The Power of Critical Thinking: Effective Reasoning About Ordinary and Extraordinary Claims

by Vaughn, Lewis

• ISBN13: 9780197768204
• ISBN10: 0197768202
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780197768211
• Additional ISBN(s): 9780197605370, 9780197606445
• Edition: 8th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2024-05-10
• Publisher: OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
• More Book Details

About This Book

The Power of Critical Thinking: Effective Reasoning About Ordinary and Extraordinary Claims

ISBN: 9780197768204

The Power of Critical Thinking is a comprehensive textbook designed to equip students with the tools and techniques necessary for effective reasoning in both everyday life and complex, extraordinary situations. Written by Lewis Vaughn, this book has become a go-to resource for critical thinking courses across various educational institutions.

Who Uses It?

Primarily, this book is used by students and educators in critical thinking, philosophy, and related courses at the college and university levels. It is also a valuable resource for anyone interested in developing their critical thinking skills, including professionals looking to enhance their analytical abilities.

History and Editions

The eighth edition of The Power of Critical Thinking has been updated to address user feedback, incorporating more practical examples and additional tools to help students apply critical thinking in real-world scenarios. This edition maintains what works from previous editions while adding new content where needed and dropping outdated material.

Author and Other Works

Lewis Vaughn is a renowned author in the field of critical thinking. His writing style is known for being clear, concise, and engaging, making complex concepts accessible to a wide range of readers. Vaughn has written several books on critical thinking, including earlier editions of The Power of Critical Thinking.

Key Features

• Comprehensive Coverage: The book provides a broad range of tools and techniques for critical thinking, covering both ordinary and extraordinary claims.
• Effective Reasoning: It focuses on developing effective reasoning skills, which are essential for evaluating information critically.
• Practical Applications: The book includes numerous examples and case studies that illustrate how critical thinking applies in real-life situations.
• Study Tools: The eighth edition features built-in study tools such as highlights, read-aloud functionality, and global search capabilities, making it easier for students to engage with the material.

Detailed Information

ISBNs and Formats

• Paperback: ISBN-13: 9780197768204
• eBook: ISBN-13: 9780197768211 (available through VitalSource)
• Other Editions: The book is also available in previous editions, but the specific ISBNs for those may vary.

Publication Details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication Date: 2024
• Number of Pages: 648 pages
• Language: English

Other Editions and Formats

• 8th Edition eBook: ISBN-13: 9780197768211 (available through VitalSource)
• Related ISBNs:
• 9780197768211 (eBook)
• 9780197768211 (eBook, VitalSource)

Additional Information

The Power of Critical Thinking has been widely adopted by over 4500 institutions across 230+ countries and territories. It is part of Oxford University Press’s extensive collection of educational resources, reflecting the publisher’s commitment to providing high-quality materials for students and educators.

This detailed information section provides a quick reference for all the available formats and sources for The Power of Critical Thinking, making it easier to find and access the book in the preferred format.

Author Biography

Lewis Vaughn is the author or coauthor of numerous books, including Bioethics, Fifth Edition (2022), The Power of Critical Thinking, Seventh Edition, (2021), Philosophy Here and Now, Fourth Edition (2021), and Living Philosophy, Third Edition (2020), all published by Oxford University Press.

Table of Contents

Preface

Part One BASICS

Chapter 1. The Power of Critical Thinking
WHY IT MATTERS
HOW IT WORKS
Claims and Reasons
Reasons and Arguments
Arguments in the Rough
KEY WORDS
SUMMARY
EXERCISES
FIELD PROBLEMS
SELF-ASSESSMENT QUIZ
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

