Introduction to Critical Thinking and Its Obstacles

Flashcards covering key concepts from Chapters 1 and 2 of the critical thinking lecture, including arguments, worldviews, skepticism, relativism, objective truth, and upcoming quiz details.

In the context of critical thinking, how is an argument defined?

An argument is a piece of reasoning composed of premises (reasons or evidence) that support a conclusion, rather than a fight or disagreement.

What constitutes a person's worldview?

A collection or soup of beliefs, thoughts, and ideas—inherited from sources like parents, friends, social media, and culture—that helps a person interpret and make sense of the world.

What is the title of Chapter 2 presented in the lecture?

Obstacles to critical thinking.

What is healthy skepticism according to the lecture?

Asking basic evaluative questions (such as checking credentials, sources, and methods) before simply believing information or headlines.

What AI company and model were mentioned in the example of a scary social media post about AI development?

An engineer from Anthropic, the company that makes Claude (with Grok and Chat also mentioned).

What is the foundational premise of basic skepticism regarding knowledge?

That claiming to know something requires absolute certainty with a $0\%$ chance of being wrong, meaning humans can rarely "know" anything for sure.

What legal standard of proof in court trials is used to contrast with absolute certainty?

Guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, rather than beyond an absolute doubt.

Instead of asking "Do I know this for sure?", what is a more useful question for a critical thinker?

"How good are my reasons?"

How does philosophical relativism differ from skepticism?

A skeptic claims that nobody can know what is true for sure, whereas a relativist claims there is not even one objective truth to begin with.

What is the distinction made between a belief and truth?

Believing $X$ is a personal state or judgment someone holds, whereas truth is an objective property that a belief either has or does not have.

What is cultural (or social) relativism?

The view that truth is relative to specific societies or cultures.

Which historical examples were cited to argue that entire societies can be objectively wrong?

Societies that accepted human slavery, denied basic rights to women, accepted racial hierarchies, persecuted religious minorities, or engaged in practices like female genital mutilation and the child sex trade.

What theory was Albert Einstein looking for to bridge classical mechanics and quantum mechanics?

The grand unified theory.

What are the three types of attitudes regarding belief and knowledge described at the end of the lecture?

1. The person who says "I know I'm right." 2. The skeptic who says "Nobody can really know who's right." 3. The critical thinker who says "I have good reasons to be right, but I could be wrong."

What are the specifics regarding Quiz 1 announced at the end of class?

Quiz 1 takes place on Friday, contains $30$ multiple-choice questions, and students are given $50$ minutes to complete it.

Which university and disability services office were explicitly named during the administrative announcements?

UMBC and the SDS (Student Disability Services) office.