their course grade, and ongoing violations may lead to course failure. Hate speech or calls for violence will not be tolerated under any circumstances and will result in appropriate disciplinary action.

All students are required to adhere to the Code of Student Conduct: https://www.cuesta.edu/about/documents/vpss-docs/student-resolution/SSSP-StudentCodeofConduct-V2-ADA.pdfLinks to an external site. 

Students With Disabilities: If you have a documented disability and wish to discuss academic accommodations, please contact me as soon as possible. It is College policy to provide, on a flexible and individualized basis, reasonable accommodations to students who have disabilities that may affect their ability to participate in course activities or to meet course requirements. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact their instructor to discuss their individual needs for accommodation. https://www.cuesta.edu/student-support/support-programs/dsps/index.htmlLinks to an external site.

Course Schedule