Lecture 1 intro and concepts(critical thinking)

ISM5001 Critical Thinking and Argumentation

Introduction to Critical Thinking

Welcome to

Critical Thinking

Foundations of

Critical Thinking

Elements of

Arguments

Fallacies Critical & Logical

Reasoning

ISM5001 Critical Thinking and Argumentation

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Do You Agree With This Statement?

Some people study all their life and at their death they have learned everything except to THINK”

– Francois Domergue

4What comes to mind when someone

says you need to use ‘Critical Thinking’?

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What is Critical Thinking? Wide range of cognitive skills and intellectual dispositions needed to

effectively identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments and truth claims; to discover and overcome personal preconceptions and biases; to formulate and present convincing reasons in support of conclusions; to make reasonable, intelligent decisions about what to believe & what

to do. (Basham et al, 2011)

Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. (Scriven & Paul, 1987)

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What is Critical Thinking? (Cont’d)

Critical thinking is skeptical without being cynical. open-minded without being wishy-washy. analytical without being nitpicky

Critical thinking can be: decisive without being stubborn, evaluative without being judgmental, forceful without being opinionated.”

(Facione, 2010)

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What Critical Thinking is Not

Not Negativity- it is not mere ‘criticism’ Not ‘Emotionless’ Not Reproduction of someone else’s critical thinking Not Creative thinking Not just problem solving- but finding questions to ask

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History of Critical Thinking

The intellectual roots of critical thinking are traceable, ultimately, to the teaching practice and vision of Socrates 2,500 years ago

Socrates discovered by a method of probing questioning that people could not rationally justify their confident claims to knowledge.

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History of Critical Thinking (Cont’d)

Socrates established the fact that one cannot depend upon those in "authority" to have sound knowledge and insight.

Persons may have power and high position and yet be deeply confused and irrational.

He established the importance of asking deep questions that probe profoundly into thinking before we accept ideas as worthy of belief.

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Socrates established the importance of seeking evidence, closely examining reasoning and assumptions, analyzing basic concepts, and tracing out implications not only of what is said but of what is done as well.

His method of questioning is now known as "Socratic Questioning"

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In every domain of human thought, and within every use of reasoning within any domain, it is now possible to question:

ends and objectives, the status and wording of questions, the sources of information and fact, the method and quality of information collection, the mode of judgment and reasoning used, the concepts that make that reasoning possible, the assumptions that underlie concepts in use, the implications that follow from their use, and the point of view or frame of reference within which

reasoning takes place.

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History of Critical Thinking Socrates’ practice was followed by the critical thinking of

Plato, Aristotle, and the Greek skeptics, all of whom emphasized that things are often very different from what they appear to be.

Plato

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Characteristics of Critical Thinking Inference: “to identify and secure elements needed to

draw reasonable conclusions; to form conjectures and hypotheses; to consider relevant information and to educe the consequences flowing from data, statements, principles, evidence, judgments, beliefs, opinions, concepts, descriptions, questions, or other forms of representation.”

Explanation: “Being able to present in a cogent and coherent way the results of one’s reasoning...”

Self-Regulation: “You can monitor and correct an interpretation you offered. You can examine and correct an inference you have drawn. You can review and reformulate one of your own explanations

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Characteristics of Critical Thinking Interpretation: “to comprehend and express the meaning

or significance of a wide variety of experiences, situations, data, events, judgments, conventions, beliefs, rules, procedures, or criteria.”

Analysis: “to identify the intended and actual inferential relationships among statements, questions, concepts, descriptions, or other forms of representation....

Evaluation: “to assess the credibility of statements or other representations...and to assess the logical strength of the actual or intended inferential relationships among statements, descriptions, questions or other forms of representation.”

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1. All reasoning has a purpose. Take time to state your purpose clearly. Distinguish your purpose from related purposes. Check periodically to be sure you are still on target. Choose significant and realistic purposes.

2. All reasoning is an attempt to figure something out, to settle some question, to solve some problem. 1. Take time to clearly and precisely state the question at hand. 2. Express the question in several ways to clarify its meaning and

scope. 3. Break the question into sub questions. 4. Identify if the question has one right answer, is a matter of

opinion, or requires reasoning from more than one point of view.

(5) http://criticalthinking.org/University/helps.html

The Elements of Thought

http://criticalthinking.org/University/helps.html

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3. All reasoning is based on assumptions. Clearly identify your assumptions and determine

whether they are justifiable. Consider how your assumptions are shaping your point

of view.

