introduction to critical thinking.ppt

Critical thinking:
The systematic evaluation or
formulation of beliefs, or statements,
by rational standards.
systematic—because it involves distinct
procedures and methods
evaluation and formulation—used to assess
existing beliefs and devise new ones
rational standards—beliefs are judged by how
well they are supported by reasons
Chapter 1: The Power of Critical Thinking

To critically examine your beliefs is to
critically examine your life, for your
beliefs in large measure define your life.
Socrates: “The unexamined life is
not worth living.”

Statement (claim):
An assertion that something is or is not the case.
Premise:
A statement given in support of another statement.
Conclusion:
A statement that premises are used to support.
Argument:
A group of statements in which some of them (the
premises) are intended to support another of them
(the conclusion).

Some premise indicator words:
because, since, in view of the fact, given
that, for the reason that, due to the fact
that.
Some conclusion indicator words:
therefore, thus, so, consequently, it
follows that, we can conclude that, ergo,
hence.

Common impediments to critical
thinking:
Category 1—hindrances that arise
because of how we think
Category 2—hindrances that occur
because of what we think
Chapter 2: The “Environment” of Critical Thinking

Self-interested thinking:
accepting a claim solely on the grounds that it
advances, or coincides with, our interests.
Overcoming self-interested thinking:
 Watch out when things get very personal.
 Beware of the urge to distort your thinking to
save face.
 Be alert to ways that critical thinking can be
undermined.
 Ensure that nothing has been left out.
 Avoid selective attention.
 Look for opposing evidence.

Group Thinking:
Peer pressure—appeal to the
masses (appeal to popularity),
appeal to common practice,
prejudice, bias, racism.
Stereotyping—drawing conclusions
about people without sufficient
reasons.

Subjective relativism—The view that
truth depends solely on what someone
believes; truth is relative to persons.
Social relativism—The view that truth
is relative to societies.
Problems with these views:
They imply that persons and societies
are infallible.
They are self-defeating.

Philosophical skepticism:
The view that we know much less than we
think we know or nothing at all.
1. One form of this view says that
knowledge requires certainty.
2. If knowledge requires certainty, we
know very little.
3. But we sometimes do seem to have
knowledge—even though we do not
have absolutely conclusive reasons.

Deductive Arguments
1. A deductive argument is intended to
provide conclusive support for its
conclusion.
2. A deductive argument that succeeds in
providing conclusive support for its
premise is said to be valid. A valid
argument is such that if its premises
are true, its conclusion must be true.
3. A deductively valid argument with true
premises is said to be sound.
Chapter 3: Making Sense of Arguments

Inductive Arguments
1. An inductive argument is intended to
provide probable support for its
conclusion.
2. An inductive argument that succeeds in
providing probable support for its
conclusion is said to be strong. A strong
argument is such that if its premises are
true, its conclusion is probably true.
3. An inductively strong argument with true
premises is said to be cogent.

Judging Arguments—telling (1) whether
an argument is deductive or inductive and (2)
whether it gives good reasons for accepting
the conclusion
Step 1. Find the argument’s conclusion and
then its premises.
Step 2. Ask: Is it the case that if the premises
are true the conclusion must be true?
Step 3. Ask: Is it the case that if the premises
are true, its conclusion is probably true?
Step 4. Ask: Is the argument intended to offer
conclusive or probable support for its
conclusion but fails to do so?

Finding implicit premises:
Step 1. Search for a credible premise that would
make the argument valid. Choose the
supplied premise that
(a) is most plausible and
(b) fits best with the author’s intent.
Step 2. Search for a credible premise that would
make the argument as strong as
possible. Choose the supplied premise
that fulfills stipulations a and b above.
Step 3. Evaluate the reconstituted argument.

Valid Conditional Argument Forms
Affirming the Antecedent
(Modus Ponens)
If p, then q.
p.
Therefore, q.
Example:
If Spot barks, a burglar is in
the house.
Spot is barking.
Therefore, a burglar is in the
house.
Denying the Consequent
(Modus Tollens)
If p, then q.
Not q.
Therefore, not p.
Example:
If Spot barks, a burglar is in the
house.
A burglar is not in the house.
Therefore, Spot is not barking.