Chapter 2. Obstacles to Critical Thinking
ALL HAIL THE SELF
ALL HAIL MY GROUP
THE TOUGHEST MENTAL OBSTACLES
Denying Contrary Evidence
Looking for Confirming Evidence
Motivated Reasoning
Preferring Available Evidence
YOUR BRAIN ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Mere Exposure Effect
Illusion-of-Truth Effect
False Consensus Effect
The Dunning-Kruger Effect
PHILOSOPHICAL OBSTACLES
Subjective Relativism
Social Relativism
Skepticism
KEY WORDS
SUMMARY
EXERCISES
FIELD PROBLEMS
SELF-ASSESSMENT QUIZ
INTEGRATIVE EXERCISES
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

Chapter 3. Making Sense of Arguments
ARGUMENT BASICS
EXERCISE
JUDGING ARGUMENTS
EXERCISES
FINDING MISSING PARTS
EXERCISE
ARGUMENT PATTERNS
EXERCISES
DIAGRAMMING ARGUMENTS
EXERCISES
ASSESSING LONG ARGUMENTS
EXERCISES
KEY WORDS
SUMMARY
FIELD PROBLEMS
SELF-ASSESSMENT QUIZ
INTEGRATIVE EXERCISES
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

Part Two REASONS

Chapter 4. Reasons for Belief and Doubt
WHEN CLAIMS CONFLICT
EXPERTS AND NONEXPERTS
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
Impairment
Expectation
Innumeracy and Probability
KEY WORDS
SUMMARY
EXERCISES
FIELD PROBLEMS
SELF-ASSESSMENT QUIZ
INTEGRATIVE EXERCISES
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

Chapter 5. Media Manipulation: Fake News, Bias, and Advertising
FAKE NEWS
Telling Fake from Real
MEDIA BIAS
Objectivity and Bias
Opinion, Analysis, Advocacy
Liberal and Conservative Bias
ADVERTISING
How Advertising Works
Internet Advertising
Political Advertising
KEY WORDS
SUMMARY
EXERCISES
FIELD PROBLEM
SELF-ASSESSMENT QUIZ
INTEGRATIVE EXERCISES
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

Chapter 6. Fallacies and Persuaders
FALLACIES: IRRELEVANT PREMISES
Genetic Fallacy
Composition
Division
Appeal to the Person
Equivocation
Appeal to Popularity
Appeal to Tradition
Appeal to Ignorance
Appeal to Emotion
Red Herring
Straw Man
Two Wrongs Make a Right
FALLACIES: UNACCEPTABLE PREMISES
Begging the Question
False Dilemma
Decision-Point Fallacy
Slippery Slope
Hasty Generalization
Faulty Analogy
PERSUADERS: RHETORICAL MOVES
Innuendo
Euphemisms and Dysphemisms
Stereotyping
Ridicule
Rhetorical Definitions
KEY WORDS
SUMMARY
EXERCISES
FIELD PROBLEMS
SELF-ASSESSMENT QUIZ
INTEGRATIVE EXERCISES
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

Part Three ARGUMENTS

Chapter 7. Deductive Reasoning: Propositional Logic
CONNECTIVES AND TRUTH VALUES
Conjunction
Disjunction
Negation
Conditional
EXERCISES
CHECKING FOR VALIDITY
Simple Arguments
Tricky Arguments
Streamlined Evaluation
EXERCISES
PROOF OF VALIDITY
Rules of Inference
Rules of Replacement
EXERCISES
KEY WORDS
SUMMARY
FIELD PROBLEMS
SELF-ASSESSMENT QUIZ
INTEGRATIVE EXERCISES
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

Chapter 8. Deductive Reasoning: Categorical Logic
STATEMENTS AND CLASSES
EXERCISES
TRANSLATIONS AND STANDARD FORM
Terms
Quantifiers
EXERCISES
DIAGRAMMING CATEGORICAL STATEMENTS
EXERCISES
SIZING UP CATEGORICAL SYLLOGISMS
EXERCISES
THE SQUARE OF OPPOSITION
CATEGORICAL EQUIVALENCE
EXERCISES
KEY WORDS
SUMMARY
FIELD PROBLEMS
SELF-ASSESSMENT QUIZ
INTEGRATIVE EXERCISES
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

