Critical Thinking

Question 1

What is Critical thinking?

Answer 1

Employs argument rather than rhetoric

Question 2

What is an argument?

Answer 2

A set of statements linked in a particular way ,it will have one or more premises and one conclusion which is the end point

Question 3

What are the premises intended to do?

Answer 3

Provide support for the conclusion

Question 4

What is the aim of an argument?

Answer 4

To establish the truth of a statment

Question 5

What is validity?

Answer 5

If the premises were true the conclusion would have to be true
it would be impossible for all the premises to be true and the conclusion false

Question 6

Could there be a valid argument with false premises and a true conclusion ?

Answer 6

Yes
Socrates is an Elephant
All elephants are Greek

Socrates is Greek

Question 7

Could there be a valid argument with true premises and a false conclusion?

Answer 7

No

In no possible circumstances could the premises be true and the conclusion false

Question 8

A useful method for showing that an argument is invalid

Answer 8

The method of counter example

Question 9

How can we be sure that the conclusion of an argument is really true?

Answer 9

Is the argument valid?
Are its premises actually true?
only when answer yes in both occasions do we have grounds to accept the conclusion

Question 10

When is an argument sound?

Answer 10

A valid argument with true premises

Question 11

An argument is said to be deductively valid iff…

Answer 11

It is logically impossible for the premises to be true and the conclusion false.

Question 12

An argument is inductively strong iff…

Answer 12

the truth of the premises makes the truth of the conclusion probable but does not guarantee it

Question 13

To say that an argument is inductively sound is to say..

Answer 13

It is inductively strong and its premises are actually true

Question 14

Why is deductive logic monotonic?

Answer 14

the more premises you add the more conclusions you may draw

Question 15

Why is inductive logic non monotonic?

Answer 15

sometimes a conclusion is made less probable by new info

Question 16

What is an antecedent?

Answer 16

The sentence which forms the if part

Question 17

What is the consequent?

Answer 17

The sentence which forms the then part

Question 18

What is a sufficient condition?

Answer 18

The truth of the first statement would guarantee the truth of the second statement.The truth of the first one is all you need ,sufficient enough to ensure the truth
E.G
Having your head cut off is a sufficient condition for being dead.There are many other ways to die ,but decapitation is sufficient enough to ensure it.

Question 19

What is a necessary condition?

Answer 19

The truth of the first statement is required or necessary for the truth of the second.
E.G
Paying your tuition fees is a necessary condition for graduating.If you are to graduate you must pay your fees but you also need to do a few other things as well like pass exams

Question 20

What is the layout of a Modus Ponens argument

Answer 20

A- B
A
C= B

Question 21

What is the layout of Fallacy of affirming the consequent

Answer 21

A- B
A
C =A

Question 22

What is the layout of the Fallacy of denying the antecedent

Answer 22

A -B
NOT A
C=NOT B

Question 23

What is the layout of Modus Tollens

Answer 23

A-B
NOT B
C=NOT A

Question 24

How can we demonstrate the fallacies

Answer 24

Using the counter example technique

Question 25

A set of statements are consistent iff...

Answer 25

There is a logically possible situation where they are all true at once

Question 26

Two statements are said to be logically equivalent iff..

Answer 26

The bio conditional formed from them is logically necessary Each may be validly deducted from one another There is no logically possible situation in which only one of them is true.

Question 27

Your name is morris moss is it not?

Answer 27

It is not!

Question 28

What is an argumentum ad hominem?

Answer 28

An argument directed against the person rather than the views they are expressing

Question 29

What is a Tu quoque fallacy?

Answer 29

You Too Like an argumentum ad hominem the focus is on the person rather than the views they are expressing but with a particular emphasis on hypocrisy

Question 30

What is the deriving ought from is fallacy

Answer 30

based on David Hume's observations that if X is the case doesnt mean that it ought to be the case Eg arguments from human nature

Question 31

What is the weak analogy fallacy?

Answer 31

arises from an argument appealing to relevant similarites between two things. the dissimilarites outweigh the similarites

Question 32

What is the false dilemma?

Answer 32

Assuming that there are only 2 options (often extremes) when there may be others

Question 33

What is the straw man fallacy?

Answer 33

The arguer ignores the opponents real position and misrepresents the persons argument in order to make it easier to attack.

Question 34

What is the post hoc ergo propter hoc causal fallacy?

Answer 34

Infer X cause Y merely on the basis that X preceded Y | eg the rooster crows before sunrise therfore the rooster causes the sun to rise

Question 35

What is the inversion of Cause and Effect causal fallacy?

Answer 35

Mistakenly infer that if X causes Y,an absence of X will prevent Y

Question 36

The base rate fallacy?

Answer 36

the proportion of one group that has a certain feature is higher than the proportion of another group that has that feature. Therefore, some X that has that feature is more likely to be from the first group than the second. Eg Rex is either a rat or a cat, 75 % of cats are black but only 45 % of rats are black. Rex is black. So Rex is probably a cat

Question 37

What is the fallacy of equivocation?

Answer 37

When an argument trades on ambiguity

Question 38

Name the fallacy | Of course slavery shouldn’t be abolished. We’ve had slavery here for centuries.

Answer 38

Deriving ought from is

Question 39

Name the fallacy Lecturers say their job is becoming harder and harder and that they deserve better pay and conditions. But the government should ignore them; they’re just a bunch of whingeing liberals.

Answer 39

Ad homneim

Question 40

What is the correspondence theory of truth?

Answer 40

A proposition is true iff it corresponds to the facts

Question 41

What is the coherence theory of truth?

Answer 41

A statement is true iff it coheres with some belief system