Valid Conditional Argument Forms
Hypothetical Syllogism
If p, then q.
If q, then r.
Therefore, if p, then r.
Example:
If Ajax steals the money, he will go to jail.
If Ajax goes to jail, his family will suffer.
Therefore, if Ajax steals the money, his family will suffer.

Diagramming Arguments: Step by Step
1. Underline all premise or conclusion indicator words such as
“since,” “therefore,” and “because.” Then number the
statements.
2. Find the conclusion and draw a wavy line under it.
3. Locate the premises and underline them.
4. Cross out all extraneous material—redundancies, irrelevant
sentences, questions, exclamations.
5. Draw the diagram, connecting premises and conclusions with
arrows showing logical connections. Include both
dependent and independent premises.

When Claims Conflict
 If a claim conflicts with other claims we
have good reason to accept, we have
good grounds for doubting it.
 If a claim conflicts with our background
information, we have good reason to
doubt it.
Chapter 4: Reasons for Belief and Doubt

Belief and Evidence
 We should proportion our belief to
the evidence.
 It’s not reasonable to believe a
claim when there is no good
reason for doing so.

Experts and Evidence
 If a claim conflicts with expert
opinion, we have good reason to
doubt it.
 When the experts disagree about a
claim, we have good reason to
doubt it.

Personal Experience
It’s reasonable to accept the evidence
provided by personal experience only if
there’s no good reason to doubt it.
Factors that can give us good reason to
doubt the reliability of personal experience:
 Impairment
 Expectation
 Innumeracy

How we fool ourselves:
 Resisting contrary evidence
 Looking for confirming evidence
 Preferring available evidence

How to evaluate the reliability
of the news:
 Consider whether the report conflicts
with what you have good reason to
believe.
 Look for reporter slanting.
 Consider the source.
 Check for missing information.
 Look for false emphasis.
 Check alternative news sources.

Two categories of fallacies:
Category 1—Fallacies that have
irrelevant premises.
Category 2—Fallacies that have
unacceptable premises.
Chapter 5: Faulty Reasoning

genetic fallacy—arguing that a claim is true or false
solely because of its origin.
Example: We should reject that proposal for solving
the current welfare mess. It comes straight from
the Democratic Party.
composition—arguing that what is true of the parts
must be true of the whole.
Example: The atoms that make up the human body
are invisible. Therefore, the human body is
invisible.
division—arguing that what is true of the whole must
be true of the parts.
Example: This machine is heavy. Therefore, all the
parts of this machine are heavy.

appeal to the person (or ad hominem, meaning
“to the man”)—rejecting a claim by criticizing
the person who makes it rather than the claim
itself.
Example: We should reject Chen’s argument for life
on other planets. He dabbles in the paranormal.
Types:
Personal attack
Accusation of inconsistency
Tu quoque
Circumstances
Poisoning the well

equivocation—the use of a word in two different
senses in an argument.
Example: Only man is rational. No woman is a man.
Therefore, no woman is rational.
appeal to the masses—arguing that a claim must
be true merely because a substantial number
of people believe it.
Example: Of course the war is justified. Everyone
believes that it’s justified.
appeal to tradition—arguing that a claim must be
true just because it’s part of a tradition.
Example: Acupuncture has been used for a
thousand years in China. It must work.

appeal to ignorance—arguing that a lack
of evidence proves something.
Examples:
No one has shown that ghosts aren’t real,
so they must be real.
No one has shown that ghosts are real, so
they must not exist.

appeal to emotion—the use of emotions as
premises in an argument.
Example: You should hire me for this network analyst
position. I’m the best person for the job. If I don’t get a
job soon my wife will leave me, and I won’t have
enough money to pay for my mother’s heart operation.
Come on, give me a break.
red herring—the deliberate raising of an irrelevant
issue during an argument.
Example: Every woman should have the right to an
abortion on demand. There’s no question about it.
These anti-abortion activists block the entrances to
abortion clinics, threaten abortion doctors, and
intimidate anyone who wants to terminate a pregnancy.

