Invitation to Critical Thinking (with InfoTrac)

by Rudinow, Joel; Barry, Vincent E.

• ISBN13: 9780155058835
• ISBN10: 0155058835
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-06-09
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing

Summary

Unit I: THE BASICS. 1. Critical Thinking. The Importance of Critical Thinking. What Is Critical Thinking? Obstacles to Critical. Thinking. Looking Ahead: Issues and Disputes. 2. Language. What is Language? Functions of Language. Meaning in Language. Definitions. Unit II: ARGUMENT IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS. 3. Argument. Argument Identification. Argument Analysis. 4. Argument Analysis I: Representing Argument Structure. The Goal Of Argument Analysis. Intermediate Challenges. 5. Argument Analysis II: Paraphrasing Arguments. Paraphrasing. Advanced Applications. Practice, Practice and More Practice. Unit III: DEDUCTIVE REASONING. 6. Deductive Arguments I: Categorical Logic. Deductive And Inductive Reasoning. Argument Form. Categorical Logic. 7. Deductive Arguments II: Truth Functional Logic. Truth Functional Analysis of Logical Operators. Argument Forms. Testing for Validity with Truth Tables. Unit IV: INDUCTIVE REASONING. 8. Inductive Arguments I: Generalization and Analogy. Assessing Inductive Strength. Reasoning by Analogy. 9. Inductive Arguments I: Hypothetical Reasoning and Burden of Proof. Presumption and the "Burden of Proof". Reasoning Hypothetically. Unit V: ARGUMENT EVALUATION. 10. Evaluating Premises: Self-Evidence, Consistency, Indirect Proof. Necessary Truths. Contingent Claims. Beyond "Self-Evidence". 11. Informal Fallacies I: Language, Relevance, Authority. Fallacies of Language. Fallacies of Relevance. 12. Informal Fallacies II: Assumptions and Induction. Fallacious Assumptions. Fallacies of Induction. A Final Word of Caution. 13. Making Your Case: Argumentative Composition. The Issue Statement. Research and the Media. The Thesis Statement. Argument Design. The Presentation. Answers to Exercises. Index.

