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English 103  Composition and Critical Thinking:

Introduction to the Readings

The term "critical thinking" is a kind of buzz word these days. Educators are concerned with students' ability to understand and analyze texts, to think for themselves about the important issues of life. The best way to develop these skills is to have concrete material to read and analyze.  You have to do it (think critically), not just read about how to do it.

But what is meant by the term "critical thinking"? We all know the word critical can have several meanings: it can mean “vitally important” as in “This course is critical for your success in college."  It can also mean “giving a negative opinion” – as in “My teacher was very critical of my lateness to class.” But the meaning we’re concerned with here is different: critical thinking is the ability to think coherently and reflectively, to use the power of your intellect for analyzing what you read and hear in order to survive in an academic environment and afterward in your profession. And of course this implies that not only can you think well but you can also write about what you are thinking. 

 For this class  we will read five sections of one text, “Knowledge and Memory: The Real Story,” an extended explanation by Roger C. Schank and Robert P Abelson, experts in artificial intelligence (AI).  AI researchers have worked for many years on how to build more intelligent machines; this kind of work involves considering how the mind processes, remembers, and communicates information.  This is a hot topic today, which has been taken up by many fields -- psychology, philosophy, cognitive science, linguistics, and many others.  It leads us to consider finally whether a machine will ever be as smart as a human being and what will happen if we manage to develop one. 

Reading a long work that ranges over several chapters is helpful: as you proceed, you will become familiar with the style used by the writers, the way they organize their material, the choices they make in presenting their information. Schank and Abelson are first rate critical thinkers. In their first chapter,  they lay out the groundwork of their theory, which they will then explain in more detail in subsequent chapters. Read part one to get an idea of what they will say, but don't expect to understand all of it!

Along with this, each week, we’ll also consider some shorter writings that relate to what Schank and Abelson are saying. For a more detailed breakdown of what we’ll be reading and when, see the tentative schedule, which is included at the bottom of the Syllabus to your left.