straw man—the distorting, weakening, or
oversimplifying of someone’s position so
it can be more easily attacked or refuted.
Example: Senator Kennedy is opposed to
the military spending bill, saying that it’s too
costly. Why does he always want to slash
everything to the bone? He wants a pint-
sized military that couldn’t fight off a crazed
band of terrorists, let alone a rogue nation.

begging the question (or arguing in a
circle)—the attempt to establish the
conclusion of an argument by using that
conclusion as a premise.
Example: God exists. We know that God
exists because the Bible says so, and we
should believe what the Bible says because
God wrote it.

false dilemma—asserting that there are only two
alternatives to consider when there are actually
more than two.
Example: Look, either you support the war or you
are a traitor to your country. You don’t support the
war. So you’re a traitor.
slippery slope—arguing, without good reasons,
that taking a particular step will inevitably lead
to a further, undesirable step (or steps).
Example: We absolutely must not lose the war in
Vietnam. If South Vietnam falls to the communists,
then Thailand will fall to them. If Thailand falls to
them, then South Korea will fall to them. And before
you know it, all of Southeast Asia will be under
communist control.

hasty generalization—drawing a conclusion
about a whole group based on an inadequate
sample of the group.
Example: The only male professor I’ve had this year
was a chauvinist pig. All the male professors at this
school must be chauvinist pigs.
faulty analogy—an argument in which the things
being compared are not sufficiently similar in
relevant ways.
Example: Dogs are warm-blooded, nurse their
young, and give birth to puppies. Humans are warm-
blooded and nurse their young. Therefore, humans
give birth to puppies too.

4 Logical Connectives:
& Conjunction (and)—as in p & q (Alice
rode her bike, and John walked.)
v Disjunction (or)—as in p v q (Either Alice
rode her bike, or John walked.)
~ Negation (not)—as in ~p (Alice did not
ride her bike. Or: It is not the case that
Alice rode her bike.)
 Conditional (if-then)—as in p q (If
Alice rode her bike, then John walked.)
Chapter 6: Deductive Reasoning: Propositional Logic

Truth table for a conjunction:
p q p & q
T T T
T F F
F T F
F F F

Truth table for a disjunction:
p q p v q
T T T
T F T
F T T
F F F

Truth table for a negation:
p ~ p
T F
F T

Truth table for a conditional:
p q p  q
T T T
T F F
F T T
F F T

4 Standard Categorical Statements:
1. All S are P. (All cats are carnivores.)
2. No S are P. (No cats are carnivores.)
3. Some S are P. (Some cats are carnivores.)
4. Some S are not P. (Some cats are not carnivores.)
Chapter 7: Deductive Reasoning: Categorical Logic

Quality and Quantity of the 4 Standard
Categorical Statements:
A All S are P (universal affirmative)
E No S are P (universal negative)
I Some S are P (particular affirmative)
O Some S are not P (particular negative)

Categorical Syllogism:
Major Premise 1. [middle term] [major term].
Minor Premise 2. [minor term] [middle term].
Conclusion 3. Therefore, [minor term] [major term].
1. All egomaniacs are warmongers.
2. All dictators are egomaniacs.
3. Therefore, all dictators are warmongers.
1. All M are P.
2. All S are M
3. Therefore, all S are P.

Enumerative Induction:
An inductive argument pattern in which we
reason from premises about individual
members of a group to conclusions about
the group as a whole.
X percent of the observed members of group A
have property P.
Therefore, X percent of all members of group A
probably have property P.
Chapter 8: Inductive Reasoning

Target group (or target population)—In
enumerative induction, the whole
collection of individuals under study.
Sample (or sample member)—In
enumerative induction, the observed
members of the target group.
Relevant property (or property in
question)—In enumerative induction, a
property, or characteristic, that is of
interest in the target group.

