Course of Action in Critical Reasoning

The course of action meaning tells us that whatever the message we want to convey with the help of statements has to have some relevance. The course of action tells us to have an immediate impact on the action. Suppose, you witnessed an accident where an old man got hit by a fast-driving car,  and he fell down. Your course of action should be to make him stand well and call the ambulance or ask for help to take him to any nearby hospital for first aid and avoid any complications in medical terms. 

What Is a Course Of Action?

The course of action is the action we take at the main moment of any situation. The situations can be very panicky or troublesome. The best approach is to find the most relevant solution and also the action or help for any situation that can provide an immediate solution to the problem. 

The course of action can be of two types: either it can be a long-term impact or a short-term impact. The course of action should be implemented in any situation with authentic proof. It should have reasonable proof or witness and therefore, any course of action cannot be illegal.

The course of action should not be evidence of any discrimination between two individuals. For any course of action, each and every individual is equal and holds an equal significance. The course of action should not be clinging on to any kinds of extremities. 

Suppose, if there is a guard who works at a ship dockyard. His job is to stay up all night and keep guarding the dockyard during the night time. One day he slept and then the policeman caught him red-handed. The police have got the situation where the guard has committed a mistake by sleeping at night Now, the policeman has to take the course of action. The police have two choices to make at this point. Either he can ask for his resignation abruptly or warn him to not sleep during the duty period and ask him to not commit such actions the next time. 

According to the course of action, the police should not ask for the guard’s resignation right away, instead warn him to not sleep during the duty period. Because the course of action cannot be extreme.’

Personal opinions have no relevance in the course of action. Because involving and taking personal opinions will distract the course of action from the actual situation depicted as the statements. Similar is the case for emotional choices and preferences. You may feel emotional about one topic but the course of action should not be influenced even a little by your personal emotional preferences.

Some Other Rules Of Course Of Action

• The course of action should never initiate or become the cause of any new problematic situation. 

• The course of action should never be chosen on the basis of someone else’s advice or personal advice and recommendations. 

E.g Mr. X had been suffering from cold coughing and then Mr. Y advised him to go for a blood checkup. This statement can be chosen as a course of action because a person should visit a checkup center if any symptoms of illness are seen.

1. A course of action can never be a comparison between two factually true data or information. If the USA is a superpower in 2025, then it is not mandatory that just by comparing India with the USA, India will also become a superpower.
2. A course of action and practicalness can never go hand in hand even though it can be used to sort out the problem but if any action is practically not doable, then also it cannot be a course of action.
3. Any statement that is based on the process of assumptions can not become a course of action. 
4. Anything that has substitutes actions or can be treated as optional is not included in the course of action category.
5. A course of action should always be fair and no extra privilege should be provided to anyone. The unbiasedness is an essential factor for the course of action.  
6. The root of the problem should define the course of action.

For example, there is a bank that is sacking its employees because they are facing losses for a few months. Now, there are three options

(i) the bank should provide some additional benefits to the employee such as paying one month’s extra salary.

(ii) the bank should try to give them internal job postings (IJP).

(iii). The Reserve bank of India should investigate the whole matter.

The course of action can not be done by giving them one month’s extra salary or by providing them with an internal job posting, instead, call the RBI to investigate the matter because the root problem is the losses that the bank is facing in the first place.

Sample Example

There is zero coordination between the university and its branch colleges. The issue is that a large number of students are seeking migration from one college to another college 

Course of Action:

1. If one student from college X is taking the migration certificate then all the other remaining colleges should be informed about that student.
2. The admission procedure of every student should be managed by the university directly and by its head.
3. A separate group or body is formed to take strict actions against all the students involved in migration activities.

Option 1. Only 1 is correct

Option 2. Only 2 is correct

Option 3. Only 3 is correct

Option 4. Only 1 and 3 follow

Option 5. Only 2 and 3 follow

Conclusion

The course of action tells us that whatever the message we want to convey with the help of statements has to have some relevance. The course of action tells us to have an immediate impact on the action. In this article, you’ll learn what a course of action means.