Seeing Reason - MT1 - Part 2

Question 1

What are 9 attitudes, fallacies and practices?

Answer 1

1. Self flattery
2. Motivated reasoning
3. Confirmation bias
4. Selective use of evidence
5. Fallacies of irrelevance
6. Fallacy that all opinions are equally valid
7. Last thursdayium
8. Outright fraud and lying
9. Indifference to the concept of truth

Question 2

Self-flattery

Answer 2

We tend to over estimate our own intelligence

- confidence

Question 3

Motivated reasoning

Answer 3

Is fact collection and argument that is driven by an assumed conclusion
- have a conclusion in mind and you drive your information collection towards that

Question 4

What is a powerful force behind motivated reasoning?

Answer 4

Ideology

Question 5

Confirmation bias

Answer 5

People tend to favour evidence that supports a conclusion they already hold

Question 6

What is an example of confirmation bias?

Answer 6

Capital punishment

• evidence shows both positive and negative outcomes for capital punishment, it just depends on where you already stand in order to view the facts
• death penalty = yes or no?

Question 7

Selective use of evidence

Answer 7

Cherry picking facts favourable to one’s position

- need to make sure you use a well informed site for articles

Question 8

Fallacies of irrelevance (5)

Answer 8

1. Changing the subject
2. Accusation of hypocrisy
3. Ad hominen fallacy
4. Genetic fallacy
5. Argument from authority

Question 9

What is an example of changing the subject?

Answer 9

Ethical oil (book)

• should support the oil sands because we are nice guys and others aren’t
• this book shifts the attention away from the main issue which is climate change

Question 10

Where is accusation of hypocrisy popular?

Answer 10

In celebrities

Question 11

What is an example of a celebrity that is an accusation of hypocrisy?

Answer 11

Leonardo DiCaprio
- is seen as a face for environmental issues/ preventions, however, he has a private plane that is not good for the environment

Question 12

Ad hominen fallacy

Answer 12

Is an argument strategy, whereby an argument is proven by attacking the character, motive or other attribute of the person making the argument, rather than attacking the substance of the argument itself

Question 13

Genetic fallacy

Answer 13

Confusing origins with justification

- having someone’s opinion not count because they are a certain type of person or work from a specific company

Question 14

Argument from authority

Answer 14

You should believe someone because that are from a certain company of a specific type of person

Question 15

What does science limit?

Answer 15

Probability to controversy

eg. nessie, sasquash, etc

Question 16

Last thursdayium

Answer 16

Is the belief that the world and everything in it was created last Thursday
- it is resistant to all attempts of falsification

Question 17

What will not be accepted?

Answer 17

Negative evidence

Question 18

Negative evidence

Answer 18

Believe something so much that we twist all over evidence that contradicts it

Question 19

What is an example of a common outright fraud and lie?

Answer 19

Global warming

- photoshopped cover photos to make it look worse then it actually is

Question 20

In difference to the concept of truth

Answer 20

Not telling a lie but you get out of a situation and make an impression

Question 21

Truthiness

Answer 21

Truth that comes from the gut, not from books

Question 22

What are 4 remedies?

Answer 22

1. Scientific curiosity
2. Care about sources
3. Awareness of logical fallacies
4. Avoiding an us-against-them mentality

Question 23

Scientific curiosity

Answer 23

People who are very interested in science and the natural world
- these people are the people who accept the reality of climate change

Question 24

Care about sources

Answer 24

Some sources are more trustworthy than others

- care about methods rather than beliefs