China 高三 Ideology and Politics

1. Sel.3 Logic and thinking

Scientific thinking · Concepts, judgements, deductive reasoning, induction, analogy · Dialectical thinking · Creative thinking (association, divergent, reverse)

• Logic: How Good Arguments Work – Logic studies good reasoning. An argument has premises (reasons) and a conclusion; inference is the step between them. In a deductive argument, if the premises are true the conclusion must be true; such an argument is valid, and it is sound if the premises really are true. One counterexample shows an argument form is invalid. Inductive arguments move from observed cases to a general or likely conclusion; they are strong or weak, never certain. Categorical propositions (A, E, I, O) and simple predicate logic (∀, ∃) help us write arguments precisely and spot fallacies.
• Dialectics: Connection, Development and Contradiction – Dialectics is a way of thinking that looks at the world as connected, always changing, and moved forward by the struggle of opposite sides (contradiction). Slow small changes can add up to a sudden new quality (quantity into quality). Dialectical thinking also uses analysis (breaking a whole into parts) and synthesis (joining parts into a new whole), and knowledge grows through practice again and again.
• Creative Thinking: How to Make Many Ideas and Pick the Best – Creative thinking is making ideas that are both new and useful. It is a skill anyone can grow. It has two moves: divergent thinking (opening out to many ideas) and convergent thinking (closing in on the best one). Tools help: brainstorming (many ideas, no judging), association (joining unrelated things), SCAMPER (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, Reverse), and reverse thinking (flip the problem, then flip the answers). Creative people take sensible risks, learn from failure and keep trying. Creativity matters in art, science, engineering, business and daily life.

2. Elective 1: Finance and life

Money and prices; consumption; finance and investment; enterprises and employment

• Money, Prices, Spending, Saving and Investing – Money is what we use to buy things, and its buying power changes as prices change. People split income into needs, wants and saving. Savings moved into banks, shares or bonds become investment, which firms use to grow and hire. Risk and return go together.

3. Elective 2: Judges and lawyers

Courts and judges; trial procedures; lawyers; defence and agency

• The Justice System: How Disputes and Crimes Are Settled – A justice system is the set of rules, people and courts a society uses to settle disputes fairly and deal with crimes. Many disputes end without court through negotiation, mediation or arbitration (ADR). Civil cases are between parties and end in compensation; criminal cases are brought by the state and can end in punishment. In a trial each side brings evidence; the claimant must prove a civil case on the balance of probabilities, and the prosecution must prove a crime beyond reasonable doubt. A losing party can appeal to a higher court. Judges must be independent. Young people are judged in special youth courts that focus on protection and education.

4. Elective 3: Philosophers in history

Laozi, Confucius, Song–Ming thought; Greek philosophy; empiricism, rationalism, German classical philosophy

• What Is Philosophy? Questions, Branches and Reasoning – Philosophy means "love of wisdom". It asks big questions (what is real, how we know, what is right, what is beautiful) and answers them with clear reasons. It has branches like metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, logic and aesthetics, and it shapes our world view.

5. 高考 review

Comprehensive review

Coming soon