SC 205NBS: Identifying Bias and Falsehood

3 credits · Science · Penn State

The course will consider the ways statements are used for aims other than to convey accurate information. This disregard for truth results in the increasingly difficult task of identifying bias and falsehood in the age of information. There are three areas most corrosive to knowledge: language, science, and statistics. The course will examine the appeal of rhetorical arguments and the role of bias in assessing claims; various ways evidence fails to support a conclusion; and the manipulation of data to make information appear more compelling than it is. Students will learn to evaluate the truth of arguments based on philosophical and scientific criteria, and use a variety of skills to identify bias and falsehood in the media.