Critical thinking

1. Critical thinking

Critical (kriticos, criticus) able to discern by careful analysis and judgment

Think clearly and intelligently

Require person to have a rational thought and open mind

Ennis : critical thinking associate with

a. reflect skeptically
b. think in reasoned way

2. critical thinking standard

Clarity Precision Accuracy

Understand it Pay attention to Make sure info is

clearly details true

Relevance Consistency
Logical
Make sure info is Consistent, nvr correctness
related to the contradict
Think logically
issue ourselves

Completeness Fairness

Explore the Fair in our

issue thinking
3. 5 barrier to critical thinking

Egocentrism

Focus on yourself

Self-interested thinking Self-serving bias

Accept, agree and support beliefs Overrate yourself
that match your interest

Sociocentrism

Focus on your group

Group bias/ ethnocentrism conformism

See your own group as being better Follow the crowd
than others

Unwarranted
assumption

Something taken for

granted without a good

Stereotyping
- Assuming everyone within a group is the same
 Relativistic thinking

Truth is a matter of opinion

Subjectivism Cultural relativism

Truth is a matter of individual Truth is a matter of cultural opinion
opinion

Wishful thinking

Believe something not

because its true but you
wished it to be
 4. Argument

Reason supporting conclusion

Debate/ dispute
In critical thinking, argument = a statement defended with reasons
Purpose : to convince someone

Premises Conclusion
Argument
= +
Reasons/eviden Point of view
ce

Point of view
An attempt to
persuade
others
Reasons given
to support

What is not an argument

Conditional
Report Illustration
statement
Convey Statement
if then statement
information providing eg
If antecedent

Explanation
Unsupported
Statement assertion
clarify what
Statement about
happen or why
what author believes
happen
without evidence
5. Argumentative writing

Introduction

Paragraph 1

General statement / background

Stand

Body

Paragraph 2

Topic sentence
Supporting details

Paragraph 3

Topic sentence
Supporting details

Paragraph 4

Concession
Confuting argument

Eg. Some people say that.. However,

Conclusion

Restate stand
Summarize main points

Eg. In conclusion, it is ( stand ) because (point 1, 2, 3, 4)

 6. Type of argument
Argument
Deductive argument
Very strict
Conclusion is definite
Conclusion follow
unescapably from
premises
If premises are true,
then the conclusion
must true
Premises provide
conclusive evidence
If you accept
premises, must also
Deductive argument
Hypothetical syllogism
Syllogism = 3 line argument
Contain at least 1 conditional
statement
Modus ponens, modus tollens,
chain argument
Categorical syllogism
Statement begin with All,
Some,No
Argument by elimination
A or B . Not B. Therefore A
Argument based on mathematics
Math calculation
Argument from definition
Inductive argument
Based on assumption
Conclusion is indefinite
Conclusion follows
probably from
premises
If premises are true,
conclusion is probably
true
Premises provide
inconclusive evidence
Can accept the
premises and reject
Inductive argument
Inductive generalization
Which a generalization is claimed
to be true based on information
about some members of a group
Predictive argument
Prediction
Causal argument
Declared or deny that something
is a cause
Argument from authority
Statistical argument
Argument from analogy
Taking 2 things that similar in
 some way and use that to support
claims that they are similar in
other way

Valid +
Sound
Logic

Deductive
argument
Unsound Invalid or
illogical

BOTH

Cogent
All logic
Inductive
argument

Uncogent