Exam 1 Flashcards
Argument
A group of statements where one or more (the premise[s]) support the idea(s) presented by one of the others (the conclusion). It’s goal is to provide evidence that an idea should be believed as true; interchangeable with inference
Rational
Not in studyguide, added by me
Something that is based on reason and logic; reason is the cheif source and test of knowledge; it does not claim more than the evidence available suggests, and leaves open possibilities that are not closed off by that evidence.
Knowledge
A specialized belief that is justified and true, it cannot be mistaken; it increases our true beliefs and decreases our false beliefs
Epistemic Bubble
An informational network that hinders knowledge because outsider voices are filtered out; you cannot hear other opinions
Premises
The statements in an argument that provide the case for beliving in the conclusion (1 or more per argument)
Echo Chamber
A social structure that hinders knowledge and critical thinking because outside voices are actively discredited; trust has been manipulated to the point that you cannot believe anything the ‘other side’ says
Statement
A true or false sentence used in arguments as premises and conclusions ; interchangeable with proposition
True Belief
An attitude that someone has about a claim, that ends up being a fact (can be justified or unjustified)
Belief
An attitude that someone has about a claim; all beliefs should be coherent with each other
Matters-of-Fact
A claim that is expressed as a statement, and appeals to facts in order to prove it (“Joe Biden is the president of the US”/”The sky is green.”)
Critical Thinking
The careful and deliberate determination of a claim and whether it should be accepted, rejected, or suspended AND the amount of confidence that should be placed upon it (“We ought to believe this” - Normative)
Matters-of-Opinion
A claim that is expressed as a statement, but does not appeal to facts to prove it (“nothing you can show me that will make this a fact”/”Vanilla is the best ice cream flavor”)
Conclusion
A statement in an argument that is being claimed to support/given evidence for believing (only 1 per argument)
Justified Belief
A belief supported by previous evidence, regardless of correctness, meaning it can also be incorrect
Why is critical thinking NORMATIVE?
Normative - ‘how things should be, we ought to believe in this.’ It expresses a claim of how something should be/if something should be believed (NOT descriptive ‘how things are’)
Critical thinking is normative because we use it to accept/reject claims and whether we should be confident in our judgement (we adjust our degree of belief regarding the amount of evidence that we have). Using these judgements, we make the claim that ‘we ought to believe in this because __,’ meaning it is normative as it tells us what we ought to do.
What does it mean to say that critical thinking is a METHODOLOGY?
Methodology - A system of methods used to support your rationale
Critical thinking involves determining whether a claim should be accepted or rejected, and you utilize multiple methods to attain that goal (arguments, justification, etc.)
What is the “trial analogy?” How is it used to illustrate critical thinking as a methodology?
In a court trial, the goal is to exonerate the innocent and convict the guilty. There are rules set up in trials to make sure that this goal is met, like ‘innocent until proven guilty/ rules of evidence and disclosure.’ The court system is set up to achieve the desired ends. However, the guilty will sometimes go free and innocent people will be convicted.
In critical thinking, the goal is to decide if a claim should be accepted or rejected. There are rules to ensure that we achieve this goal, like supported arguments and evidence. Critical thinking is set up to achieve this goal, but sometimes we cannot come to a conclusion on whether a claim should be justified or not.
What does it mean to claim that we should want our beliefs generated by reality and not a desire?
We should want our beliefs to be coherent, as in they are clear and consistent. Beliefs should generally make sense in the real world, and have arguments to back them up. You can want god to be real, but that shouldn’t be the ground for your belief in him. You should have a good argument and empirical evidence as a ground for your belief.
Coherence in relation to beliefs
If I believe that all cats are intelligent, believe that my neighbour’s pet is a cat, and also believe that my neighbour’s pet is stupid, then my beliefs are incoherent.
What is Morton’s “Black cat” example and how is it connected to the ideas of justification and truth?
There is some mechanism in the universe which ensures that whenever a black cat crosses a person’s path, something bad happens to that person in the future. No one knows about this mechanism, which works by principles that humans will never understand. IT IS TRUE, but there might not be any good evidence for it. So, irrational beliefs can be true. If I were to come across a black cat multiple times, and each time, bad luck was to occur, then I would be justified in my belief that black cats bring bad luck. It is an IRRATIONAL/UNJUSTIFIED belief, since there is not facts or proof understood about this mechanism, but it is a TRUE belief. It would be rational if there were facts that I could appeal to to prove it.
How are knowledge and belief related to each other?
A belief is an attitude that someone has about a claim/statement. Knowledge is a special kind of belief that is justified and true. Belief is necessary, but not sufficient, for knowledge. Beliefs can be mistaken (true or false) while knowledge cannot. Knowledge is justified and rational
Why is having a true belief inadequate for knowledge?
A belief can end up being true, but that does not mean that I ‘knew’ that it was true. It would be like if I said, “I believe god is real,” and then he showed up one day. My belief ended up being true, but I did not know that he was real. JUSTIFICATION is the deciding factor.
What is a justified belief?
A belief supported by previous evidence, regardless of correctness. A justified belief can also be incorrect. I know nothing about giraffes. I read a book saying that a rhino is a giraffe. I go to the zoo, point at a rhino, and say that it is a giraffe.” This is a justified belief, but it is incorrect. “My sister, who is an expert on giraffes and rhinos, says ‘no, that is not a giraffe, that is a rhino.’” Her belief is justified also, but hers Is correct. Opposing beliefs can also be justified, but one is still wrong and CANNOT count as knowledge.
How is “truth” connected to “facts.”?
Truth and falsity are evaluations of statements. A fact is simply the way the world is. There is a cat on a mat. This is TRUE if there is a cat on the mat, and the state of affairs is a FACT. However, this is FALSE if there is not a cat on the mat, and the state of affairs is a FACT. Facts are indisputable and have research, and Truth can include facts but also a belief.
