course

Course Credit:  3.0

According to Luis Buñuel, “Mystery is the essential element in all works of art.” Mystery, then, is the thing that makes us ask questions, look closer, think in different ways, and consider other possibilities—a great resource for developing logic, reason, creative thinking, and empathy. This course will use mystery writing — both fiction and nonfiction – to explore the nuances of logic, rhetoric, and critical thinking. Through close readings of exemplary works, as well as hands-on writing exercises, students will learn how to identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments and evidence. The course will wrestle with the precision of language, alternative perspectives, fallacious reasoning, and logos, ethos, and pathos in analysis and narrative. Students will apply both inductive and deductive modes of reasoning to solve mysteries and craft their own compelling narratives. (Satisfies Critical Reasoning)