This succinct, interdisciplinary introduction to critical thinking successfully dares students to question their own assumptions and to enlarge their thinking through the analysis of the most common problems associated with everyday reasoning. The text offers a unique and effective organization: Part I explains the fundamental concepts; Part II describes the most common barriers to critical thinking; Part III offers strategies for overcoming those barriers.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
PART I. THE CONTEXT
1. Who Are You?
The Influence of Time and Place
The Influence of Ideas
The Influence of Mass Culture
The "Science" of Manipulation
The Influence of Psychology
Becoming an Individual
2. What Is Critical Thinking?
Mind, Brain, or Both?
Critical Thinking Defined
Characteristics of Critical Thinkers
The Role of Intuition
The Basic Activities of Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking and Writing
Critical Thinking and Discussion
Avoiding Plagiarism
3. What Is Truth?
Where Does It All Begin?
Imperfect Perception
Imperfect Memory
Deficient Information
Even the Wisest Can Err
Truth Is Discovered, Not Created
4. What Does It Mean to Know?
Requirements of Knowing
Testing Your Own Knowledge
How We Come to Know
Why Knowing is Difficult
A Cautionary Tail
Is Faith a Form of Knowledge
Obstacles to Knowledge
5. How Good Are Your Opinions?
Opinions Can Be Mistaken
Opinions on Moral Issues
Even Experts Can Be Wrong
Kinds of Errors
Informed Versus Uninformed Opinion
Forming Opinions Responsibly
6. What Is Evidence?
Kinds of Evidence
Evaluating Evidence
What Constitutes "Sufficient" Evidence?
7. What Is Argument?
The Parts of an Argument
Evaluating Arguments
More Difficult Arguments
PART II. THE PITFALLS
8. The Basic Problem: "Mine Is Better"
Egocentric People
Ethnocentric People
Controlling "Mine-Is-Better" Thinking
9. Errors of Perspective
Poverty of Aspect
Unwarranted Assumptions
The Either/Or Outlook
Mindless Conformity
Absolutism
Relativism
Bias For or Against Change
10. Errors of Procedure
Biased Consideration of Evidence
Double Standard
Hasty Conclusion
Overgeneralization and Stereotyping
Oversimplification
The Post Hoc Fallacy
11. Errors of Expression
Contradiction
Arguing in a Circle
Meaningless Statement
Mistaken Authority
False Analogy
Irrational Appeal
12. Errors of Reaction
Automatic Rejection
Changing the Subject
Shifting the Burden of Proof
"Straw Man"
Attacking the Critic
13. The Errors in Combination
Errors of Perspective
Errors of Procedure
Errors of Expression
Errors of Reaction
Sample Combinations of Errors
A Sensible View of Terminology
PART III. A STRATEGY
14. Knowing Yourself
Critical Thinking Inventory
Using Your Inventory
Challenge and Reward
15. Being Observant
Observing People
Observation in Science and Medicine
The Range of Application
Becoming More Observant
Reflecting Your Observations
16. Selecting an Issue
The Basic Rule: Less Is More
How to Limit an Issue
Sample Issue: Pornography
Sample Issue: Boxing
Sample Issue: Juvenile Crime
Narrowing the Issue Further
17. Conducting Inquiry
Working with Inconclusive Results
Where to Look for Information
Keeping Focused
How Much Inquiry is Enough?
Managing Lengthy Material
18. Forming a Judgment
Evaluating Evidence
Evaluating Your Sources' Arguments
Making Important Distinctions
Expressing Judgments
19. Persuading Others
Guidelines for Persuasion
An Unpersuasive Presentation
A Persuasive Presentation
Notes
Index
