You can either provide a rebutting defeater for a premise, or you can provide an undercutting defeater for a premise.
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Evaluating Arguments, Part 3: Science, Lack of Substantiation, and Contradictions
Continuing with my series on ways to evaluate arguments (premises, implications, assumptions, etc), the following post will discuss four more ways.
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Evaluating Arguments, Part 2: Circularity
Circular motion was long thought to be the perfect form of motion, and as a result, it was postulated as the way heavenly bodies moved around the Earth. While circular motion may (or may not) be the “perfect” form of motion, circularity is certainly nowhere near perfect in argumentation. It is, in fact, a pernicious fallacy that seeps into much of our reasoning and argumentation, many times unconsciously. Today we will be looking at one way to critically assess an argument, namely establishing that it is circular.
Evaluating Arguments, Part 1: Introduction and General Dichotomy
Arguably the most important aspect of critical thinking is the ability to analyze and evaluate arguments. While this new series will serve as a continuation of the critical thinking series recently concluded, I thought that the importance of argument evaluation warrants its own series. This post will introduce the structure and purpose of this series, and will also provide a general dichotomy which can be used to evaluate arguments.
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Critical Thinking, Part 7: Confirmation Bias and Fallacies
Confirmation bias is the tendency of all humans to seek out (and interpret) information, data, evidence, and sources that supports or confirms what we already believe and ignore (or discredit, downplay, etc.) information, data, evidence, and sources that disconfirm what we already believe.
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Critical Thinking, Part 6: A Case Study
Critical thinking is the process by which one utilizes the methods and tools of rational thought, evaluation, analysis, and inquiry in order to formulate objective and sound conclusions. How does one think critically? Today, I will explore it with a case study.
Critical Thinking, Part 5: Logic
Although it may seem boring (it’s not!), understanding logical symbols and concepts is crucial if one is to learn how to think. The concepts in the images below, known as the rules of implication, are used in nearly every philosophical argument, so knowing them is extremely valuable. Below are three pictures that will equip you with the essential logical concepts to engage with and read complex philosophical writing. They derive from a philosophy professor’s course titled, “Logic and Critical Thinking“.
Critical Thinking, Part 4: Explanations
Every day we encounter explanations of various natural and social phenomena. For instance, we may see a leaf fall from a tree, or witness a dog wince, or hear a loud noise coming from the porch. Each of these call for explanations of various sorts, some of which will be much more probable than others. Which, in your view, is the more plausible explanation for your observation of the leaf falling?
Critical Thinking, Part 3: Elements of Reasoning
Just as the intellectual standards previously explored were found to be crucial for critical thinking and rational inquiry, the following elements of reasoning are significant in the exact same respect. All of the following information is quoted from the Foundation for Critical Thinking.
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Critical Thinking, Part 2: Intellectual Standards
A crucial part of critical thinking consists in holding oneself and others to various intellectual standards, standards that make the very existence of rational discourse and inquiry possible. If one wants to think critically, one must keep each of these in mind when assessing and creating arguments. Each standard below is from The Foundation for Critical Thinking.
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