Starting with the notions of valid and invalid arguments the course then goes on to examine the justification of theoretical hypotheses, statistical hypotheses, and causal hypotheses. Essentially, the student will be provided with skills for exploring the nature and testing of scientific theories, causes and correlations, and rational decision making. With this theoretical framework the student will examine various contemporary issues: Is there a causal connection between smoking and lung cancer? Is there a causal link between pornography and sexual violence? etc.
Note: 2nd year standing recommended