Chapter 9. Inductive Reasoning
ENUMERATIVE INDUCTION
Sample Size
Representativeness
Opinion Polls
EXERCISES
ANALOGICAL INDUCTION
Relevant Similarities
Relevant Dissimilarities
The Number of Instances Compared
Diversity among Cases
EXERCISES
CAUSAL ARGUMENTS
Testing for Causes
Causal Confusions
Necessary and Sufficient Conditions
EXERCISES
KEY WORDS
SUMMARY
FIELD PROBLEMS
SELF-ASSESSMENT QUIZ
INTEGRATIVE EXERCISES
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

Part Four EXPLANATIONS

Chapter 10. Inference to the Best Explanation
EXPLANATIONS AND INFERENCE
EXERCISES
THEORIES AND CONSISTENCY
THEORIES AND CRITERIA
Testability
Fruitfulness
Scope
Simplicity
Conservatism
EXERCISES
TELLING GOOD THEORIES FROM BAD
A Doomed Flight
An Amazing Cure
EXERCISES
KEY WORDS
SUMMARY
FIELD PROBLEMS
SELF-ASSESSMENT QUIZ
INTEGRATIVE EXERCISES
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

Chapter 11. Judging Scientific Theories
SCIENCE AND NOT SCIENCE
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
TESTING SCIENTIFIC THEORIES
JUDGING SCIENTIFIC THEORIES
Copernicus versus Ptolemy
Evolution versus Creationism
EXERCISES
SCIENCE AND WEIRD THEORIES
MAKING WEIRD MISTAKES
Leaping to the Weirdest Theory
Mixing What Seems with What Is
Misunderstanding the Possibilities
JUDGING WEIRD THEORIES
Crop Circles
Talking with the Dead
EXERCISES
SUMMARY
FIELD PROBLEMS
SELF-ASSESSMENT QUIZ
INTEGRATIVE EXERCISES
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

Chapter 12. Critical Thinking in Morality
MORAL ARGUMENTS
MORAL PREMISES
MORAL THEORIES
Evaluating Moral Theories
Two Important Theories
A COHERENT WORLDVIEW
KEY WORDS
SUMMARY
EXERCISES
FIELD PROBLEMS
SELF-ASSESSMENT QUIZ
INTEGRATIVE EXERCISES
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

APPENDIX A The Truth About Philosophy Majors
APPENDIX B Essays for Evaluation
Essay 1 Death Penalty Discriminates against Black Crime Victims
Essay 2 Marine Parks
Essay 3 A Feminist Defense of Pornography
Essay 4 A Defense of Homosexuality
Essay 5 More Innocents Die When We Don't Have Capital Punishment
Essay 6 What's Wrong with Adultery?
Essay 7 A Pat-Down Is Better Than a Blow-Up
Essay 8 The Cohabitation Epidemic
Essay 9 Not Being Vaccinated Is Not Acceptable
Essay 10 Women and the Afghanistan Peace Process
Essay 11 A Deviance from God's Norm
Essay 12 Marriage Still Evolving, as Ever
Essay 13 Slouching toward Chimeras
Essay 14 Fighting Islamic Extremists Who Stifle Free Speech
Essay 15 Is Sluttishness a Feminist Statement?
Essay 16 Torture: Time for Congress to End the Debate
Essay 17 Torture: Severe Interrogations Work
Essay 18 Freedom of Expression: Protect Student Speech-Even “Unwise” Bong Banner
Essay 19 Freedom of Expression: Policy Reflects Common Sense
Essay 20 It's Irresponsible to Spread Fear of Vaccine
Essay 21 Flag Amendment: Flag Needs Protection
APPENDIX C Answers to Exercises
APPENDIX D Answers to Self-Assessment Quizzes
APPENDIX E Critical Thinking and Writing
NOTES
GLOSSARY
CREDITS
INDEX