Page 335 - Social Sciences Humanities - The Ontario Curriculum Grades 9 to 12 - 2013

C. PHILOSOPHICALSKILLS OVERALL EXPECTATIONS
By the end of this course, students will:
C1. Philosophical Reasoning: demonstrate an understanding of terms, methods, and fallacies associated with philosophical reasoning;
C2. Evaluating Philosophical Responses to Big Questions: analyse, using their own philosophical reasoning skills as well as the arguments of other critics, the strengths and weaknesses of the responses of major philosophers or schools of philosophy to some of the big questions
of philosophy;
C3. Developing Philosophical Responses: use philosophical reasoning and critical thinking skills to formulate responses to big questions of philosophy and to arguments encountered in everyday life.
SPECIFIC EXPECTATIONS
C1. Philosophical Reasoning
By the end of this course, students will:
C1.1 describe the parts of an argument (e.g., premise, evidence, conclusion), and explain how a philosophical argument differs from other communications
Teacher prompts: “What is the difference between an argument in philosophy and an argument that is a quarrel between hostile antagonists?” “What is the difference between an argument, an explanation, and an anecdote?” “When listening to a speech or reading an article, what cues can you use to determine whether the speaker or writer is making an argument? What words are used to signal the premise and conclusion of, and evidence for, an argument?”
C1.2 describe forms of reasoning (e.g., deduction and induction), and explain how they are applied in philosophical arguments
Teacher prompt: “Sunil has learned about cases of serious head trauma suffered by children who had bicycle accidents while not wearing helmets. Sunil does not want to suffer the same fate, so he wears a helmet whenever he rides his bike. Is Sunil using inductive or deductive reasoning? Give reasons for your answer.”
C1.3 correctly use terminology related to logic and philosophical argumentation (e.g., logical consistency, contradiction, deduction, induction, proposition, truth value, inference, validity; terms related to forms of arguments, types of syllogisms, patterns of reasoning)
C1.4 identify some common fallacies in reasoning (e.g., fallacies related to relevance, such as an appeal to pity or emotion and an appeal to authority; fallacies related to ambiguity, such as equivocation and fallacies of composition and division; fallacies related to pre­ sumption, such as begging the question and using
a straw man), and identify examples of some of these fallacies in arguments encountered in everyday life (e.g., in newspaper articles and editorials, advertising, formal debates, informal discussions)
By the end of this course, students will:
C2.1 summarizeargumentsthatcriticshaveused to support, critique, or refute responses of major philosophers or philosophical traditions to some of the big questions of philosophy
Teacher prompts: “In what ways were the ideas of ancient Greek philosophers such as Plato and
PHILOSOPHICAL SKILLS
C2. Evaluating Philosophical Responses to Big Questions
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