Scientific Argumentation: Critical Reasoning and Logic

The Berlin University Alliance (BUA) is an alliance of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Together, they are pursuing the goal of creating and shaping an integrated research space in Berlin. This alliance aims to establish Berlin as a leading international science location. All workshops and events offered by the Graduate Studies Support Program are funded by the BUA and therefore free of charge.

 

Participation

Doctoral researchers (all disciplines) of the Berlin University Alliance.

Before booking a workshop, please make sure that you can attend for the entire duration. Please check our terms and conditions.

 

Objectives

Scientists have to give arguments all the time - in their publications as well as in conferences and lab meetings. Nevertheless, the bases for strong and correct arguments are not always fully clear to them. Logic provides extremely helpful tools for scientists to develop their arguments in a coherent well-structured and convincing way. The seminar gives an introduction to the most important concepts of logic: premises and conclusions of arguments, validity and soundness of arguments, deductive vs. inductive reasoning, common types of inferences and fallacies. The idea of the workshop is to use the concepts as a toolbox which provides very useful techniques for everyday scientific work.

 

Content

The participants learn how to reconstruct arguments from scientific texts, how to give well-structured and logically valid arguments, and how to avoid misunderstandings. There are two main sets of exercises: one for written argumentation and one for oral argumentation.

Every participant will receive a 30 min individual consultation with Kai Hüwelmeyer.

 

Please note

For updates and announcemnets register to our DRS Newsletter.

Also check out workshops at the BUA partner institutions that are available for you free of charge: Graduate Studies Support Program.

For workshops held online, participation is allowed under the following conditions: a working camera that is turned on and a microphone to allow active participation in discussions and group work. Headphones must also be used to protect other participants from office eavesdroppers. In this context, we would also like to refer to the rules for digital courses at Freie Universität Berlin (Code of Conduct).

 

Further Information

Postdocs are welcome to participate if spots are available.