Chapter 1 Critical Thinking

Question 1

What is the purpose of Critical thinking?

Answer 1

To use logic to help determine whether or not we ought to believe the various things we read or people tell us.

Question 2

What is Logic?

Answer 2

Logic is the discipline that evaluates arguments and tells us whether they are good or bad.

Question 3

What is an argument?

Answer 3

It consists of a group of statements or propositions, one or more of which are claimed to provide evidence for the others.

Question 4

What are the statements/prepositions that present reasons or evidence called?

Answer 4

Premises

Question 5

What is the statement/preposition that the evidence is claimed to support called?

Answer 5

Conclusion

Question 6

What are statements?

Answer 6

Sentences that are used to make claims on how things are?

Question 6

Can a deductive argument be false?

Answer 6

Yes. The premises of a deductive argument might not guarantee the truth of the conclusion; just has to claim that the premises guarantee the truth of the conclusion.

Question 7

What is an inductive argument?

Answer 7

Claiming that the conclusion is improbable to be false given that the premises are true. Saying that the truth of the premises makes the conclusion likely.

Question 7

What are the two types of Statements?

Answer 7

True and False

Question 7

Are all sentences statements?

Answer 7

No. Can be a question, promise, commands etc.

Question 7

What are the 2 types of Arguments?

Answer 7

Inductive and Deductive

Question 7

What is a deductive argument?

Answer 7

Claims that it is impossible for the conclusion to be false given that the premises are true. Arguer is claiming that since the premises are true the conclusion must be true.

Question 8

Can an inductive argument be false?

Answer 8

Yes. The premises of a inductive argument might not guarantee the likelihood of the truth of the conclusion; just has to claim that the premises increase the liklihood the truth of the conclusion.

Question 9

What are the two central sources that identify the type of inferential claim(inductive or deductive)?

Answer 9

1. Presence of Indicator Terminology
2. Strength of inferential Connection

Question 10

What is the deductive argument indicator terminology?

Answer 10

Necessarily, Certainly, Absolutely, Definitely

Question 11

What is the inductive argument indicator terminology?

Answer 11

Probable, Improbable, Plausible, Implausible, likely, Unlikely.

Question 12

What 2 features does a good deductive argument have?

Answer 12

1. Has to be Valid - It is not possible for the premises to be true and the conclusion false. If it is possible for the conclusion to be false with true premises; then the argument is said to be invalid.
2. Has to be sound - Has to be valid, and has to have all true premises - Conclusion Must be True

Question 13

What 2 features does a good inductive argument have?

Answer 13

1. Has to be strong - Improbable that the conclusion is false given that the premises are true; if the conclusion is not probable given that the premises are true the argument is said to be weak. (Can come in degrees of strength)
2. Cogent - It is strong, and it has all true premises.

Question 14

What is the minimal condition that needs to be satisfied for a passage to contain an argument?

Answer 14

Include at least two statements - Premise and a conclusion; Passage has to include an inferential claim (evidence and reasons) for the conclusion.

Question 15

What are the 3 things to watch for when determining if a passage contains an argument?

Answer 15

1. Presence of Indicator terminology. Premise Indicators( because, since, given that); Conclusion indicators (hence, therefore, it follows that.)
2. Inferential relationship between the statements.
3. If the conclusion statement is controversial.

Question 16

What are Non Arguments?

Answer 16

Passages that fail to contain arguments

Question 17

Explain Unstructured Passages and its types.

Answer 17

Unstructured Passages: Non Argument Passage; Lack inferential claim and structure.

Statement of Belief passage: Passage to convey the speakers Opinion on something.

Loosely Associated Statement Passage: Passage made of loosely associated statements on same general subject.

Report Passage: Group of statements that convey information about some topic event. More tightly focused then loosely associated.

Conditional Statement passage: Statement of the form if, then. Statements by themselves are Non arguments.

Question 18

Explain Structured Passages and its types.

Answer 18

Structured Passages: Structures passages that lack evidence for supporting concluding statements.

1. Expository Passages: Collection of statements that begin with a topic sentences followed by more sentences to elaborate on it. Not to provide evidence but to elaborate.
2. Illustrative passages: Collection of statements providing examples designed to show what something means. One statement provides a generalization of something and the role of the remaining statements is to provide an instance of it.

Explanatory Passages: Group of statements that shed light on some phenomenon. The explanandum explains the phenomenon. The explanans are the statements that do the explaining. Why its true compared to if it’s true.