Boxes
From the Publisher
Preface
Part One: Basics
1. The Power of Critical Thinking
Chapter Objectives
1.1 Why It Matters
1.2 How It Works
1.2.1 Claims and Reasons
1.2.2 Reasons and Arguments
1.2.3 Arguments in the Rough
Summary
Field
Problems
Self-Assessment Quiz
Critical Thinking and Writing Exercise
Writing Assignments
2. The "Environment" of Critical Thinking
Chapter Objectives
2.1 Category 1: How We Think
2.1.1 Am I Really Special?
2.1.1.1 Watch out When Things Get Personal
2.1.1.2 Be
Alert to Ways That Critical Thinking Can Be Undermined
2.1.1.3 Ensure That Nothing Has Been Left Out
2.1.2 The Power of the Group
2.2 Category 2: What We Think
2.2.1 Subjective Relativism
2.2.2 Social Relativism
2.2.3 Skepticism
Summary
Field
Problems
Self-Assessment Quiz
Integrative Exercises
Critical Thinking and Writing Exercise
Writing Assignments
Notes
3. Making Sense of Arguments
Chapter Objectives
3.1 Argument Basics
3.1.1 Deductive Arguments
3.1.2 Inductive Arguments
3.1.3 Good
Arguments
3.2 Judging Arguments
3.3 Finding Missing Parts
3.4 Argument Patterns
3.4.1 Affirming the Antecedent
3.4.2 Denying the Consequent
3.4.3 Hypothetical Syllogisms
3.4.4 Denying the Antecedent
3.4.5 Affirming the Consequent
3.4.6 Disjunctive
Syllogism
3.5 Diagramming Arguments
3.6 Assessing Long Arguments
Summary
Field Problems
Self-Assessment Quiz
Integrative Exercises
Critical Thinking and Writing Exercise
Writing Assignments
Notes
Bart Two: Reasons
4. Reasons for Belief and Doubt
Chapter Objectives
4.1 When Claims Conflict
4.2 Experts and Evidence
4.3 Personal Experience
4.3.1 Impairment
4.3.2 Expectation
4.3.3 Innumeracy
4.4 Fooling Ourselves
4.4.1 Resisting Contrary
Evidence
4.4.2 Looking for Confirming Evidence
4.4.3 Preferring Available Evidence
4.5 Claims in the News
4.5.1 Inside the News
4.5.2 Sorting out the News
4.5.2.1 Consider Whether the Report Conflicts with What You Have Good Reason to Believe
4.5.2.2 Look for Reporter
Slanting
4.5.2.3 Consider the Source
4.5.2.4 Check for Missing Information
4.5.2.5 Look for False Emphasis
4.5.2.6 Check Alternative News Sources
4.6 Advertising and Persuasion
4.6.1 Identification
4.6.2 Slogans
4.6.3 Misleading Comparisons
4.6.4 Weasel
Words
Summary
Field Problems
Self-Assessment Quiz
Integrative Exercises
Critical Thinking and Writing Exercise
Writing Assignments
Notes
5. Faulty Reasoning
Chapter Objectives
5.1 Irrelevant Premises
5.1.1 Genetic Fallacy
5.1.2 Appeal to the
Person
5.1.3 Composition
5.1.4 Division
5.1.5 Equivocation
5.1.6 Appeal to Popularity
5.1.7 Appeal to Tradition
5.1.8 Appeal to Ignorance
5.1.9 Appeal to Emotion
5.1.10 Red Herring
5.1.11 Straw Man
5.2 Unacceptable Premises
5.2.1 Begging the
Question
5.2.2 False Dilemma
5.2.3 Slippery Slope
5.2.4 Hasty Generalization
5.2.5 Faulty Analogy
Summary
Field Problems
Self-Assessment Quiz
Integrative Exercises
Critical Thinking and Writing Exercise
Writing Assignments
Notes
Part Three:
Arguments
6. Deductive Reasoning: Categorical Logic
Chapter Objectives
6.1 Statements and Classes
6.2 Translations and Standard Form
6.2.1 Terms
6.2.2 Quantifiers
6.3 Diagramming Categorical Statements
6.4 Assessing Categorical Syllogisms
Summary
Field
Problems
Self-Assessment Quiz
Integrative Exercises
Writing Assignments
7. Deductive Reasoning: Propositional Logic
Chapter Objectives
7.1 Connectives and Truth Values
7.1.1 Conjunction
