Introduction to Philosophy

Achieve Test Prep: Philosophy

Stages in Critical Thinking There are many aspects involved in fostering critical thinking in an individual. Critical thinking is clear, reasoned thinking which involves critique. During the process of critical thinking, ideas should be reasoned, well thought-out, and judged. There are many stages involved in the critical thinking process and they are outlined below to help support and foster core critical thinking skills. • The Garden of Eden: See the world in black and white, and right and wrong. Our role is to accept information without question or criticism. • Anything goes: All beliefs are of equal value. We cannot determine which beliefs make more sense than other beliefs. • Thinking critically: Accept that some viewpoints are better than others. This is not because people someone says so but because there are compelling reasons to support these viewpoints. Logical Reasoning Logical reasoning is the process which uses arguments, statements, and premises to define whether a statement is true or false. Logical reasoning seeks to establish the rules of correct reasoning, clear understanding, and valid arguments by engaging in dialogue which involves the systematic exchange of ideas allowing the individual to see issues from various perspectives and develop reasons to support a conclusion. Logical reasoning consists of four areas: arguments, informal fallacies, validity, and soundness. Argument Forms An argument is a form of thinking in which certain statements (reasons or premises) are offered in support of another statement (a conclusion). Reasons or premises are statements that support or justify or make the conclusion more probable. Conclusions are statements that explain, assert, or predict on the basis of the reasons that are offered as evidence for it. Certain key words (cue words) are used to signal that a reason is being offered in support of a conclusion or that a conclusion is being announced on the basis of certain reason. Evaluating Arguments Evaluating arguments involves determining if the argument is valid or invalid and if the argument is sound or unsound; further, it investigates the truth of the reason and the validity of the conclusion. When assessing the truth of an argument, the process involves assessing how true are the supporting reasons that are being used to support a conclusion which involves a complex and ongoing process. Another step in evaluating an argument includes determining if an argument is sound, which looks at assessing if the argument passes the test of both truth and validity. When an argument has a valid structure and truthful reasoning then the argument is said to be sound. When an argument has either false reasons or an invalid structure, it is considered to be unsound. Assessing validity involves investigating the relationship between the reasons and the conclusions. Evaluation of arguments involves four different types if arguments forms which include:

Page 10 of 125

©2017

www.achievetestprep.com

Made with FlippingBook Online document