Chapter 2 Obstacles to critical thinking

self- interested thinking

when you decide to accept a claim solely on the grounds that it advances, or coincides with, our interests.

group pressure

peer pressure, appeals to popularity, appeal to common practice.

worldview

a philosophy of life a set of fundamental ideas that helps us make sense of a wide range of important issues in life

Ex: For example, a worldview of atheism, which is a belief that God does not exist, explains the creation of the universe and of life as randomness acting over a very long time. In such a worldview, it is easy to adopt a worldview that people can have no purpose, for it is by accident that people even exist.

subjective relativism

Belief that truth depends on what someone believes

subjectivist fallacy

when you accept this notion or use it to try to support a claim.

social relativism

Beliefs truth is relative to societies

philosophical skepticism

the belief that we know much less than we think we do or nothing at all

prejudice

A rigid attitude that is based on group membership and predisposes an individual to feel, think or act in a negative way toward another person or group.

bias

A particular preference or point of view that is personal, rather than scientific.

racism

Belief that one race is superior to another

how subjective relativism undermines critical thinking

Truth is relative to persons, that is truth is a matter of what a person believes not a matter of how the world is. Meaning a proposition can be true for one person, but not for another.

how social relativism is inherently defective

truth is relative to society, that one societies or groups beliefs can be different from anothers. Example implies that societies are infallible even as stich horrors as the Nazi's imprisonment and the murder of millions of people in world war II.

Appeal to common practice

the fallacy of accepting or rejecting a claim based solely on what groups of people generally do or how they behave (when the action or behavior is irrelevant to the truth of the claim)


Ex: "Sure, some people buy into that equality crap. However, we know that everyone pays women less then men. It's okay, too. Since everyone does it, it can't really be wrong."

Appeal to popularity

Proposition is held to be true because it is widely held to be true or is held to be true by some (usually upper crust) sector of the population.

Ex: "The new UltraSkinny diet will make you feel great. No longer be troubled by your weight. Enjoy the admiring stares of the opposite sex. Revel in your new freedom from fat."

Peer Pressure

Influence exerted by a peer group or an individual.
Ex: You have to come with us to the movies tonights. All of us are going to be there. You can't miss it!

Stereotyping

Drawing conclusions about people without sufficient reasons.
Ex:A person sees a Mexican-American male and assumes he is an illegal immigrant.

Philosophical skeptic

Those who agree with philosophical skepticism

Critical thinking

Takes place in a mental environment consisting of ,our experiences, thoughts and feelings. Some elements of the inner environment make critical thinking more difficult or sabotage it all together.

Critical thinking

With practice we can detect v errors in our c thinking, , restrain attitudes and feelings that disrupt our reasoning, and and a achieve enough objectivity to make what possible?

Two Biggest obstacles to Critical Thinking

1. Obstacles that crop up because of how we think. (Fears, attitudes, motivations, and desires)
2. Those that occur because of what we think. (Philosophical beliefs)

FALSE ( No one is immune to this)

True or False: Some people are immune to psychological obstacles.

Egocentric Thinking

Hinders critical thinking by causing usto accept it clean solely because it advances our interest or just because it help us save face.

****refers to seeing and thinking of the world only from your own viewpoint and having difficulty appreciating someone else's viewpoint

3 ways to avoid obstacles of critical thinking

1. Be aware of strong emotions that can warp our thinking 2. Be alert to the ways that critical thinking can undermine,3. Ensure that we take into account all relevant factors when we evaluate a claim.

group pressure (first category of obstacles to critical thinking)

hindrances to critical thinking that include conformist pressures from groups that we belong to and ethnocentric urges to think that our group is superior to others.

Proportioning our beliefs according to the strength of reasons

What is the best defense of get group pressure?

the two categories of obstacles to critical thinking

1. Those that arise because of group pressure
2. Those that arise because of beliefs that undermine critical thinking.

belief that undermines critical thinking (the second category of obstacles to critical thinking)

Includes:
****subjective relativism which is the view that truth depends solely on what someone believes ( makes critical thinking look superfluous and is a self the beating problem that implies its own falsity)

&

*****social relativism which is the view that truth is relative to society. This is a claim that would also seem to make critical thinking unnecessary. But this notion is undermined by the same kinds of problems that plague subjective relativism.

Reasonable

Contrary to some forms of philosophical skepticism, to be knowledge claims need not be beyond all possible doubt but beyond all ______ doubt.

Ex: The moon is not made of green cheese.