Critical Thinking Fundamentals Summary
Critical Thinking Fundamentals
- Definition: Critical thinking involves careful and exact evaluation and judgment, not merely finding fault.
- Skills Included: Recognition, analysis, evaluation, and construction of arguments.
Importance of Critical Thinking
- Essential for success in:
- College
- Workplace
- Marketplace
- Living an examined life
Understanding Arguments
- Argument Structure:
- Claims: Statements with truth value (e.g., "It is snowing.").
- Conclusion: Main claim the arguer is trying to prove.
- Premise: Claims providing support for a conclusion.
- Identifying Claims: Not all sentences are claims, use the phrase "it is true that…" to test.
Inference Indicators
- Conclusion Indicators:
- therefore…
- thus…
- consequently…
- so…
- Premise Indicators:
- because…
- since…
- given…
Types of Reasoning
- Deductive Reasoning: Conclusion must necessarily follow from premises.
- Inductive Reasoning: Conclusion probably follows from premises.
Implicit Biases
- Challenges: Implicit biases can obscure critical thinking, being unintentional and often beyond awareness.
- Types of Implicit Biases:
- Outgroup Homogeneity Bias: Viewing members of other groups as identical, while exaggerating differences.
- Confirmation Bias: Focusing on evidence that supports existing beliefs.
Logical Fallacies
- Definition: Errors in reasoning that may mislead despite faulty logic.
- Examples:
- Circular Reasoning: Using a claim as both a premise and a conclusion.
- Bandwagon Fallacy: Assuming something is true because many believe it.
Developing Critical Thinking Skills
- Strategies:
- Understand core concepts.
- Practice the skills extensively.
- Apply critical thinking in various contexts.