Hasty generalization—The fallacy of
drawing a conclusion about a target group
based on an inadequate sample size.
Biased sample—A sample that does not
properly represent the target group.
Representative sample—In enumerative
induction, a sample that resembles the
target group in all relevant ways.

Random sample—A sample that is selected
randomly from a target group in such a way as
to ensure that the sample is representative. In
a simple random selection, every member of
the target group has an equal chance of being
selected for the sample.
Confidence level—In statistical theory, the
probability that the sample will accurately
represent the target group within the margin of
error.
Margin of error—The variation between the
values derived from a sample and the true
values of the whole target group.

Argument by analogy (also, analogical
induction)—An argument making use of analogy,
reasoning that because two or more things are
similar in several respects, they must be similar in
some further respect.
Thing A has properties P1, P2, P3 plus the
property P4.
Thing B has properties P1, P2, and P3.
Therefore, thing B probably has property P4.

Criteria for judging arguments
by analogy:
1. The number of relevant similarities
2. The number of relevant dissimilarities
3. The number of instances compared
4. The diversity among cases

Causal Confusions
 Misidentifying relevant factors
 Overlooking relevant factors
 Confusing coincidence with cause
 Confusing cause with temporal order (post
hoc fallacy)
 Confusing cause and effect

Necessary and Sufficient Conditions
A necessary condition for the occurrence of
an event is one without which the event
cannot occur.
A sufficient condition for the occurrence of
an event is one that guarantees that the
event occurs.

Inference to the best explanation— A
form of inductive reasoning in which we
reason from premises about a state of
affairs to an explanation for that state of
affairs:
Phenomenon Q.
E provides the best explanation for Q.
Therefore, it is probable that E is true.
Chapter 9: Inference to the Best Explanation

Minimum Requirement:
Consistency
Internal consistency—A theory that
is internally consistent is free of
contradictions.
External consistency—A theory that
is externally consistent is consistent
with the data it’s supposed to explain.

Criteria of Adequacy
Testability Whether there is some way to
determine if a theory is true
Fruitfulness The number of novel predictions
made
Scope The amount of diverse phenomena
explained
Simplicity The number of assumptions made
Conservatism How well a theory fits with existing
knowledge

The TEST formula:
Step 1. State the Theory and check for
consistency.
Step 2. Assess the Evidence for the theory.
Step 3. Scrutinize alternative theories.
Step 4. Test the theories with the criteria of
adequacy.

The Scientific Method:
1. Identify the problem or pose a question.
2. Devise a hypothesis to explain the event or
phenomenon.
3. Derive a test implication or prediction.
4. Perform the test.
5. Accept or reject the hypothesis.
Chapter 10: Judging Scientific Theories

The Logic of Hypothesis Testing:
The hypothesis disconfirmed—
If H, then C.
not-C.
Therefore, not-H.
The hypothesis confirmed—
If H, then C.
C.
Therefore, H.

Common Mistakes in Assessing ‘Weird’
Theories:
 Believing that just because you can’t think of a
natural explanation, a phenomenon must be
paranormal.
 Thinking that just because something seems real, it
is real. (A better principle: It’s reasonable to accept
the evidence provided by personal experience only
if there’s no good reason to doubt it.)
 Misunderstanding logical possibility and physical
possibility. Also, believing that if something is
logically possible, it must be actual.

Moral statement:
A statement asserting that an action is right or
wrong (moral or immoral) or that something
(such as a person or motive) is good or bad.
moral statements—
 Serena should keep her promise to you.
 It is wrong to treat James so harshly.
 Abortion is immoral.
Chapter 11: Judging Moral Arguments and Theories

Nonmoral statement:
A statement that does not assert that an action
is right or wrong (moral or immoral) or that
something (such as a person or motive) is
good or bad. Nonmoral statements describe
states of affairs.
nonmoral statements—
 Serena did not keep her promise to you.
 James was treated harshly.
 Some people think abortion is immoral.

Judging Moral Theories
Moral Criteria of Adequacy:
 Consistency with our considered
moral judgments.
 Consistency with our experience of
the moral life.
 Workability in real-life situations.

introduction to critical thinking.ppt

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