4. All reasoning is done from some point of view. Identify your point of view. Seek other points of view and identify their strengths as

well as weaknesses. Strive to be fair-minded in evaluating all points of view.




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5. All reasoning is based on data, information and evidence. Restrict your claims to those supported by the data you

have. Search for information that opposes your position as

well as information that supports it. Make sure that all information used is clear, accurate,

and relevant to the question at issue. Make sure you have gathered sufficient information.

6. All reasoning is expressed through, and shaped by, concepts and ideas.

Identify key concepts and explain them clearly. Consider alternative concepts or alternative definitions

to concepts. Make sure you are using concepts with care and

precision. (5) http://criticalthinking.org/University/helps.html



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7. All reasoning contains inferences or interpretations by which we draw conclusions and give meaning to data. Infer only what the evidence implies. Check inferences for their consistency with each other. Identify assumptions which lead you to your

inferences.

8. All reasoning leads somewhere or has implications and consequences. Trace the implications and consequences that follow

from your reasoning. Search for negative as well as positive implications. Consider all possible consequences.




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Critical Thinking STANDARDS1. Clarity2. Accuracy3. Precision4. Relevance (Focus)5. Consistency6. Logical correctness7. Completeness (Depth)8. Fairness

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CLARITY Before we can effectively evaluate a person’s argument or

claim, we need to understand clearly what he or she is saying Example: Miss Teen South Carolina http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww

Sample Questions: Could you elaborate further on that point? Could you express that point in another way? Could you give me an illustration? Could you give me an example?

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Accuracy

A statement can be clear but not accurate

Sample Questions : Is that really true? How could we check that? How could we find out if that is true?

Source: http://www.fctl.ucf.edu/tresources/content/Ruland-CriticalThinkingStandards.pdf

http://www.fctl.ucf.edu/tresources/content/Ruland-CriticalThinkingStandards.pdf

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Precision

A statement can be clear and accurate, but not precise Could you give more details? Could you be more specific?



23Relevance, Focus

A statement can be clear, accurate and precise, but not relevant to the

question at hand

ExampleRobert Riech’s Petition: “Your typical employee is now earning $8.25 to $8.80 an hour,” Reich states in the petition. “[Walmart and McDonald’s] can easily afford to pay [workers] $15 an hour without causing layoffs or requiring price hikes”

Walmart’s Response: Walmart’s spokesman told the Huffington Post that my petition fails to mention that Walmart is a major job creator and that it promotes some of its employees.

Sample Questions:

How is that connected to the question?

How does that bear on the issue

24CONSISTENCY Lookout for inconsistencies: in your own thinking and in the

arguments and assertions of others. Logical consistency: saying or believing two (or more)

things that could not simultaneously be true Example: P & ~P

Practical consistency: saying one thing and doing another Critical thinking helps us become aware of such unconscious

practical inconsistencies, Allows us to deal with them on a conscious and rational basis

that human beings often

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LOGICAL CORRECTNESS To think logically is to reason correctly—that is, to draw well-

founded conclusions from the beliefs we holdAll mammals are dangerous.

Bobo is dangerous.

Therefore Bobo is a mammal.

I am a man.

Brad Pitt is a man.

Therefore, I am Brad Pitt.

All humans are animals.

Most animals can climb trees.

Therefore, most humans can climb trees.

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DepthA statement can be clear, accurate……but not superficialSample Questions: How does your answer address the complexities in the

question? How are you taking into account the problems in the

question? Is that dealing with the most significant factors?



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FairnessCritical thinking demands that our thinking be fair.

Open-minded Impartial Free of distorting biases and preconceptions Not resisting unfamiliar ideas, prejudging issues,

stereotyping outsiders



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CTS – Good Thinking is…

CLEAR……….....rather than........UNCLEARACCURATE…....rather than…….INACCURATEPRECISE……....rather than…….VAGUERELEVANT…….rather than…….IRRELEVANTCONSISTENT….rather than……INCONSISTENTLOGICAL……….rather than……ILLOGICALCOMPLETE……rather than……INCOMPLETEFAIR…………….rather than…....BIASED



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Benefits of Critical ThinkingIn Classroom

Understand the material you are studying Improve ability to understand the arguments and issues

in textbook and classes Marshall arguments and evidence in a way that

convincingly supports your view

(Basham et al, 2011)

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Benefits of Critical ThinkingIn the Workplace

Employers are looking for quick learners who can: solve problems think creatively, gather and analyze information draw appropriate conclusions from data communicate their ideas clearly and effectively


