A Practical Guide To Critical Thinking: Deciding What To Do And Believe

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This book is an introduction to critical thinking across the curriculum. It is designed to introduce readers to the concepts, methods, and standards that are fundamental to critical thinking in a way that will be relevant and timely to their major course of study. The text covers the elements of critical thinking -- clarifying meanings, assessing reasons, and judging values -- in a way that makes contact with disciplines across the curriculum. More specifically, it broadens the concept of an argument from its philosophical roots to include experimentation, testing, measuring, policy development and assessment, and aesthetic appreciation (among others) as practices where critical thinking is needed. In addition to presenting practical techniques and methods for thinking critically about reasons and arguments wherever they are found, it also provides methods for thinking creatively about problems, solutions, and reasons. Special Features The across-the-curriculum approach of the book emphasizes that critical thinking occurs and that it must be understood from within a specific discipline. The book covers the fundamental logical concepts of validity and cogency without introducing formal systems. Logical skills are presented within the context of their applications. Chapter exercises are plentiful and appropriately graded for level of difficulty. The book finds a natural home for the discussion of the standard fallacies (common, but logically poor patterns of reasoning) as "mistakes to avoid." The book stresses creative as well as critical techniques and methods. The author's background lends support to the notion that the book will not be completely void of some mathematical reasoning; though, as noted throughout the text, the author clearly and simply distinguishes between formal and informal logic. About the Author David A. Hunter Ph.D, is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Ryerson University in Toronto (Ontario). He was previously Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Humanities at Buffalo State College (USA). His fields of interest include philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, epistemology, and critical thinking. He is a member of several societies, among them the American Philosophical Association and the Association for Informal Logic and Critical Thinking. He serves as an active referee for three journals, three conference proceedings, and two university presses. Table of Contents Chapter 1: The Nature and Value of Critical Thinking 1.1 The Nature of Critical Thinking. 1.2 Critical Thinking and Knowledge. 1.3 Critical Thinking and Personal Autonomy. 1.4 Mistakes to Avoid. 1.5 Practical Strategies. 1.6 From Theory to Practice: applying what we have been learning. Chapter 2: Clarifying Meaning 2.1 The Place of Definitions in Critical Thinking. 2.2 Assertion. 2.3 Constructing and Evaluating Definitions. 2.4 Thinking Critically about Frameworks. 2.5 Clarifying Beliefs and Problems. 2.6 Technical Definitions. 2.7 Meaning in Advertisements. 2.8 Mistakes to Avoid. 2.9 Practical Strategies. 2.10 From Theory to Practice: applying what we have learned. Chapter 3: Sufficient Reasons 3.1 Critical Thinking and Arguments. 3.2 Identifying Premises and Conclusions. 3.3 Dependent and Independent Premises. 3.4 Sub-Arguments. 3.5 Evaluating Logical Support. 3.6 Missing Premises. 3.7 Practical Strategies. 3.8 From theory to Practice: applying what we have learned. Chapter 4: Acceptable Reasons 4.1 Reliable Evidence. 4.2 Observation. 4.3 Memory. 4.4 Testimony. 4.5 Measurement. 4.6 Mistakes to Avoid. 4.7 Practical Strategies. 4.8 From Theory to Practice: applying what we have learned. Chapter 5: Reasoning about Alternatives and about Necessary and Sufficient Conditions 5.1 Reasoning about Alternatives. 5.2 Reasoning about Necessary and Sufficient Conditions. 5.3 Reasoning with Definitions and Standards. 5.4 Reasoning about Causal Conditions. 5.5 Mistakes to Avoid. 5.6 Practical Strategies. Chapter 6 Reasoning by Analogy 6.1 Reasoning by Analogy. 6.2 Reasoning using Representational Analogy. 6.3 Mistakes to Avoid. 6.4 From Theory to Practice: applying what we have learned. Chapter 7 Critical Thinking in Action 7.1 Thinking Critically about a Discipline. 7.2 Critical Thinking Questions. 7.3 Thinking Critically in your own Decision Making. 7.4 Thinking Critically in Discussion. 7.5 From Theory to Practice: applying what we have learned. Appendix A. Mistakes to Avoid Appendix B. Practical Strategies