Chapter 2 Flashcards
Appeal to popularity (or masses)
The view that some belief or practice is acceptable “merely” because it is popular
Peer Pressure
Social pressure to conform in one’s beliefs or practices
Philosphical skepticism
Awareness of the fallibility of human knowledge
Philosophical skeptics
Those (including all critical thinkers) who embrace some degree of skepticism
Social Relativism
View that truth is relative to societies
Subjective Relativism
View that truth depends on individual belief
Subjectivist Fallacy
Supporting a claim on the basis of subjective relativism
Stereotyping
Drawing hasty conclusions about groups of people without sufficient evidence
Worldview
Philosophy of life - what kind of world we live in, what should be the case in this world and what we know about it.
The environment of critical thinking and mistakes
We all make fallacies (mistakes!)
What should be do to avoid fallacies
- Watch for errors in thinking
- Restrain any attitudes and feelings that can distort or warp our reasoning
- Achieve a level of objectivity
3 elements to help us become better critical thinkers
- Awareness
- Practice
- Motivation
The study of how to persuade people
Rhetoric
The power of persuasion (rhetoric) can be used for _________.
Good or bad
Common impediments to critical thinking (categories)
- Hinderances (problems, barriers) from HOW we think (fears, motivations, attitudes etc.)
- Hinderances from WHAT we think (philosophical beliefs or ideas)
Problems with HOW we think
- You - focused on self preservation + self-interested thinking
- Everyone else
Problem with critical thinking?
Self-interest
Example of self-interest
“The province should lower tax; it would be good for my business!”
A rule of arguments and self-interest
Every argument should be judged objectively and in its own terms
Does self-interest & psychological motivation change quality of the argument?
NO!
It is still an argument
Accepting a claim because its in your interests.
That is a problem!
Ie. do i believe in lower tuition because that is what I WANT or do I really believe it is BETTER FOR EVERYONE?
Self-interested thinking can:
- limit critical inquiry
- blind you to facts
- lead you to ignore evidence
- encourage wishful thinking
- provoke self-deception
How to overcome self-interested thinking
- Watch out when things get personal
- Ensure nothing has been left out
- Be aware to how critical thinking can be undermined
Appeals to common practice
Refers to something people DO and argues that we should do it too because most people do it
What is the case with common beliefs?
Many things common;y believed are false
Rule of common practice
Generally just because this is how things have been done DOES NOT mean that is how it should be done.
Ex. Everyone speeds, so I shouldn’t get a ticket officer.
Example of subjective relativism
“2+2=4”
“Ottawa is the capital of Canada”
Problems with social relativism
- It implies that societies are infallible
- It is self-defeating
- How big must the group be?
Modern meaning of skepticism
Questioning or doubting
