Foundations of Logic and Reasoning

Clear thinking depends on the ability to construct sound arguments and to recognize unsound ones. The tools come from formal logic, informal logic, and the broader study of reasoning. This foundational course gives you those tools. By the end of this course you will be able to describe the structure of an argument, distinguish deductive from inductive reasoning, recognize common fallacies, and apply structured reasoning to everyday claims. What you will learn: - The structure of arguments including premises, conclusions, and implicit assumptions - Deductive reasoning including the basics of categorical and propositional logic - Inductive reasoning including generalization, analogy, and statistical inference - Common formal fallacies and how they appear in everyday discourse - Common informal fallacies including straw man, ad hominem, and false dichotomy - The principles of evaluating evidence and source quality - The role of cognitive biases in everyday reasoning The course uses readings, structured examples, and reflection prompts. Each module ends with applied exercises that ask you to analyze arguments drawn from common life situations. This course is written for adults at any stage who want sharper thinking, students preparing for fields where reasoning matters, and professionals strengthening analytical practice. By the end you will have replaced vague impressions of what makes an argument convincing with a structured set of tools for analyzing, building, and evaluating reasoning.