Table of Contents

UNIT ONE: THE BASICS	1	(70)
Critical Thinking	3	(36)
The Importance of Critical Thinking	4	(5)
What Is Critical Thinking?	9	(2)
Obstacles to Critical Thinking	11	(16)
Relativism/Subjectivism	13	(1)
``Limited'' Relativism/Subjectivism	14	(1)
Egocentrism	15	(4)
Intimidation by Authority	19	(1)
Conformism	20	(1)
Ethnocentrism	21	(1)
Unexamined Assumptions	22	(5)
Looking Ahead: Issues and Disputes	27	(8)
Mere Verbal Disputes	27	(1)
Issue Analysis	28	(2)
Logical Priority	30	(1)
Issue Classification	31	(3)
Composing an ``Issue Statement''	34	(1)
Additional Exercises	35	(2)
Glossary	37	(1)
Endnotes	37	(2)
Language	39	(32)
What Is Language?	40	(2)
Functions of Language	42	(3)
The Informative Function of Language	42	(1)
The Expressive Function of Language	42	(1)
The Directive Function of Language	43	(2)
Meaning in Language	45	(9)
Dimensions of Meaning: Precision and Clarity	49	(5)
Definitions	54	(9)
What Dictionaries Don't Do	55	(8)
Additional Exercises	63	(5)
Glossary	68	(1)
Endnotes	69	(2)
UNIT TWO: ARGUMENT	71	(72)
Argument Identification	73	(20)
Argument Identification	77	(3)
Argument Analysis	80	(8)
Premises and Conclusions	80	(1)
Signal Words	80	(4)
Deeper Analysis	84	(1)
Hidden Depths	85	(3)
Additional Exercises	88	(3)
Glossary	91	(1)
Endnotes	92	(1)
Argument Analysis I: Representing Argument Structure	93	(30)
The Goal of Argument Analysis	93	(2)
Elementary Procedures	95	(9)
Circling and Highlighting	96	(1)
Mapping	97	(2)
Casting	99	(5)
Intermediate Challenges	104	(13)
Completeness	108	(2)
Fairness	110	(1)
Plausibility	111	(6)
Additional Exercises	117	(3)
Glossary	120	(1)
Endnotes	121	(2)
Argument Analysis II: Paraphrasing Arguments	123	(20)
Paraphrasing	123	(6)
Advanced Applications	129	(5)
Practice, Practice, and More Practice	134	(3)
Additional Exercises	137	(4)
Endnotes	141	(2)
UNIT THREE: DEDUCTIVE REASONING	143	(66)
Evaluating Deductive Arguments I: Categorical Logic	145	(40)
Deductive and Inductive Reasoning	146	(3)
Deductive and Inductive Signals	148	(1)
Argument Form	149	(10)
Deductive Validity	152	(1)
Invalidity	153	(1)
Testing for Deductive Validity	153	(3)
Constructing Formal Analogies	156	(3)
Categorical Logic	159	(20)
Translating Categorical Statements into Standard Form	160	(3)
The Square of Opposition	163	(3)
Immediate Inferences and Syllogisms	166	(2)
Mood and Figure	168	(3)
Venn Diagrams	171	(1)
Testing for Validity Using Venn Diagrams	172	(7)
Additional Exercises	179	(5)
Glossary	184	(1)
Evaluating Deductive Arguments II: Truth Functional Logic	185	(24)
Truth Functional Analysis of Logical Operators	186	(6)
Negation	187	(1)
Conjunction	187	(1)
Conditionals	188	(2)
Disjunctions	190	(2)
Argument Forms	192	(8)
Modus Ponens	192	(1)
Fallacy of Asserting the Consequent	192	(1)
Modus Tollens	193	(1)
Fallacy of Denying the Antecedent	194	(1)
Hypothetical Syllogism	195	(1)
Disjunctive Syllogism	196	(1)
Dilemma	197	(3)
Testing for Validity with Truth Tables	200	(3)
Modus Ponens	200	(1)
Fallacy of Asserting the Consequent	201	(1)
Modus Tollens	201	(1)
Fallacy of Denying the Antecedent	202	(1)
Additional Exercises	203	(5)
Glossary	208	(1)
Endnotes	208	(1)
UNIT FOUR: INDUCTIVE REASONING	209	(46)
Evaluating Inductive Arguments I: Generalization and Analogy	211	(24)
Assessing Inductive Strength	212	(5)
Inductive Generalizations	213	(3)
Statistical Generalizations	216	(1)
Margin of Error	216	(1)
Reasoning by Analogy	217	(12)
Argument by Analogy	219	(3)
Evaluating Reasoning by Analogy	222	(6)
Refutation by Analogy	228	(1)
Additional Exercises	229	(4)
Glossary	233	(1)
Endnotes	233	(2)
Evaluating Inductive Arguments II: Hypothetical Reasoning and Burden of Proof	235	(20)
Presumption and the ``Burden of Proof''	235	(3)
Reasoning Hypothetically	238	(13)
Plausibility	239	(2)
Explanatory Power	241	(2)
Testing Hypotheses	243	(2)
Causal Reasoning	245	(6)
Additional Exercises	251	(2)
Glossary	253	(1)
Endnotes	254	(1)
UNIT FIVE: EVALUATING WHOLE ARGUMENTS	255	(102)
Evaluating Premises: Self-evidence, Consistency, Indirect Proof	257	(18)
Necessary Truths	259	(2)
Tautologies	259	(1)
Truisms by Definition	260	(1)
Contingent Claims	261	(6)
Factual Claims	262	(1)
Evaluative Claims	263	(4)
Beyond ``Self-Evidence''	267	(2)
Consistency	267	(1)
Implications	268	(1)
Additional Exercises	269	(5)
Glossary	274	(1)
Endnotes	274	(1)
Informal Fallacies I: Language, Relevance, Authority	275	(36)
Fallacies of Language	277	(14)
Ambiguity	277	(5)
Vagueness	282	(4)
Denotation	286	(1)
Connotation	287	(1)
Language Functions	288	(3)
Fallacies of Relevance	291	(9)
Ad Hominem	292	(3)
Positioning, Provincialism, Tradition, and Novelty	295	(1)
Emotional Appeals	296	(2)
Diversionary Tactics	298	(2)
Fallacious Appeals to Authority	300	(3)
Additional Exercises	303	(4)
Glossary	307	(1)
Endnotes	308	(3)
Informal Fallacies II: Assumptions and Induction	311	(24)
Fallacious Assumptions	311	(4)
False Dilemma	312	(1)
Loaded Questions	313	(1)
Innuendo	313	(1)
Circular Reasoning	313	(2)
Fallacies of Induction	315	(11)
Generalizations	316	(3)
Analogies	319	(1)
Burden of Proof	319	(1)
Hypothetical and Causal Reasoning	320	(3)
Slippery Slope	323	(1)
Gambler's Fallacy	324	(2)
A Final Word of Caution	326	(2)
Additional Exercises	328	(5)
Glossary	333	(1)
Endnotes	334	(1)
Making Your Case: Argumentative Composition	335	(22)
The Issue Statement	337	(2)
Clarity	338	(1)
Balance	338	(1)
Articulation	339	(1)
Research and the Media	339	(8)
Television	341	(1)
Mass Media	342	(1)
The Internet	343	(4)
The Thesis Statement	347	(1)
Argument Design	348	(2)
Outlining	348	(1)
Appreciate Your Opponent's Position	349	(1)
Objections and Replies	350	(1)
The Presentation	350	(5)
Relevance	351	(1)
Care and Precision in Choosing and Defining Terms	352	(1)
Economy of Expression	352	(1)
Rhetoric	353	(1)
Examples	354	(1)
Revisions	354	(1)
Additional Exercises	355	(1)
Glossary	355	(1)
Endnotes	356	(1)
Index	357