From the authors who brought you The Simpsons and Philosophy, The Matrix and Philosophy, and The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy. Critical Thinking: A Student's Introduction, is a clear, learner-friendly text that helps today's students bridge the gap between everyday culture and critical thinking. The text covers all the basics of critical thinking, beginning where students are, not where we think they should be. Its comprehensiveness allows instructors to tailor the material to their individual teaching styles, resulting in an exceptionally versatile text.
Chapter 1: Introduction to Critical Thinking What Is Critical
Thinking?Critical Thinking StandardsThe Benefits of Critical ThinkingBarriers
to Critical ThinkingCharacteristics of a Critical Thinker
Chapter 2:
Recognizing Arguments What Is an Argument?Identifying Premises and
ConclusionsWhat Is Not an Argument?
Chapter 3: Basic Logical
ConceptsDeduction and InductionHow Can We Tell Whether an Argument is
Deductive or Inductive?Common Patterns of Deductive Reasoning Common Patterns
of Inductive Reasoning Deductive Validity Inductive Strength
Chapter 4:
Language Finding the Right Words: The Need for Precision The Importance of
Precise Definitions Emotive Language: Slanting the Truth Euphemisms and
Political Correctness
Chapter 5: Logical Fallacies-1 The Concept of Relevance
Fallacies of Relevance
Chapter 6: Logical Fallacies-2 Fallacies of
Insufficient Evidence
Chapter 7: Analyzing Arguments Diagramming Short
ArgumentsSummarizing Longer Arguments
Chapter 8: Evaluating Arguments When
Is an Argument a Good One?When Is It Reasonable to Accept a Premise?
Appendix: Sample Critical Essay
Chapter 9: A Little Categorical Logic
Categorical StatementsTranslating into Standard Categorical FormCategorical
Syllogisms
Chapter 10: A Little Propositional Logic Conjunction Conjunction
and ValidityNegationDeeper Analysis of Negation and
ConjunctionDisjunctionConditional Statements
Chapter 11: Inductive Reasoning
Introduction to InductionInductive GeneralizationsStatistical
ArgumentsInduction and AnalogyInduction and Causal ArgumentsA Few Words about
Probability
Chapter 12: Finding, Evaluating, and Using Sources Finding
SourcesEvaluating Sources Taking NotesUsing Sources
Chapter 13: Writing
Argumentative Essays Writing a Successful ArgumentBefore you WriteWriting
the First DraftAfter the First Draft
Chapter 14: Thinking Critically about
the Media The Mass MediaThe News MediaGetting Us to Pay Attention: What
Really Drives the Media Keeping Our Interest: The News as EntertainmentMedia
Literacy Advertising
Chapter 15: Science and Pseudoscience The Basic Pattern
of Scientific ReasoningThe Limitations of ScienceHow to Distinguish Science
from PseudoscienceTwo Case Studies in Pseudoscience and the Paranormal Notes
Answers to Selected Exercises Credits Glossary / Index
Gregory Bassham is Director of the Center for Ethics and Public Life and Chair of the Philosophy Department at King's College (Pa.). He is the co-editor of The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy (Open Court, 2003), author of Original Intent and the Constitution: A Philosophical Study (Rowman & Littlefield, 1992), and co-editor of Powerweb: Critical Thinking (McGraw-Hill, 2003-2004). William Irwin is Associate Professor of Philosophy at King's College and Series Editor of Open Court's Popular Culture and Philosophy. Co-editor of The Simpsons and Philosophy (Open Court, 2001), his most recent book, The Matrix and Philosophy, was a New York Times Bestseller. Henry Nardone is Professor of Philosophy at King's College. His publications include scholarly articles on critical thinking and aesthetics. James M. Wallace is Professor of English at King's College. Author of Parallel Lives: A Novel Way to Learn Thinking and Writing (1999), Jim's essay, "A (Karl Not Groucho) Marxist in Springfield," appeared in The Simpsons and Philosophy (Open Court, 2001).
