Course Procedures

The methods used to obtain these ends are

1. to learn to identify philosophical arguments, to evaluate and counter them, and to construct good arguments,

2. to obtain the ability to relate arguments to one another and to judge the relative strength of different kinds of arguments,

3. to analyze different techniques of definition and kinds of meaning in Eastern philosophy,

4. to obtain the ability to identify common mistakes in philosophical reasoning and to reconstruct arguments to avoid them,

5. to gain skill in evaluating philosophical theories,

6. to recognize the differences between the inductive and deductive sciences and how they relate to ethical theories,

7. to recognize the difference between á priori presuppositions and á posteriori principles,

8. to study classic, influential, and abiding methods of experimental inquiry into the nature of Eastern philosophy,

9. to apply usefully the several methods of inductive reasoning in everyday life and ordinary language.

In this course you will gain skill in asking interesting, productive, and insightful questions and will analyze ethical passages to obtain facility in the clear, complete, and methodological undstanding of their content. You will also learn effective methods of analysis and criticism in the evaluation of philosophical argumentation.