Powerpoint #12 - Argumentation and Critical Thinking Flashcards
What is argumentation?
an effective way to improve knowledge and come to an agreement
What is critical thinking?
a way to make arguments self-correcting
What is eristic dialogue?
social debate where the goal is to win the argument, not improve understanding or reach mutual conclusion
What are the elements of a good argument?
- Final Claim
- Counterclaim
- Supporting Argument
- Rebuttal
What is a final claim?
conclusion one participant argues is true
What is a counterclaim?
alternate claim, oftentimes opposes final claim
What is a supporting argument? What are the parts of a supporting argument?
facts supporting a claim
- evidence: facts supporting a claim
- pseudo-evidence: limiting credibility of alternate claim
- opinion: statement of belief
- warrant: statement connecting data and claim
- backing: credentials
What is a rebuttal?
statements challenging a claim/arguments in support of a claim
What are Pragma-Dialectics?
series of rules for arguments that, if followed, should lead to rational discourse
What are the rules for good arguments?
- All claims must be defensible
- Stay focused and relevant
- Clarify
- Sound reasoning
- Question assumptions
- Acknowledge valid points made by other party
What does it mean to be critical?
- be independent
- be reflexive (look back at own work/experiences)
- be open-minded
- be focused
What does it mean to be thinking?
- blend abstract and concrete
- systematic
- discerning
- capable
What is Independent Thinking?
- -> requires self-reflection/self-criticism
- meta thinking: thinking about your thinking while you’re thinking, to make your thinking clearer/more accurate/more defensible
What is Open-Minded Thinking?
–> thinking that is open to possibilities, seeks out info, willing to trust logic/empirical data
What are signs of Open-Minded Thinking?
- acknowledging others perspectives
- anticipating arguments that may challenge your view
- respecting others perspectives
- avoiding basic dualism (tendency to only see right/wrong, black/white)
What is Focused Thinking?
- question/theme identified clearly
- sub-issues identified
- implicit issues made explicit
What is Systematic Thinking?
–> when a person puts thoughts in context and examines implications as they choose their position
What is Abstract Reasoning?
–> the ability to reason at many different levels of abstraction and generalize from particular to abstract
What are the two forms of Abstract Reasoning?
- interpretation: recognize abstract concepts exemplified by examples
- generalization: recognize when something specific represents general principals
What is Blooms Taxonomy?
recognize there are different levels of reasoning
What is Discerning Thinking?
- -> critical thinking requires avoiding relativism (view that different views are necessarily equally valid)
- different views deserve respect, but not all are valid
Why should you be discerning?
- nothing can be known completely
- knowledge = tentative and subject to revision based on new evidence and interpretation
What is Capable Thinking?
–> exercise of logical rational skills, analytic skills, and the ability to think clearly and effectively
What is Causal Reasoning?
- multiple causes: multiple causes to most things
- causality vs. association: two variables being correlated doesn’t mean one causes another
- causal direction: whether X causes Y is not always obvious and may have to be examined carefully
