ESF:BPH_ZAFI Fundamentals of argumentation - Course Information

BPH_ZAFI Fundamentals of argumentation and ethics

Extent and Intensity

2/0/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).

Teacher(s)

Mgr. et Mgr. Tomáš Ondráček, Ph.D. (lecturer)

Guaranteed by

Mgr. et Mgr. Tomáš Ondráček, Ph.D.
Department of Business Management – Faculty of Economics and Administration
Contact Person: Vlasta Radová
Supplier department: Department of Business Management – Faculty of Economics and Administration

Timetable

Tue 14:00–15:50 P101, except Tue 19. 9., except Tue 7. 11.

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 200 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 123/200, only registered: 0/200, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/200

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

• Business Management (programme ESF, B-EKM)
• Business Management (programme ESF, B-PEM)

Course objectives

Specific objectives:
- Students will be able to substantiate their statements, opinions, or positions, both in professional and practical life.
- Students will distinguish reasonable arguments from unreasonable, manipulative, or otherwise problematic persuasive practices.
- Students will be able to recognize complex problems and work with them
- Students will be able to detect pseudo-problems arising from misunderstanding or having no real impact.
- Students will distinguish what science is and what is pseudo-science or is different from science.
- Students will consider and work with ethical issues in practice and theory concerning science, organizations, and society.
Overall, students will be able to take a critical science-based approach to decision-making in theory and practice within the framework of ethical principles and individual values.
General objectives of the course:
- the cultivation of critical (argumentative) thinking,
- acquisition of basic concepts in the field of argumentation and ethics,
- the cultivation of theoretical thinking,
- the cultivation of scientific thinking,
- cultivation of ethical thinking.

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, the student will be able to:
- clearly formulate the reasons for their claims, i.e., present arguments for her/his thesis;
- evaluate the arguments of others;
- distinguish between what there is, what exists, and what is not;
- evaluate how something can be known;
- distinguish between what is science and what is not science;
- describe fundamental problems in science and pseudo-science;
- discuss possible approaches to assessing whether something is good;
- discuss and evaluate possible ethical issues of research;
- discuss and evaluate possible ethical issues in the corporate context (discrimination, coercion, …).

Syllabus

• Thematic plan of lectures:
• Block A - What are your reasons for this? (argumentation)
• 1. What are arguments and argumentation? (basic concepts of argumentation theory)
• 2. Does this necessarily follow? (formal arguments and logical errors)
• 3. Does it make sense? (informal argumentation and argumentation schemes)
• 4. Is this a good reason? (argumentation in context, argumentation errors, and evaluation of arguments)
• Block B - What is it about? (philosophy in the corporate environment)
• 5. What is there? (ontology, definition of individual, group, organization, enterprise)
• 6. What can be known? (epistemology, knowledge, group knowledge, organizational knowledge, sources of knowledge)
• Block C - Is everything just physics or stamp collecting? (philosophy of science)
• 7. What is science? (demarcation of science, observation, experiment, justification, and explanation)
• 8. What is not science? (pseudo-science, para-science, conspiracy, and immunization strategies)
• Block D - Is it good? (ethics)
• 9. What exactly is good? (basic terms and concepts of ethics)
• 10. Good for one or all? (society and ethics)
• 11. Can we study hamsters on cocaine? (research ethics)
• 12. What can be sold and how? (business and organizational ethics)

Literature

required literature
• Speciální číslo o argumentaci online časopisu Filosofie Dnes: Filosofie Dnes, 2018 [online]. 10(2) [2021-14-05]. 1804-0969. Dostupné z: https://filosofiednes.ff.uhk.cz/index.php/hen/issue/view/23.
• HOSMER, LaRue Tone. The Ethics of Management. Homewood: Irwin, 1987, 185 s. ISBN 0-256-03480-X. info
• Profit, prudence and virtueessays in ethics, business and management. Edited by Samuel Gregg - James Stoner. Exeter: Imprint Academic, 2009, 1 v. (unpa. ISBN 9781845402884. info
• The Routledge companion to philosophy in organization studies. Edited by Raza A. Mir - Hugh Willmott - Michelle Greenwood. First published. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2016, xxxii, 615. ISBN 9780415702867. info

recommended literature
• CHATFIELD, Tom. Critical thinking : your guide to effective argument, successful analysis & independent study. First edition. Los Angeles: Sage, 2018, vii, 314. ISBN 9781473947139. info
• FEYERABEND, Paul. Rozprava proti metodě. Praha: Aurora, 2001, 431 pp. ISBN 80-7299-047-0. info
• PHILLIPS, Robert. Stakeholder theory and organizational ethics. 1st ed. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler publishers, 2003, xii, 200. ISBN 1576752682. info
• POPPER, Karl R. Conjectures and refutations : the growth of scientific knowledge. 1st ed. London: Routledge Classics, 2002, xiii, 582. ISBN 0415285933. info
• RUSSELL, Bertrand. History of western philosophy. London: Routledge, 2002, 842 s. ISBN 0415228549. info
• SIMS, R. R. Ethics and corporate social responsibility: why giants fall. 1st ed. Westport: Praeger, 2003, 318 pp. ISBN 0-275-98039-1. info
• WEBER, Max. Autorita, etika a společnost : pohled sociologa do dějin. Translated by Jan J. Škoda. 1. české vyd. Praha: Mladá fronta, 1997, 294 s. ISBN 8020406115. info

Teaching methods

The class consists of lectures joined with discussions and seminars.

Assessment methods

1. seminar paper on the given topic (acceptance of the paper is required for examination).
2. oral examination (based on the seminar work).
Any copying, recording, or leaking tests, use of unauthorized tools, aids, communication devices, or other disruptions of objectivity of exams (credit tests) will be considered non-compliance with the conditions for course completion and a severe violation of the study rules. Consequently, the teacher will finish the exam (credit test) by awarding a grade "F" in the Information System, and the Dean will initiate disciplinary proceedings that may result in study termination.
If the student enrolls in the course during their trip abroad, the same conditions apply, i.e., the student must write a seminar paper on the chosen topic and then take an oral examination. It is advisable to contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to agree on the topic of the paper, study materials, and the course of completion.

Language of instruction

Czech

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)

Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
General note: Přednášky jsou dostupné online a ze záznamu.
Information on course enrolment limitations: max. 20 cizích studentů; cvičení pouze pro studenty ESF

Teacher's information

If the student enrolls in the course during their trip abroad, the same conditions apply, i.e., the student must write a seminar paper on the chosen topic and then take an oral examination. It is advisable to contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to agree on the topic of the paper, study materials, and the course of completion.

• Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2023, recent)
  
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