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Benefits of Critical ThinkingIn Life

Avoid making foolish decisions: Consumer Purchases Relationships Personal Behavior

Promoting democratic process Citizens’ decision be as informed and as deliberate as possible

Simply for enrichment it can bring to our lives(Basham et al, 2011)

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BARRIERS To Critical Thinking1. Egocentrism

2. Sociocentrism

3. Unwarranted assumptions and stereotypes

4. Relativistic thinking

5. Wishful thinking


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1. EGOCENTRISM Egocentrism: Seeing reality as centered on oneself

1. Self-interested thinking: Accepting and defending beliefs that harmonize with one’s own self-interest

Example: “A rising tide raises all boats.”

2. Self-serving bias: Overrating oneself Example: 90% of drivers rate themselves as above

average

342. SOCIOCENTRISM Sociocentrism: Group-centered thinking1. Group bias: Seeing One’s own group, tribe, sect, sex as

betterExample: “Girls are better than boys.”

2. Conformism: Following the crowd, conforming uncritically to group standards of conduct and belief

353. UNWARRANTED ASSUMPTIONS Assumption: Something we take for granted, something we

believe to be true without any proof or conclusive evidence We have to make assumptions (the floor was there yesterday

when I got out of bed; it will be there today). This only becomes pernicious when those assumptions are unwarranted.

Stereotypes are unwarranted assumptions. Error: Hasty generalization – making a generalization about a

large class of people from a small sample

Discussion: Identify assumptions you’ve made since you got up this morning. Were they warranted?

364. RELATIVISTIC THINKING Relativism: “There is no objective absolute standard of truth.”

Subjectivism: “Truth is a matter of individual opinion.” Exercise: List areas where truth may be a matter of opinion.

Cultural relativism: “What is true for person A is what person A’s culture of society believes is true.” Examples: drinking wine in France/Iran; polygamy

Moral subjectivism: What is morally right and good for an individual A is what A believes is morally right and good. Example:

Premarital sex – Premarital sex is always wrong. Premarital sex is not always wrong

375. WISHFUL THINKING Wishful thinking: believing something not because you have

good evidence for it, but because you wish it were true.

Examples: “The wind will pick up.” “He loves me.” “I don’t have a 1-73 chance of dying in a car accident.”

Exercise: Generate examples of hindrances to critical thinking.

38Uncritical Thinkerso Pretend to know more than they do.o Get annoyed by problems.o Are impatient.o Judge on first impressions and intuition.o Focus on their own opinions.o Look only for ideas like their own.o Are guided by feelings rather than

thoughts.o Claim that thinking gives them a

headache.

Don’t think

about it, just sign

it!

+ MDs and critical thinking

Doctor Is Suspended Over Errand

Boston—A Boston orthopedic surgeon has been suspended from practice after disclosures that he abandoned a patient midway through back surgery so he could go to the bank to deposit his paycheck.

(Source: Los Angeles Times, August 9, 2002)

Doctor Loses License Over Carved Initials

New York state has taken away the license of an obstetrician who carved his initials in a woman’s abdomen immediately after she gave birth.

(Source: Times Wire Reports)

Women wearing jeans can’t be raped?

1999: The Supreme Court of Appeal in Rome overturned a 1998 rape conviction, proclaiming the alleged victim must have agreed to sex because her jeans could not have been removed without her consent.

The court said the alleged victim, an 18-year-old student, was wearing tight jeans, which could not have been removed without her consent.

The accused rapist, a 45-year-old driving instructor, has been released.

female ministers of the Italian parliament say they will protest until the ruling is overturned

Zimbabwe president allegedly labels Jamaicans as drunkards, weed smokers

A country of marijuana smokers, where women are now taking charge since men are always sloshed (drunk).

Jamaicans are free to smoke marijuana despite the herb being illegal in the island while also alleging that local men prefer to sing that get an education.

43Activity Break into groups of four or five.

Choose one member of your group to take notes and be the group reporter.

• Discuss your education up to this point. To what extent has your education prepared you to think clearly, precisely, accurately, logically, and so forth?

• Have you ever known a person (e.g., a teacher or a parent) who strongly modeled the critical thinking standards discussed in this section? If so, how did he or she do that?

• With your group, come up with some ways that critical thinking can help to inform the debates, questions and concerns in your various IS/IT field.

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Discussions

Skin Bleachers Ms Jamaica Universe 2015-6 Judge ask persons to leave

Education

Lecture 1 intro and concepts(critical thinking)