Critical Thinking Skills

Interpretation Analysis Inference Evaluation Explanation Self-regulation

When do we use CRITHIN What is the subject matter of CRITHIN? What are the consequences if not thinking critically?

Topic (Subject, general idea) Issue (Debatable, matter of discussion) Claim (Stand, opinion, perspective) Reasoning (Mental process) Argument (Cluster of propositions/statements) Argumentation (Process of arguing or logical)

Kinds of Statements
Synthetic
True or False Empirical data 5senses

Analytic
Mathematical equations Analyze

ARGUMENTS
DEDUCTIVE INVALID VALID INDUCTIVE WEAK STRONG

SOUND

UNSOUND

DEDUCTIVE
All As are Bs X is an A X is a B A X X All mammals are animals A dog is mammal A dog is an animal B A B

VALID SOUND

 If A, then B A B

If it rains, then the ground is wet It rained The ground is wet

A A

B
VALID UNSOUND

INDUCTIVE Juan is a CRITHIN student and he is smart Pedro is a CRITHIN student and he is smart All CRITHIN students are smart Probability from past evidences

DEDUCTIVE All CRITHIN students are smart Pedro is a CRITHIN student Pedro is smart

Sure that you are correct

Questions & Answers

Scientist during the time of Thales are known as NATURAL PHILOSOPHERS Plato was a student of SOCRATES According to Socrates, the only thing I know is NOTHING Aristotles philosophy is similar to Plato-FALSE

The last step in attaining critical thinking skills. SELF-REGULATION Attitude of a critical thinker. OPEN-MINDED Cluster of propositions/statements. ARGUMENTS Has a subject and a predicate. SENTENCE Can either be true or false. STATEMENTS Some statements are sentences. FALSE (should be all) Parts of an argument. PREMISE AND CONCLUSION

Type of statement based on quality. GENERAL OR UNIVERSAL These types of statements can be T or F by merely analyzing. ANALYTICAL Synthetic statements can be verified as FACTS Difference between inductive and deductive. CONCLUSION The conclusions of inductive arguments are PROBABLE Conclusions of deductive are TRUE

What are the kinds of deductive arguments. VALID AND INVALID What are the kinds of valid. SOUND AND UNSOUND If you are looking for this you are looking at the structure of an argument. VALIDITY Validity: Structure; Sound/unsound: MEANINGFULNESS A pre- requisite of validity. SOUND The only time when the argument is sound if it is invalid. FALSE (if it is valid)

Summa Theologica is written by Augustin. FALSE (St. Thomas Aquinas) Aristotle was the student of Plato. TRUE In the ultimate stuff, Thales answered was air. FALSE (water) Opposite of wisdom is ignorance. FALSE (Foolishness) A claim is different from conclusion. FALSE (the same) Philosophy: love of wisdom, what are the Greek words associated. PHILIA & SOPHIA

The person who coined Philosophy. PYTHOGORAS St. Thomas Aquinas: Medieval Era. TRUE Alexander the Great was the student of Aristotle. TRUE Are all explanations argumentations? NO Are all argumentations explanations? YES Invalid> automatically unsound Valid> either sound or unsound

DISAGREEMENTS
Genuine
Belief (different set of info or facts) Attitude (same info, different preferences)

Merely Verbal
Word itself

Definitions
Parts
Definiendum ( term to be defined) Definiens (defining term)

Purposes
To increase vocabulary To eliminate ambiguity To reduce vagueness To explain theoretically To influence attitudes

An Apple is a red fruit.

Definiendum Definiens

Definiens not exatcly the meaning of the Definiendum The apple is a symbol

Types of Definitions
Stipulative Lexical Precising Theoretical Persuasive

STIPULATIVE
Anyone who introduces a new symbol has complete freedom to stipulate what meaning is to be given The assignment of meanings to new symbols is a matter of choice Neither True or False Based on new definitions Ex. Savage (1. saving 2. killing) based on culture

LEXICAL
Where the purpose of a definition is to eliminate ambiguity or to increase the vocabulary of the person for whom it is constructed if the term being defined is not new but has an established usage, the definition is lexicon Increases vocabulary Can be True or False Eliminates Ambiguity

PRECISING
Where ordinary usage must be transcended A definition capable of helping to decide borderline cases must go beyond what is merely lexical Can be True or False Lawyers, Mathematicians, Doctors Used to eliminate ambiguity or vagueness Ex. Robber & Theft, Homicide & Murder

THEORETICAL
Attempts to formulate an adequate characterization of the objects to which it is applied Not everyone can do this (Specific Method) Scientists Analytic

PERSUASIVE
The purpose of which is to influence attitudes Their function is expressive Pro or Anti Define the word and giving the other person an idea to side with you