This course provides basic knowledge and methods for analyzing, understanding and critically assessing texts and arguments. We use texts on environmental issues and philosophical texts for learning and practicing how to grasp, summarize, analyze and critically evaluate the content of a text and its line of argumentation.
Learning objective
Students acquire basic knowledge for analyzing texts, and they learn how to grasp, summarize, analyze and critically evaluate the content of a text and its line of argumentation.
Content
The course provides basic knowledge (theory of speech acts, semiotics, theories of concepts and theories of argumentation) and methods for analyzing, understanding and critically evaluating texts and arguments. Understanding texts and analyzing the structure and validity of arguments is crucial not only within science but also in contact with the public and in issues of everyday life. But when are statements clear and arguments convincing? How to use arguments in debates? How to identify fallacies? We use texts on environmental issues and philosophical texts for learning and practicing how to grasp, summarize, analyze and critically evaluate the content of a text and its line of argumentation.
Lecture notes
A textbook will be used.
Literature
Brun, Georg; Gertrude Hirsch Hadorn 2014. Textanalyse in den Wissenschaften. Inhalte und Argumente analysieren und verstehen. Zürich: vdf/UTB 3139 (2nd edition)
Prerequisites / Notice
For students in BA Environmental Sciences who choose humanities and for students in other programs of ETH or Zurich University, 2 ECTS-credits are available for solving the exercises, that are distributed during the course.
