Philosophy - Philosophy Course Notes

Critical Thinking - Philosophy 145

Lecture 1 - Introduction

Dec 14, 2006

I. What is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking involves learning how to identify when arguments are presented and determining if they are good arguments.

The goal of critical thinking  is to develop skills in understanding and evaluating arguments.  It also helps us decide if we should be persuaded by arguments.

II. How This Course Is Organized

Four main ways a critical thinking can be organized:
1. Fallacies based vs theoretical approach.  Either learn incorrect thinking and how to spot bad arguments or learn how to do good arguments.

2. Letters to the editor vs learn from complicated, professional approach.  Either learn easy to understand examples or the hard to understand arguments of professionals.

3. Focus on a particular subject vs learn from a variety of topics.  Either get to be an expert in one area or practice the skill set.

4. Focus on areas people are passionate about like religion and politics vs non-interesting examples so people focus on the arguments.

III. Questions We Should Ask

1 . What is an argument?

2. When is an argument being presented?

3. What is the structure of an argument?

4. What makes a good argument?

5. What conditions must an argument satisfy in order to be a good argument?

IV. Why Study Formal Logic?

1. Logic is the study of valid forms of argument.

2. The best kind of support a premise can give to a conclusion is when you have a valid arguments.

3. When you are studying the forms that arguments can take you have to abstract away the specific content you are investigating.  The same argument forms can take place whether discussing politics, hockey or ice cream.

4 . Formal logic is important for students of critical thinking because the amount of support a premise gives a conclusion is often dependent on the form of an argument.

5. There are two parts in evaluating an argument:

a. Investigating is reasons given are acceptable (premises are true) - content of what a person says

b. Investigating how well those reasons link up with the conclusion.

V. Why Study Scientific Reasoning?

1. Most people who study science have to take a course in methodology.

2. We often hear reports in press based on scientific studies, these reports have important implications in our life.

3. There is lots of junk science out there, people wanting to sell a product.  Learning to spot this can protect you.