7.1.2 Disjunction
7.1.3 Negation
7.1.4 Conditional
7.2 Checking for
Validity
7.2.1 Simple Arguments
7.2.2 Tricky Arguments
7.2.3 Streamlined Evaluation
Summary
Field Problems
Self-Assessment Quiz
Integrative Exercises
Writing Assignments
8. Inductive Reasoning
Chapter Objectives
8.1 Enumerative Induction
8.1.1 Sample
Size
8.1.2 Representativeness
8.1.3 Opinion Polls
8.2 Statistical Syllogisms
8.2.1 Evaluating Statistical Syllogisms
8.2.1.1 Acceptable Premises
8.2.1.2 Statistical Strength
8.2.1.3 Typical or Randomly Selected
8.3 Analogical Induction
8.3.1 Relevant
Similarities
8.3.2 Relevant Dissimilarities
8.3.3 The Number of Instances Compared
8.3.4 Diversity among Cases
8.4 Causal Arguments
8.4.1 Testing for Causes
8.4.1.1 Agreement or Difference
8.4.1.2 Both Agreement and Difference
8.4.1.3 Correlation
8.4.2 Causal
Confusions
8.4.2.1 Misidentifying Relevant Factors
8.4.2.2 Mishandling Multiple Factors
8.4.2.3 Being Misled by Coincidence
8.4.2.4 Confusing Cause with Temporal Order
8.4.2.5 Ignoring the Common Causal Factor
8.4.2.6 Confusing Cause and Effect
8.4.3 Necessary and
Sufficient Conditions
8.5 Mixed Arguments
Summary
Field Problems
Self-Assessment Quiz
Integrative Exercises
Writing Assignments
Notes
Part Four: Explanations
9. Inference to the Best Explanation
Chapter Objectives
9.1 Explanations and
Inference
9.1.1 Abductive Reasoning
9.2 Theories and Consistency
9.3 Theories and Criteria
9.3.1 Testability
9.3.2 Fruitfulness
9.3.3 Scope
9.3.4 Simplicity
9.3.5 Conservatism
9.4 Telling Good Theories from Bad
9.4.1 A Doomed Flight
Summary
Field
Problems
Self-Assessment Quiz
Integrative Exercises
Writing Assignments
Notes
10. Judging Scientific Theories
Chapter Objectives
10.1 Science and Not Science
10.2 The Scientific Method
10.3 Testing Scientific Theories
10.4 Judging Scientific
Theories
10.4.1 Copernicus versus Ptolemy
10.4.2 Evolution versus Creationism
10.5 Science and Weird Theories
10.6 Making Weird Mistakes
10.6.1 Leaping to the Weirdest Theory
10.6.2 Mixing What Seems with What Is
10.6.3 Misunderstanding the Possibilities
10.7 Judging
Weird Theories
10.7.1 Talking with the Dead
Summary
Field Problems
Self-Assessment Quiz
Integrative Exercises
Writing Assignments
Notes
11. Contexts of Application: Thinking Critically about Health, Law, and Ethics
Chapter Objectives
11.1 Thinking Critically
About Health and Health Care
11.1.1 Key Skills
11.1.2 Evaluating Health Claims in the News
11.1.3 Finding and Evaluating Expert Advice
11.1.4 Stumbling Blocks
11.2 Thinking Critically About the Law
11.2.1 Key Skills
11.2.2 Stumbling Blocks
11.3 Thinking Critically
About Ethics
11.3.1 Key Skills
11.3.2 Stumbling Blocks
Summary
Field Problems
Self-Assessment Quiz
Writing Assignments
Notes
Appendix A: Essays for Evaluation
Appendix B: Answers to Exercises
Glossary
Index
Instructor's Manual
Student Study Guide
PowerPoint Slides
Test Bank
Image Bank
Enhanced eBook
Self Quizzes
Videos to help Enhance Concepts
Flashcards
Suggested Resources for Selected Field Problem Activities
Chris MacDonald is an associate professor and director of the Law and Business Department at the Ted Rogers School of Management, Toronto Metropolitan University.
Lewis Vaughn is an independent scholar and author of several textbooks on philosophy, ethics, and critical thinking.
Writing Philosophy - Lewis Vaughn and Jillian Scott McIntosh
