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Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide.

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Print Price: $109.99

Format:
Paperback
376 pp.
108 line art; 12 figures; 25 tables, 7" x 9"

ISBN-13:
9780195443400

Copyright Year:
2014

Imprint: OUP Canada


Critical Thinking

Andrew Lawless

Critical Thinking offers a comprehensive and accessible approach to recognizing, constructing, and evaluating logical arguments. Direct and engaging, Lawless's narrative succinctly introduces readers to such essential topic as deductive and inductive reasoning, sentential logic and syllogisms, fallacies and biases, validity and soundness, and the scientific method. Brimming with indispensable examples, exercises, and advice, Critical Thinking helps students build the knowledge and skills they need to think critically and reason well, both in their academic studies and in their everyday lives.

Readership : Introductory-level undergraduate students in critical thinking courses.

Reviews

  • "I am very impressed with the depth of the work that has gone into this book. . . . The explicit point-by-point breakdown of arguments serves the material well, as does the accumulation, development, and coherence of the material within and between chapters."
    --David Scully, Algonquin College

  • "This book is clearly written and approachable . . . with lots of examples and helpful exercises. It offers close, unusually detailed guidance which other texts dealing with the same topics do not provide."
    --Robert Fahrnkopf, Douglas College

1. Getting into Arguments
The Basics of Critical Thinking
Arguments and Explanations
Reports on Arguments and Counterarguments
Extracting and Editing Arguments
Identifying Implicit Assumptions
The Principle of Charity
2. Diagramming Arguments
Independent and Co-dependent Premises
Arguments with Both Independent and Co-dependent Premises
Implicit Assumptions
More Difficult Arguments
Wordy Arguments
3. Where Arguments Go Wrong
Rhetoric and Informal Fallacies of Relevance
Fallacies of Exaggerated Relevance
Rhetoric and Loaded Terms
Social Biases
Cognitive Biases
4. Constructing Arguments
Two Guides to Good Reasoning
The Three Laws of Reason
Introducing Deduction
5. Sentential Logic
Identifying Sentences
Connecting Sentences: Logical Constants
Syllogisms
Some Tricky Readings
Longer and More Complicated Arguments
6. Testing for Validity
Truth Tables
Some More on Equivalents
Doing Validity Tests with Truth Tables
The Short Method
Natural Deduction
Appendix: How to Write Truth Tables
7. Induction: The Basics
What Is Induction?
Abduction and Analogy
8. Induction: Some Applications
Assessing Probability
Casual Arguments
Methods of Induction
9. The Scientific Method
An Overview of the Issues
The Scientific Method
The Scientific Method Revised
Answer Key
Glossary of Fallacies
Glossary of Terms
Index
Note: All chapters include:
- In-chapter exercises
- Summary

There are no Instructor/Student Resources available at this time.

Andrew Lawless is a visiting professor and associate fellow of Victoria College at the University of Toronto. He has published articles on political philosophy in the Canadian Journal of Political and Social Theory as well as a book, Plato's Sun (University of Toronto Press, 2005).

Creativity for Critical Thinkers - Anthony Weston and Byron Stoyles
Good Reasoning Matters! - Leo A. Groarke and Christopher W. Tindale
The Power of Critical Thinking - Lewis Vaughn and Chris MacDonald

Special Features

  • Conversational tone addresses the reader directly and encourages student engagement with and understanding of challenging concepts.
  • Over 700 exercises, with answers to all odd-numbered questions, give students the tools they need to test and develop their critical thinking skills.
  • Something to Think About boxes feature anecdotes, puzzles, and learning tips that highlight the practical value of developing strong critical thinking skills.
  • How to Write Truth Tables appendix guides students through the process of creating this important critical tool.
  • A glossary of fallacies provides a quick-reference guide for students as they learn to recognize and identify errors in reasoning.