While this course is written for the layperson, I do need to introduce some concepts which may be new to you but play an important role in reasoning, as well as issue a few warnings and explain how this course is organized. In this section, we will cover the basics of reasoning, arguments, beliefs, fallacies, rationality, and being a smart-ass. By the end of this section, you should:

• know the difference between reason and rationality
• know what an argument is and the many forms it can take
• understand how beliefs are formed
• know what is meant by the term "fallacy"
• know the pros and cons of being a smart-ass
• understand that fallacious reasoning is both active and passive

Note that this is designed as an interactive course with discussion questions and exercises. You can choose to participate or not. It is your course!