Critical Thinking

Proposition

A statement that expresses an idea that can either be true or false.

Premise indicator

Words or phrases that signal the presence of a premise in an argument, such as 'because', 'since', or 'for'.

Inference

The process of drawing a conclusion from premises or evidence.

Deductive reasoning

A type of reasoning where conclusions are derived from general premises, and the conclusion must be true if the premises are true.

Invalid reasoning

Reasoning where the conclusion does not logically follow from the premises, even if the premises are true.

Valid reasoning

Reasoning where the conclusion logically follows from the premises, ensuring that if the premises are true, the conclusion must also be true.

Inductive reasoning

A type of reasoning that involves drawing general conclusions from specific examples or observations.

Cogent

A property of an inductive argument that is strong and has true premises.

Sound

A property of a deductive argument where the argument is valid and all its premises are true.

Denying the antecedent

A logical fallacy that occurs when one assumes that if 'if A then B' is true, then 'not A' means 'not B'.

Affirming the consequent

A logical fallacy that occurs when one assumes that if 'if A then B' is true, then 'B' implies 'A'.

The fallacy fallacy

The mistake of assuming that just because an argument contains a fallacy, its conclusion must be false.

Context collapse

The situation where different social contexts converge, causing a blending of expectations and norms, which can affect communication and behavior.

The principle of charity

Interpreting someone's statements in the most rational way possible, assuming good intentions, and giving the benefit of the doubt.

Confirmation bias

The natural tendency to minimize or ignore evidence contrary to one's beliefs while seeking out and relying on evidence that supports one's beliefs.

Representativeness

The tendency to apply a mental prototype from previous experience to interpret a new situation.

Cogency

A property of an inductive argument if it is strong and has true premises.

Availability

The tendency to interpret a new situation using information readily available, without considering additional information that may affect the situation.

Alief

A type of belief or attitude that is often unconscious and automatic, influencing behavior even if it conflicts with one's conscious beliefs.

Ad Hominem

A fallacy where the argument attacks a person’s character rather than addressing the argument itself.

Genetic Fallacy

A fallacy that involves dismissing or validating an argument based on its origin or source rather than its merit.

Straw Man

A fallacy that misrepresents or oversimplifies an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack.

Red Herring

A fallacy that introduces an irrelevant topic to divert attention from the original issue.

Irrelevant Appeals

Fallacies that use an appeal to irrelevant authority, emotion, or other factors to distract from the actual argument.

Equivocation

A fallacy that uses an ambiguous term or word in different ways to mislead or confuse the argument.

Appeal to Ignorance

A fallacy that argues that a lack of evidence against something proves it is true.

Slippery Slope

A fallacy that assumes a small action will lead to a series of negative consequences, without sufficient evidence.

Texas Sharpshooter

A fallacy where someone cherry-picks data or information to fit their argument, ignoring other contradictory evidence.

Post Hoc

A fallacy where one assumes that because event A happened before event B, A caused B.

Hasty Generalization

A fallacy that involves making a broad generalization based on a small or unrepresentative sample.

Presumption

A fallacy where one assumes something without proper evidence or argument.

Conjoint vs. Independent Support

The distinction between arguments that support each other and those that stand alone in providing separate evidence for a conclusion.

Argument Layers

The structure or hierarchy of reasons and evidence that support or oppose a conclusion in an argument.

Hidden Assumptions

Unstated beliefs or premises that are necessary for an argument to work but are not explicitly acknowledged.