Critical Thinking: Analyzing Yourself, Understanding Others
Edition: 1
Copyright: 2017
Pages: 164
Edition: 1
Copyright: 2017
Pages: 164
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Critical Thinking: Analyzing Yourself, Understanding Others offers readers a comprehensive, practical overview of the skills needed to become active and open-minded thinkers. The text promotes an understanding of modern global issues while also providing insight into the lives of activists, philosophers, and scholars from around the world like Socrates, Mahatma Gandhi, Confucius, and Nelson Mandela.
Thinking activities, historical writings, and contemporary articles encourage a greater understanding of topics like problem solving, morals, prejudice and bias, and logical fallacies. Readers will not only be encouraged to evaluate their own viewpoints but also learn from and assess the beliefs of their peers in order to become well rounded, accepting, and progressive thinkers.
Chapter 1 Introduction to Critical Thinking
Reading: Excerpt from A History of Freedom of Thought by J.B. Bury
Socrates and the Socratic Method
Characteristics of a Critical Thinker
Active and Passive Thinking
Reading: The Audacity of Talking About Race with the Ku Klux Klan by Conor Friedersdorf
Critical Thinking Spotlight: Tank Man
Reading: Tiananmen Square: What Happened to Tank Man by Heather Saul
Chapter 2 Perceiving and Believing
Perception
Thinking Critically about Personal Beliefs
Reading: Thinking Critically about Beliefs It’s Hard to Think Critically About by Justine M. Kingsbury and Tracy A. Bowell
Analyzing Beliefs from Different Perspectives
Reports, Inferences, and Judgements
Analyzing the Credibility of Judgments
Critical Thinking Spotlight: Henry David Thoreau
Critical Thinking Spotlight: Leonardo da Vinci
Reading: Inspired Lessons from da Vinci’s Creative Thinking Methods by Rafiq Elmansy
Critical Thinking Spotlight: Albert Einstein
Chapter 3 Bias, Stereotypes, and Prejudice
Bias
Reading: How to Detect Bias in News Media by FAIR: Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting
Stereotypes
Discrimination, Prejudice, and Racism
Reading: What Does Modern Prejudice Look Like by Shankar Vedantam
Jury Bias
Reasonable Doubt
Reading: Why Was O.J. Simpson Found not Guilty? Jurors Cited Reasonable Doubt by Caitlin Gallagher
Critical Thinking Spotlight: Susan B. Anthony
Reading: Old Friends Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony Made History Together by Katy June-Friesen
Critical Thinking Spotlight: Sojourner Truth
Reading: Ain’t I A Woman by Sojourner Truth
Critical Thinking Spotlight: Martin Luther King, Jr.
Critical Thinking Spotlight: Nelson Mandela
Chapter 4 Problem Solving
Steps to Problem Solving
Understanding Complex and Component Problems: The Clean Water Crisis and Lifestraw
The Scientific Method
Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi and the Salt Marches
Reading: How Did Gandhi Win? Lessons from the Salt March for Today’s Social Movements by Mark Engler and Paul Engler
Critical Thinking Spotlight: George Washington
Reading: George Washington’s Farewell Address
Chapter 5 Thinking Critically About Moral Issues
Morals
Your Moral Compass
Moral Theories
Altruistic Moral Theory
Utilitarian Moral Theory
Divine Command Moral Theory
Authoritarian Moral Theory
Reading: Lessons from Jonestown by Melissa Dittmann
Ethical Egoism Moral Theory
Psychological Moral Theory
The Dakota Access Pipeline: A Moral Debate
Reading: Dakota Access Pipeline, Speech by Rep. Tulsi Gabbard
Reading: Dakota Access Pipeline Advocacy, Speech by Rep. Raul Ruiz
Reading: Dakota Access Pipeline, Speech by Rep. Charles B. Hoeven
Critical Thinking Spotlight: Immanuel Kant
Critical Thinking Spotlight: Confucius
Chapter 6: Reasoning and Logical Fallacies
Types of Reasoning
Logical Fallacies
Hasty Generalization
False Dilemma
Post hoc ergo propter hoc
Begging the Question
Non Sequitur
Argumentum Ad Hominem
Argumentum Ad Populum
Argumentum Ad Vercundiam
Argumentum Ad Misericordiam
Argumentum Ad Metum
Reductio Ad Absurdum
“Straw Man” Argument
Slippery Slope Argument
Red Herring
Chapter 7: Constructing Arguments
Why Study Argument?
Matters of Definition
Three Elements Always Present in Argument
Critical Thinking and Argument
The Scientific Sphere
The Legal Sphere
The Business Sphere
The Religious Sphere
The Political Sphere
Suggested Films