PHIL1003: Introduction to Philosophy
Exam June 2024
Study guide
GENERAL
The exam for PHIL1003 will be held during the June exam season. It will be held in
person in the venue specified by the Exams and Graduation Office.
You can consult the official exam timetable with venue details here:
https://www.wits.ac.za/exams/exam-timetables/
The exam is scheduled as follows:
DATE: 3 June 2024
TIME: 14:00-16:00 (2 hours)
NB: It is up to you to consult the official university timetable (link above) and to confirm
that the above details are correct.
FORMAT AND CONTENT
The exam consists of 60 multiple choice questions (MCQs).
All four sections from the course will be covered in the assessment. Each question is
worth one mark with no negative marking. All questions have only one correct
answer.
The breakdown is as follows:
• Critical Thinking: 15 multiple choice questions.
• Elementary Logic: 15 multiple choice questions.
• Philosophy of Religion: 15 multiple choice questions.
• Philosophy of Science: 15 multiple choice questions.
, 1 CRITICAL THINKING
The critical thinking section is worth 25% of the final assessment.
For revising
The section on critical thinking will cover all content from the critical thinking part of
the course (i.e. from the beginning of term to 1 March), as well as the assigned readings
related to the lectures.
This includes:
• Arguments and non-arguments
• Features of arguments and putting arguments in standard form
• Deductive arguments and related formal fallacies
• Non-deductive arguments and related fallacies
• Additional fallacies
• Readings:
1. Bowell, T., Cowan, R. & Kemp, G. 2020. Chapter 1: Introducing arguments.
2. Johnson, R. 2007. Chapter 1: Logic and argument. [excluding section 1.3]
3. Johnson, R. 2007. Chapter 2: Good argument, deductive validity, and
inductive strength.
4. Pendlebury, M. 2013. Chapter 4: Deductive validity and nondeductive
strength. [full chapter]
5. Pendlebury, M. 2013. Chapter 2: Evaluating arguments.
To prepare:
• Go over your lecture notes and attend your tutorials.
• Go over your quiz, test and general feedback (see Ulwazi).
• Revise the readings.
• Practice with the exercises in the readings. Memos for the Johnson and Bowell,
Cowan and Kemp exercises are posted online under the Critical Thinking section
(there isn’t a memo for Pendlebury – I recommend discussing the answers
amongst each other and, if stuck, contacting your tutor).
• You can access previous exams through the Library website (with your Wits log-
in) to practice different ways in which critical thinking can be assessed.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with myself () before 17
May (after which I will be on leave) or your tutor if you have any questions as you
prepare.
Exam June 2024
Study guide
GENERAL
The exam for PHIL1003 will be held during the June exam season. It will be held in
person in the venue specified by the Exams and Graduation Office.
You can consult the official exam timetable with venue details here:
https://www.wits.ac.za/exams/exam-timetables/
The exam is scheduled as follows:
DATE: 3 June 2024
TIME: 14:00-16:00 (2 hours)
NB: It is up to you to consult the official university timetable (link above) and to confirm
that the above details are correct.
FORMAT AND CONTENT
The exam consists of 60 multiple choice questions (MCQs).
All four sections from the course will be covered in the assessment. Each question is
worth one mark with no negative marking. All questions have only one correct
answer.
The breakdown is as follows:
• Critical Thinking: 15 multiple choice questions.
• Elementary Logic: 15 multiple choice questions.
• Philosophy of Religion: 15 multiple choice questions.
• Philosophy of Science: 15 multiple choice questions.
, 1 CRITICAL THINKING
The critical thinking section is worth 25% of the final assessment.
For revising
The section on critical thinking will cover all content from the critical thinking part of
the course (i.e. from the beginning of term to 1 March), as well as the assigned readings
related to the lectures.
This includes:
• Arguments and non-arguments
• Features of arguments and putting arguments in standard form
• Deductive arguments and related formal fallacies
• Non-deductive arguments and related fallacies
• Additional fallacies
• Readings:
1. Bowell, T., Cowan, R. & Kemp, G. 2020. Chapter 1: Introducing arguments.
2. Johnson, R. 2007. Chapter 1: Logic and argument. [excluding section 1.3]
3. Johnson, R. 2007. Chapter 2: Good argument, deductive validity, and
inductive strength.
4. Pendlebury, M. 2013. Chapter 4: Deductive validity and nondeductive
strength. [full chapter]
5. Pendlebury, M. 2013. Chapter 2: Evaluating arguments.
To prepare:
• Go over your lecture notes and attend your tutorials.
• Go over your quiz, test and general feedback (see Ulwazi).
• Revise the readings.
• Practice with the exercises in the readings. Memos for the Johnson and Bowell,
Cowan and Kemp exercises are posted online under the Critical Thinking section
(there isn’t a memo for Pendlebury – I recommend discussing the answers
amongst each other and, if stuck, contacting your tutor).
• You can access previous exams through the Library website (with your Wits log-
in) to practice different ways in which critical thinking can be assessed.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with myself () before 17
May (after which I will be on leave) or your tutor if you have any questions as you
prepare.
