(Recorded Course) Rhetoric and Reasoning (Comprehensive Course in Logic) with Sam Nicholson, Ph.D.

Instructor Access (optional grading support) for Unlimited Access families is available for this course!

Dive into critical reading, rhetoric, and informal logic -- and learn how to identify and avoid logical fallacies, how to solve problems with clear thinking and reasoning, and how to use critical thinking to discern Truth and make good decisions. Join all four Comprehensive Curriculum for Logic (CCL) Series courses (only offered at Homeschool Connections), and learn what you need to discern wisdom and live fully as a Catholic.

How to get the most out of  Rhetoric and Reasoning with Sam Nicholson, Ph.D.:

  • First, read the course materials below before the first class meeting.

  • Then have a notebook ready and available for class notes each live session.

  • Read assignments before class meetings

  • Watch that week’s recording if you need to revisit information from our live session.

  • Do the assignments, quizzes, and any extra work assigned for that week.

  • Once the course is completed to the parent's and professor’s satisfaction, there is a Certificate of Completion at the end to be filled in for your records.

Special Notes: This is Course One of the CCL Series (Comprehensive Curriculum for Logic). Courses can be taken individually or consecutively.

Total Classes:  12

Duration: 55 minutes

Prerequisite: None

Suggested Grade Level: 9th to 12th grade

Suggested Credit: One full semester Logic or Rhetoric & Reasoning

Instructor: Sam Nicholson, Ph.D.

Instructor Email: scn8v@virginia.edu

Course Description: In this course, we will study the rudiments of critical reasoning, rhetoric, and informal logic. We will learn how to identify arguments, evaluate their quality, and distinguish between various uses of language. We will also discuss common logical fallacies and how to avoid them, and engage in some techniques of basic problem solving and applied logic.

Series Description: This is a comprehensive, four-part logic curriculum that introduces high-school students to the rudiments of critical reasoning and formal logic. It is suitable for students of all interests and backgrounds and has an almost universal scope of applicability. It should be of particular interest to college-bound students, as the material introduced here anticipates university-level study and provides a foundation for advanced studies in the humanities as well as the sciences. Each course can be taken individually, but the four parts of the curriculum work together as a progressive and cumulative course in logic instruction. Students who complete this curriculum in its entirety will gain a tremendous advantage at the collegiate level of study and beyond.

Course Outline:

  • Week 1:

Topic: Introduction, propositions and arguments

Read Chapter 1, sections 1.1 and 1.2.

  • Week 2:

Topic: Arguments and Explanations

Read Chapter 1, sections 1.3 and 1.4

  • Week 3:

Topic: Deduction and Induction, validity and cogency

Read Chapter 1, sections 1.5 and 1.6 

  • Week 4:

Topic: Identifying and paraphrasing arguments

Read Chapter 2, section 2.1

  • Week 5:

Topic: Diagramming arguments

Read Chapter 2, section 2.2 and 2.3 

  • Week 6:

Topic: Problem Solving with logic, minimal information problems

Read Chapter 2, section 2.4

  • Week 7:

Topic: Language and Rhetoric

Read: Chapter 3, section 3.1 - 3.2

  • Week 8:

Topic: Ambiguity and Definitions

Read: Chapter 3, sections 3.3 - 3.4

  • Week 9:

Topic: Intension and Extension; Genus and Species

Read: Chapter 3, sections 3.5 - 3.6

  • Week 10: Arguments

Topic: Fallacies

Read: Chapter 4, sections 4.1 - 4.2

  • Week 11:

Topic: Fallacies of Relevance and Induction

Read: Chapter 4, sections 4.5 and 4.6

  • Week 12:

Topic: Review and Final preparation

Course Materials: Our only course text is "Introduction to Logic" by Copi, Cohen, and McMahon. This text will also be used in the other three courses of the CCL series. (ISBN-13: 978-0205820375 or ISBN-10: 0205820379)

Homework: Homework will consist of weekly readings and homework assignments. There will be three quizzes, a mid-term examination, and a final. Expect to devote between 1 and 2 hours per week on homework and the readings outside of the classroom.