CTBS: Claims Flashcards
What is a claim in critical thinking?
A claim is the major conclusion of a piece of writing that the author is trying to persuade the reader to accept.
How can a central claim be presented in a text?
It can be explicitly stated or implicit, requiring the reader to interpret and restate it in their own words.
What is essential to ensure when restating a claim?
The statement of the claim must be fair and should not distort the author’s meaning.
What are uncontested claims?
Claims that people may accept without challenge, even if no evidence is provided, because they align with experiences, appear factual, or are strongly supported by experts.
Give examples of uncontested claims.
Quebec is larger than Nova Scotia.
Newspaper reports of train accidents.
You cannot physically be in two places at the same time.
Mathematical or technical claims (e.g., a megabyte is 0.0009765625 of a gigabyte).
Can uncontested claims ever be challenged?
Yes, as new information arises, previously uncontested claims can be re-examined and challenged.
What are contestable claims?
Claims that require critical thinking to question their truth or falsity. These claims cannot stand alone and must be supported by evidence.
Why are contestable claims important?
They introduce new ideas, awaken curiosity, and encourage people to think in new ways, often making them more interesting and significant than uncontested claims.
Provide an example of a contestable claim
“In today’s society, it is worth boasting rather than being modest in order to be noticed in the workforce.”
How can claims be presented in longer texts?
Through a list of important concepts.
A series of propositions about how concepts are related.
Graphically, as a diagram or concept map.
